At the sight of her, Elly's heart filled and brightened. Her busy, busy
thoughts stopped for the first time that day. She felt as you do when
you've been rowing a boat a long time and finally, almost where you
want to go, you stop and let her slide in on her own movement, quiet and
soft and smooth, and reach out your hand to take hold of the
landing-place. Elly reached out her arm and put it around Mother's neck.
She stood perfectly quiet. There wasn't any need to be anything _but_
quiet now you'd got to where you were going.

She had been out on the rim of the wheel, all around and around it, and
up and down the spokes. But now she was at the center where all the
spokes ended.

She closed her eyes and laid her head on Mother's soft shoulder.

"Did you have a good walk, all by yourself, dear?" asked Mother.

"Oh yes, it was all right," said Elly.

"Your feet aren't wet, are they?"

"No," said Elly, "I took off my boots just as soon as I came in, and
changed my stockings."




CHAPTER VI

THINGS TAKE THEIR COURSE