The General's old eyes brightened as he surveyed the young pair. This
was as it should be, the son of his old friend and the daughter of his
heart.
He tried to look stern, however. "Haven't I always kept you supplied
with pink shoes and blue shoes and all the colors of the rainbow shoes!"
he demanded. "And why should you tax Barry?"
"But, Dad, he wants to." She looked eagerly at Barry for confirmation.
"He wants to give them to me--for my birthday----"
"Of course I do," said Barry, lightly. "If I didn't give her slippers, I
should have to give her something else--and far be it from me to know
what--little--lovely--Leila--wants----"
And to the tune of his chant, they hippity-hopped together up the stairs
in a hunt for some stray shoe that should fit little-lovely-Leila's foot!
A little later, the silken ladies having descended the stairway for the
last time, Aunt Frances took her amber satin stateliness to the Sanctum.
Behind her, a silver shadow, came Aunt Isabelle, and bringing up the
rear, General Dick, and the four young people; Leila in a pair of
mismated slippers, hippity-hopping behind with Barry, and Porter assuring
Mary that he knew he "hadn't any business to butt in to a family party,"
but that he was coming anyhow.
The Sanctum was the front room on the second floor. It had been the
Little Mother's room in the days when she was still with them, and now it
had been turned into a retreat where the young people drifted when they
wanted quiet, or where they met for consultation and advice. Except that
the walnut bed and bureau had been taken out nothing had been changed,
and their mother's books were still in the low bookcases; religious
books, many of them, reflecting the gentle faith of the owner. On mantel
and table and walls were photographs of her children in long clothes and
short, and then once more in long ones; there was Barry in wide collars
and knickerbockers, and Constance and Mary in ermine caps and capes;
there was Barry again in the military uniform of his preparatory school;
Constance in her graduation frock, and Mary with her hair up for the
first time. There was a picture of their father on porcelain in a blue
velvet case, and another picture of him above the mantel in an oval
frame, with one of the Little Mother's, also in an oval frame, to flank
it. In the fairness of the Little Mother one traced the fairness of
Barry and Constance. But the fairness and features of the father were
Mary's.