The S. W. F. Club

ok immediately, the boys whistled it, as they came and went, and the girls hummed

to be happy among a good many persons in Winton that summe

rs in the matter of discovering new ways of "Seeing Winton," o

esides the club's regular ones, sometimes amongst

the other girls, would go for long rambling drives along the quiet country roads, or out beside th

rap were not out, Bedelia enjoying the brisk trots

" was Hilary's present motto. Certainly, the camera was in evidence at all the outings, and so far, Hilary had fewer failures to her

ad been an immense success. The doctor had followed it by a moonlight drive along the lake and across on the old sail ferry to the New Yo

supper at the Wards', at which the club members had appeared in old-fashioned costumes; a strawberry supper on the church

the village had known in years. Mr. Paul Shaw's theory about develo

nded of that fact. She had quite discarded the little "company" fiction, except now and then, by way

d not found her summer quite as cloudless as some of her elders; being an honorary member had not meant all of the fun in her case. S

ws, going so far as to tell him so when she met him down street. She had a very kindly feeling in her heart for the pleasa

tractions of the side porch, not an expensive affair, but the little Japanese cups and saucers were both pretty and delicate, as was the rest of the service; while Miranda's cream cookies and sponge cakes were, as Shirley declared, good enough to be framed. Ev

ness Jane, those Tuesdays at the parsonage were little short of a dissipation. Miranda, unbending in the face of such sincere and humble admiration, was truly gracious. The glimpses the little bent, old sexton

evening, "if he could know all the queer sorts of ways in which

gs-ups, as you call them, either." She had sat down right in the middle of g

herself, held frequent meetings. "And there's always one thing," th

, really, the time when the checks should cease to come--"for, you know, Uncle Paul only promised them for the summer," Pauline remi

, smiling over the carefully recorded entries in the little

, vivid letters, more so than Pauline had any idea of. Through them, Mr. Paul Shaw felt himself becoming very well acquainted with

d a way of going right to her point that was most satisfactory. It seemed sometimes as if he could see the old white parsonage and ivy-covered church; the broad tree-shaded lawns

d written "The best catch of the season," Mr. Paul Shaw looked long and intently. Somehow he had never pictured Phil to himself as middle-aged. If anyone had told him,

ds; and it was a fortnight later that Patience came flying down the garden path to where Pauline and Hi

out this afternoon if you're set on it! And it's addressed to the 'Misses Shaw,'

set of oar-locks, a perfect boat for the lake

for at once to paint the name in red letters to look well agai

hem, after the coming of the "Surprise." A general overhauling took place immediately, the girls adopted simple boating dresses-red an

han well under way. In little more than a month the long vacation would

like it!" Hilary said one morning. "I

et," Paulin

ded from the gate, and Hilary

morning?" Pauline asked, as

g-House," Tom answered. "Hilary

ul," Hilary urged. "It's a

er cut out; perhaps I'l

s noon. You wait at

busy this morning,"

Pauline told her. "Mother said

disgustedly at the aster bed. It was quite the biggest of the smaller beds.-She didn't see what people wanted to plant so many ast

roundabout ramble, Hilary, for one, was quite willing to sit down and wait for Pauline and the

, with a hint of the coming fall. "Summer's surely on the down

ng. I don't suppose it matters as much t

er sorry that it was so-there could never be another summer quite s

call it a break-just a di

ere'll be a lot of you

out, I reckon we'll have to postpone th

ng the top of Meeting-House Hill, her eyes rather thoughtful. From where she sat, she had a full view of

row flower-bordered path, followed by a woman. At the gate both stopped; the woman was saying something, her anxious, draw

d, with face bent to the troubled one raised to his, and bearing indic

e poor pater exempt?" T

g for you to take away with you, 'Winton Snap

foreboding that it was going to make him a bit uncomfortable-later-when the time for decision came; though, as for that, he had already decided-beyond tho

e," he said

d she isn'

anced at the sun. "Maybe w

fact, before they saw anything of Pauline. There, she met them at the g

elia?" Hilary rep

and it's pretty safe gu

nce would

e exclaimed. "Jim brou

out a few moments later

oking for them. We tra

e r

you worry, Paul; she'll turn up all rig

en Bedelia alone; and

the seat beside her, and if there was something very like anxiety in her gla

ly from her high seat, at the worried, indignant group on the

clared. "Did you ever

erence. Certainly, it was not unexpected; but when Hilary brought her dinner up to her presently, she found her sitting on the floor, her head on the bed. It

sitting down on the bed, took the tumbled head on her knee.

get a chance to drive

ut on the Lake road I j

r recent performance ro

tell you, folks I

ence,

rry says they always know when you're scared, and if Mr. Allen is the mos

r would have approved of, especially under present circumstances. "That has noth

ce not being scared of things. You're sort

e a moveme

"It's going to be such a drea

tay, mother wo

ng ago, that I was mighty sure Jane'd just be tickled to death to belong to our club. I think you might ask her-I don't see why she shouldn't like Seeing Winton, same's we do-she doesn't ever have fun-and she'll be dead pretty soon. She's getting along, Jane is-it'd make me mad's anything to have to die 'fore I'd ha

ty; maybe we have been selfish with our good times. I'll have to go

t I reckon, it's a g

turn," she

bit h

up with mother? You're pretty good at

closed the door, she opened it again to stick her h

study and Pauline had gone out on an errand. Hilary went up-stairs

home. Presently, the old woman herself came to the window to shake her dust-cloth, standing there a moment, leaning a little out, her eyes turned to the parsonage. Pauline was coming up the path, Shirley and Bell were with her. They were laughing and talking, the bright young voices making a plea

come that woman, following the doctor down from the path. Life was surely anything but bright for her this crisp August day-and now here was Jane. And presently-at the moment it seemed very near indee

sary to the pattern as the bright. Perhaps they had need of Sextoness Jane, of the interweaving of her life into theirs-of the inter

Hilary!" Pa

nd went slowly down to where the

happened?" P

e come to the conclusion that we'

went to the study windo

us names, and t

hope not very bad

way-it's only-" She told what Patience had said about Jane's joining the c

Let's form a deputation and go right over and

ell said. "But I don't suppose I've

es," Pauline admitted. "She knows a lot about the peopl

mping up. "We're going to h

ne will feel herself immensely flattered, and I know of no one

," Shirley coaxed, "wh

M., come down and

rdly

ter all-she started this, you know. That so

see," her m

with which Shirley had provided her, and th

of the afternoon's duties with her-as they came through the opening in the

"we came over to invit

maybe, you

to another of them. "And wear

"See, here it is," and she point

ungster, 'most like Patience, teacher, she got up some sort of May doings. We was all to wear white dresses and red, white

nned the blue badge on the waist of Jane's black and white ca

r it softly. "My Land!

she walked slowly away towards hom