"Come on." Grace seized Elfreda's heavy suit case and started up the
stairs. Elfreda followed with alacrity. "Now," laughed Grace, as she
stepped into Mrs. Gray's room, "I demand an explanation." She laid her
hands lightly upon the old lady's shoulders, smiling down at her, then
bent and kissed her cheek.

"This is certainly a happy meeting," declared Elfreda, as she embraced
Mrs. Gray, who rose to greet her.

"I'm so glad you could come, my dear. I knew that Grace would miss her
friends dreadfully when she came back here. Anne and Miriam are both away,
and Nora and Jessica are too deep in the mysteries of hope chests and
wedding finery to be dragged off on even the most delightful of midsummer
pilgrimages. But my greatest reason for asking you to come was because I
believed you were the very person Grace needed to make her happy here. You
see it will take at least two weeks to set things to rights and she must
have inspiring company. I hope everything has arrived safely. Suppose we
hurry through with our breakfast and go over to Harlowe House at once.
Mrs. Elwood tells me that she informed the caretaker yesterday of our
coming. We shall be obliged to stop at his house for the key."

"Oh, Elfreda, I'm so sorry that you weren't with us in New York," was
Grace's regretful cry. "We stayed with the Southards, Mrs. Gray, Anne,
Miriam and I. Anne, Miss Southard and Mr. Southard left New York City for
California last week. Mr. Southard and Anne are to appear as joint stars
in film productions of 'As You Like It,' 'Hamlet,' 'King Lear' and
possibly other Shakespearian plays. It is their first experience in posing
before the camera. Anne sent you her love. She will write you as soon as
she is settled."