In the High Valley / Being the fifth and last volume of the Katy Did series

y mountains toward which their course was directed. It was one of those clear-cut, jewel-like mornings which seem peculiar to Colorado, with dazzling gold sunshine, a cloudl

cup" of coffee; but this morning she was prompt at her post, and after watching them ride up the valley, and standing for a moment at the open door for a breath of the scented wind, she seated herself at her sewing-machine. A steady whirring hum p

rly and finish my half. That wretched little Phillida elected to wake up and demand ''tories' fro

irl, two years and a half old

hing at dinner; and then at half-past three, or a quarter to eight, or ten minutes after twelve, or some such uncanonical hour, he is so ragingly hungry that he can scarcely wait till I fetch him something. He is so tiresome

father and child who suited each other so perfectly. Phil flirts with Clarence and he is very proud of her notice, but I think th

tered; and on the decoration of this plaster, while in a soft state, a good deal of time had been expended by Geoffrey Templestowe, who had developed a turn for household art, and seemed to enjoy lying for hours on his back on a staging, clad in pajamas and indenting the plaster with rosettes and sunken half-rounds, using a croquet ball and a butter stamp alternately, the whole being subsequently finished by a coat of dull gold paint. He and Clover had themselves hung the walls with its pale orange-brown paper; a herder with a turn for carpentry had laid the new floor of narrow redwood boards. C

atized as the "beggarly bachelor days," which were thrown together two in one on either side the common room. Clover and Elsie had taken pains and pleasure in making these pretty and different from each other, but as a matter of fact the "private" parlors were not private at all; for the two families were such very good friends that they generally pr

pare rooms in the building which had once been the kitchen. One of these, called "Phil's room," was kept as a matter of course for the use of that young gentleman, who, while nominally studying law in an office at St. Helen's, contrived to get out to the Valley very frequently. The interests of the party were so identical that the matter of ownership seldom came up, and signified little. The sisters divi

on, who had never forgotten or lost their interest in their pretty fellow-traveller of two years before, hearing from Mrs. Ashe how desirous Clover was of a visit from her father and sisters, wrote and asked the Carrs to go out with them in car 47 as far as Denver, and be picked up and brought back two months later when the Daytons returned from Alaska. The girls were wild to go, it seemed an opportunity too good to be lost; so the invitation was accepted, and, as sometimes happens, the kindness shown had an unlooked-for return. Mr. Dayton was seized w

rprising and delightful. The girls were enchanted with the Valley, the climate, the wild fresh life, the riding, the flowers, with Clover's little home

he car was a repository of wedding presents, for all the rugs and portières and silken curtains and brass plaques and pretty pottery with which it was adorned, and the flower-stands and Japanese kakemonos, were to disembark at St. Helen's and help to decorate Elsie's new home. All went as was planned, and Clarence's life from that day to this had been, as Clover mischievously told him, one p?an of thanksgiving to her for refusing him and opening the way to real happiness. Elsie suited him to perfection. Everything she said and did and suggested was exactly to his mind, and as for looks, Clover was dear and nice as could be, of course, and pretty,-well, yes, pe

, he should give up the practice of medicine in Burnet, and retire to the High Valley to live as physician in ordinary to the community for the rest of his days. This prospect was so alluring to the married daughters that they turned at once into the veriest match-makers and were disposed to many Johnnie off immediately,-it didn't much matter to whom, so long as they could get possession of their father. Johnnie resented these man?uvres highly, and obstinately refused to "remove the impediment," declaring that self-sacrifice was all very well, but she couldn't and wouldn't see that i

still a fixture in the valley. He and his methods were a puzzle and somewhat of a distress to the order-loving Clover, who distrusted not a little the ways and means of his mysteriously conducted kitchen; but servants were so hard to come by at the High Valley, and Choo Loo was so steady and faithful and his viands on the whole so good, that she judged it wise to ask no questions and not look too closely into affairs but just take th

psis, and asked again, "Missie like dat?" pleased at Clover's answering nod and smile. Noiselessly he came and went in his white-shod feet, fetching in one dish after another, and when all was done, making a sort of

sly tended, watered, and defended from the roving cattle, which showed a provoking preference for heliotropes over penstamens whenever they had a chance to get at them

et?" asked Elsie as she qualified her hu

r usual time. I dare say we shall find a telegram at St. H

ays glad of an excuse to come. I wonder what sort of girl Mi

ust an ordinary sort of girl,-nic

d shy and so very badly dressed. I didn't get on very much with her at Clovelly, but I dare say we sha

e need, the only possible improvement to the High Valley, would be a few more nice people, just two or three, with pretty little houses, you know, dotted here and there in the side canyons, whom we could ride up to

hy. "Poor Elsie, spoiling for people! Don't set your heart on them

or three people wanted to come,-really nice ones, you know, perfect charmers,-su

our perfect charmers when they apply; but meantime changes are risky, and I am quite content with things as they ar

e a complete party in ourselves, as you say; but there are the children to be considered. Geoffy

in hand, chattering

whist age. Here they come now. I hear the nursery door slam. They don'

beard. Down they came hand in hand, little Phil holding tightly to the polished baluster, chattering as they went, like two wood-thrushes. Neither of them had ever known any other child playmates, and they were devoted to each other and quite happy together. Little Geoff from the first had adopted a protecting attitude toward his smaller cousin, and had borne himself like a gallant little knight in the one adventure of their lives, when a stray coyote, wandering near the house, showed his teeth

by had at once devoted them to the service of Clover and Elsie. They proved the greatest possible comfort and help to the High Valley household. The place did not seem lonely to them, used as they were to a still lonelier cabin at the top of a steep moor up which few people ever came. The Colorado wages seemed riches, the liberal comfortable living luxury to them, and they rooted and established the

ly as a matter of course. Safely established there, she began at once to flirt with Clarence, making wide coquettish eyes at him, smiling, and hi

. "Doesn't baby like papa a bit? A

but when the sobs continued and grew louder, she began to look troubled, and leaning forward suddenly, threw her arms round her father's nec

ied, with a positive dew of pleasure in his eyes. "El

good deal. I always was meritorious in my way, and deserve the best that is going, ev

ent waltzing merrily down the room, the little one from her perch accenting the dance time with a series of small shouts. Little Ge

trying in vain to get away

ou have finished your fandango, allow me to remind you that there are a hundred and forty head of ca

-Savory, please, to be brought down in half an hour, and tell old José that we want him to help and scrub. No, young man, not another turn. These sports are unseemly on such a busy

and, beside water-proofs and top-coats. Before long the sisters were on their way, their saddle-pockets full of little stores, baskets strapped behin

ild it was very much such a cabin as the original hut had been,-six rooms, all on one floor, the sixth being a kitchen. It was newly completed, an

sure it's a great deal more promising than the Hut was before Clarence and Geoff and I took hold of it. See, Elsie,-this room is done. I think Miss Young will choose it for

e who can get a carpenter or upholsterer to help them at any minute really lose a great deal of

imes it comes under the suspicion of being hard work. Now, when José has the kitchen windows washed it will all be pretty decent. We can't undertake much beyond making the fi

s Young from what you and Geoffrey say of her. I do

to give you an unpleasant impression of her. In fact, my recollections about her are rather indistinct. We didn't see a great de

he and Isabel

htful. I wish it were she who was coming out. You would lo

emselves with a basket of sandwiches. By half-past five all was fairly in order,-the windows washed, the curtains up, ki

lsie, standing back to note the effect of the last curtain. "Lionel will have to go in to St. Helen's and get a lot of things out bef

oad-shouldered, muscular, athletic young fellow, full of life and energy, and showing no trace of the illness which at that time seemed so

es, so I thought I'd better bring them out. I left the newspapers and the rest at the house, and fetched you

ritical survey of the interior, while

" explained Clover. "The You

ach Denver Thursday

el Y

. It's lucky we came up to-day. My letters a

ek from Clover, who had torn open he

thing! Rose Red is coming out here in August! She and Mr. Browne and R?slei

n, Ju

rcumstances, for it would only have meant perspiration on his part and widowhood on mine, but most fortunately, some angels with a private car of their own have turned up, and have asked all three of us to go out with them as far as Santa Fé. What do you think of that? It is not the Daytons, who seem only to

ase" (whatever that is), or any other of the ills to which men and cattle are subject, and which will stand in the way of the visit. Deniston, of course, will be forced to go right through to Santa Fé, but R?slein and I are at your service if you like to have us. We don't care for scenery, we don't want to see Mexico or the Pacific coast, or the buried cities of Central America, or the Zu?i corn dance,-if there is such a thing,-or any a

so-now don't faint utterly, but you will! to their seven children! He had two of his own when they married, and they have had two pairs of twins since, and "a singleton," as they say in whist. Such a houseful you never did see; but the twins are lovely, and Esther looks very fat and happy and well-to-do, and says she doesn't mind it a bit, and sees more clearly

one moment since she went to live in the Hoosac Tunnel, she told me, so there are compensations. She seems happy for all that, poor dear Mary. Ellen Gray never has married at all, you know. She goes into goo

mma's loss, and Sylvia is gone too. She and Tom sailed for Europe in April, and it makes a great difference h

view of Newport just across the water. It was a superb day, all shimmery blue and gold, and we spent most of our time sitting in a shady corner of the piazza, and talking of the old times and of all of you. I didn't know then of this enchanting Western plan, or we should have had a great deal more to talk about. Th

hall see little Geoff! I shall see Phillida! I shall see Aunt Clovy! Perhaps I shall ride on a horse!" You'll never have the heart to disappoint her. My "

wn Ros

ittle skip of rapture. "Dear, dear Rose! Elsie, the n