mamma's so taken up with building. We do nothing
but talk house; and Pen says we eat and sleep house.
She says it would be a sort of relief to go and live
in tents for a while."

"She seems to have a good deal of humour," the young
man ventured, upon the slender evidence.

The others had gone to the back of the house a moment,
to look at some suggested change. Irene and Corey were
left standing in the doorway. A lovely light of happiness
played over her face and etherealised its delicious beauty.
She had some ado to keep herself from smiling outright,
and the effort deepened the dimples in her cheeks;
she trembled a little, and the pendants shook in the tips
of her pretty ears.

The others came back directly, and they all descended
the front steps together. The Colonel was about to renew
his invitation, but he caught his wife's eye, and,
without being able to interpret its warning exactly,
was able to arrest himself, and went about gathering
up the hitching-weight, while the young man handed
the ladies into the phaeton. Then he lifted his hat,
and the ladies all bowed, and the Laphams drove off,
Irene's blue ribbons fluttering backward from her hat,
as if they were her clinging thoughts.

"So that's young Corey, is it?" said the Colonel,
letting the stately stepping, tall coupe horse make