Chapter X


Mrs. Daggett was sitting by the window gazing dreamily out, when
Lydia returned after witnessing the triumphant departure of the
promoter of Famous People.

"It kind of brings it all back to me," said Mrs. Daggett, furtively
wiping her eyes. "It's going t' look pretty near's it used to. Only I
remember Mis' Bolton used to have a flower garden all along that
stone wall over there; she was awful fond of flowers. I remember I
gave her some roots of pinies and iris out of our yard, and she gave
me a new kind of lilac bush--pink, it is, and sweet! My! you can
smell it a mile off when it's in blow."

"Then you knew--the Bolton family?"

The girl's blue eyes widened wistfully as she asked the question.

"Yes, indeed, my dear. And I want to tell you--just betwixt
ourselves--that Andrew Bolton was a real nice man; and don't you let
folks set you t' thinking he wa'n't. Now that you're going to live
right here in this house, my dear, seems to me it would be a lot
pleasanter to know that those who were here before you were just
good, kind folks that had made a mistake. I was saying to Henry this
morning: 'I'm going to tell her some of the nice things folks has
seemed to forget about the Boltons. It won't do any harm,' I said.
'And it'll be cheerfuller for her.' Now this room we're sitting
in--I remember lots of pleasant things about this room. 'Twas