"Guardy Lud" was the first visitor, just for a night and a day. He had
come East for a flying business trip, and could not pass by his
beloved wards without at least a glimpse. He dropped down into their
midst quite unexpectedly the night before college closed, and found
them with a bevy of young people at the supper-table, who opened their
ranks right heartily, and took him in. He sat on the terrace in the
moonlight with them afterwards, joking, telling them stories, and
eating chocolates with the rest. When they gathered about the piano
for a sing, he joined in with a good old tenor, surprising them all by
knowing a lot of the songs they sang.
After the young people were gone he lingered, wiping his eyes, and
saying, "Bless my soul!" thoughtfully. He told Julia Cloud over and
over again how more than pleased he was with what she had done for his
children, and insisted that her salary should be twice as large. He
told her she was a big success, and should have more money at her
command to do with as she pleased, and that he wanted the children to
have a larger allowance during the coming year. Allison had spoken of
his work among the young people of the church, and he felt that it
would have been the wish of their father and mother both that the
young people should give liberally toward church-work. He would see
that a sum was set aside in the bank for their use in any such plans
as they might have for their Christian Endeavor work.
They talked far into the night, for he had to hear all the stories of
all their doings, and every minute or two one or the other of the
children would break in to tell something about the other or to praise
their dear Cloudy Jewel for her part in everything.
The next day they took him everywhere and showed him everything about
the college and the place, introduced him to their favorite
professors, at least those who were not already gone on their
vacations, and took him for a long drive past their favorite haunts.
Then he had to meet Jane Bristol and Howard Letchworth. Julia Cloud
was greatly relieved and delighted when he set his approval upon both
these young people as suitable friends for the children.
"They are both poor and earning their own living," said Julia Cloud,
feeling that in view of the future and what it might contain she
wanted to be entirely honest, that the weight of responsibility should
not rest too heavily upon her.
"All the better for that, no doubt," said Guardy Lud thoughtfully,
watching Jane Bristol's sweet smile as she talked over some committee
plans with Allison. "I should say they were about as wholesome a
couple of young people as could be found to match your two. Just keep
'em to that kind for a year or two more, and they'll choose that kind
for life. I'm entirely satisfied with the work you're doing, Miss
Cloud. I couldn't have found a better mother for 'em if I'd searched
heaven, I'm sure."
And so Julia Cloud was well content to go on with her beloved work as
home-maker.
But the day after Guardy Lud left, just as the three were sitting
together over a great State map of roads, perfecting their plans for a
wonderful vacation, which was to include a brief visit to Ellen
Robinson at Sterling, a noisy Ford drew up at the door, and there was
Ellen Robinson herself, with the entire family done up in linen
dust-coats and peering curiously, half contemptuously, at the strange
pink-and-white architecture of the many-windowed "villa."
Allison arose and went down the terrace to do the honors, showing his
uncle where to drive in and put his car in the little garage, helping
his aunt and the little cousins to alight.
"For mercy's sake, Julia, what a queer house you've got!" said Ellen
the minute she arrived, gazing disapprovingly at the many windows and
the brick terrace. "I should think 'twould take all your time to keep
clean. What's the idea in making a sidewalk of your front porch? Looks
as if some crazy person had built it. Couldn't you find anything
better than this in the town? I saw some real pretty frame houses with
gardens as we came through."
"We like this very well," said Julia Cloud with her old patient smile
and the hurt flush that always accompanied her answers to her sister's
contempt. "Cherry doesn't seem to mind washing windows. She likes to
keep them bright. We find it very comfortable and light and airy. Come
inside, and see how pretty it is."
Once inside, Ellen Robinson was somewhat awed with the strangeness of
the rooms and the beauty of the furnishings, but all she said after a
prolonged survey was: "Um! No paper on the wall! That's queer, isn't
it? And the chimney right in the room! It looks as though they didn't
have plaster enough to go around."
Leslie took the children up-stairs to wash their faces and freshen up,
and Julia Cloud led her sister to the lovely guest-room that was
always in perfect order.
"Well, you certainly have things well fixed," said Ellen grudgingly.
"What easy little stairs! It's like child's play going up. I suppose
that's one consolation for having such a little playhouse affair to
live in; you don't have to climb up far. Well, we've come to stay two
days if you want us. Herbert said he could spare that much time off,
and we're going to stop in Thayerville on the way back and see his
folks a couple of days; and that'll be a week. Now, if you don't want
us, say so, and we'll go on to-night. It isn't as if we couldn't go
when we like, you know."
But Julia Cloud was genuinely glad to see her sister, and said so
heartily enough to satisfy even so jealous a nature as Ellen's; and so
presently they were walking about the pretty rooms together, and Ellen
was taking in all the beauties of the home.
"And this is your bedroom!" she paused in the middle of the
rose-and-gray room, and looked about her, taking in every little
detail with an eye that would put it away for remembrance long
afterwards. "Well, they certainly have feathered your nest well!" she
declared as her eyes rested on the luxury everywhere. "Though I don't
like that painted furniture much myself," she said as she glanced at
the French gray enamel of the bed; "but I suppose it's all right if
that's the kind of thing you like. Was it some of their old furniture
from California?"
"Oh, no," said Julia Cloud quickly, the pretty flush coming in her
cheeks. "Everything was bought new except a few little bits of
mahogany down-stairs. We had such fun choosing it, too. Don't you like
my furniture? I love it. I hovered around it again and again; but I
didn't dream of having it in my room, it was so expensive. It's real
French enamel, you know, and happens to be a craze of fashion at
present. I thought it was ridiculous to buy it, but Leslie insisted
that it was the only thing for my room; and those crazy, extravagant
children went and bought it when I had my head turned."
"You don't say!" said Ellen Robinson, putting a hard, investigating
finger on the foot-board. "Well, it does seem sort of smooth. But I
never thought my cane-seat chairs were much. Guess I'll have to get
'em out and varnish 'em. What's that out there, a porch?"
Julia Cloud led her out to the upper porch with its rush rugs, willow
chairs, and table, and its stone wall crowned with blooming plants and
trailing vines. She showed her the bird's nest in the tree overhead.
"Well," said Ellen half sourly, "I suppose there's no chance of your
getting sick of it all and coming back, and I must say I don't blame
you. It certainly is a contrast from the way you've lived up to now.
But these children will grow up and get married, and then where will
you be? I suppose you have chances here of getting married, haven't
you?"
The color flamed into Julia Cloud's cheeks in good earnest now.
"I'm not looking for such chances, Ellen," she said decidedly. "I
don't intend ever to marry. I'm happier as I am."
"Yes, but after these children are married what'll you do? Who'll
support you?"
"Don't let that worry you, Ellen, There are other children, and I love
to mother them. But as far as support is concerned I'm putting away
money in the bank constantly, more than I ever expected to have all
together in life; and I shall not trouble anybody for support.
However, I hope to be able to work for a good many years yet, and what
I'm doing now I love. Shall we go down-stairs?"
"Have Allison and Leslie got any sweethearts yet?" she asked pryingly
as she followed her sister down the stairs. "I suppose they have by
this time."
"They have a great many young friends, and we have beautiful times
together. But you won't see many of them now. College closed last
week."
For two long days Allison and Leslie devoted themselves religiously to
their relatives, taking them here and there in the car, showing them
over the college and the town, and trying in all the ways they knew to
make them have a good time; but when at last the two days and two
nights were over, and the Robinsons had piled into their car and
started away with grudging thanks for the efforts in their behalf,
Leslie sat on the terrace musingly; and at last quite shyly she said:
"Cloudy, dear, what makes such a difference in people? Why are some so
much harder to make have a good time than others? Why, I feel as if
I'd lived years since day before yesterday, and I don't feel as if
they'd half enjoyed anything. I really wanted to make them happy, for
I felt as if we'd taken so much from them when we took you; but I just
seemed to fail, everything I did."
Julia Cloud smiled.
"I don't know what it is, dear, unless it is that some people have
different ideals and standards from other people, and they can't find
their pleasure the same way. Your Aunt Ellen always wanted to have a
lot of people around, and liked to go to tea-parties and dress a great
deal; and she never cared for reading or study or music. But I think
you're mistaken about their not having had a good time. They
appreciated your trying to do things for them, I know, for Aunt Ellen
said to me that you were a very thoughtful girl. And the children
enjoyed the victrola, especially the funny records. Herbert liked it
that Allison let him drive his car when they went out. They enjoyed
the eating, too, I know, even though Ellen did say she shouldn't care
to have her meals cooked by a servant; she should want to be _sure_
they were clean."
"Did she truly say that, Cloudy?" twinkled Leslie. "Isn't she funny?"
They both broke down and laughed.
"But I'm glad they came, Cloudy. I truly am. It was nice to play with
the children, and nice to have a home to show our relatives, and
nicest of all to have them see you--how beautiful you are at the head
of the house."
"Dear, flattering child!" said Julia Cloud lovingly. "It is so good to
know you feel that way! But now here comes Allison, and we must finish
up our plans for the trip and get ready to close the house for the
summer."
They had a wonderful trip to mountains and lakes and seaside, staying
as long as they pleased wherever they liked, and everywhere making
friends and having good times; but toward the end of their trip the
children began to get restless for the little pink-and-white cottage
and home.
"We really ought to get back and see how the Christian Endeavor
Society is getting along," said Allison one day as they glided through
a little village that reminded them of home. "I don't see any place as
nice as our town, do you, Cloudy? And I don't feel quite right
anywhere but home on Sunday, do you? For, really, all the Christian
Endeavor societies I've been to this summer acted as if their members
were all away on vacations and they didn't care whether school kept or
not."
And so they went home to begin another happy winter. But the very
first day there came a rift in their happiness in the shape of the new
professor of chemistry, a man about Julia Cloud's age, whom Ellen
Robinson had met on her visit to Thayerville, and told about her
sister. Ellen had suggested that maybe he could get her sister to take
him to board!
To this day Julia Cloud has never decided whether Ellen really thought
Julia would take a professor from the college to board, or whether she
just sent him there as a joke. There was a third solution, which Julia
Cloud kept in the back of her mind and only took out occasionally with
an angry, troubled look when she was very much annoyed. It was that
Ellen was still anxious to have her sister get married, and she had
taken this way to get her acquainted with a man whom she thought a
"good match". If Julia had been sure that this idea had entered into
her sister's thoughts, she might have slammed the door in Professor
Armitage's face that night when he had the audacity to come and ask to
be taken into Cloudy Villa as a boarder.
"Why, the very idea!" said Leslie with snapping eyes. "As if we wanted
a _man_ always around! No, indeed! _Horrors!_ Wouldn't that be
_awful_?"
But Professor Armitage, like everybody else who came once to Cloudy
Villa, liked it, and begged a thousand pardons for presuming, but came
again and again, until even the children began to like him in a way,
and did not in the least mind having him around.
But the day came at last, about the middle of the winter, or nearer to
the spring, when Leslie and Allison began to realize that Professor
Armitage came to see their Cloudy Jewel, and they met in solemn
conclave to talk it over.