"No, I did not know. That is the one part of Judy's letter that put me at ease about her. I thought she had plenty of money, and money certainly does help out."
"Well, that is the part of her letter that made me know I must go get her. The Americans who are abroad simply can't get checks cashed. She might even be hungry, poor little Judy."
"Thank goodness, I have some money--all owing to Judy's father, too! If he had not seen the bubbles on that puddle in the rocky pasture, we would never have known there was oil there. What better could we do with the money that Mr. Kean got for us than use it to succor his daughter?"
"Oh, Mother, you are so--so--bully! I know no other word to express what you are. I am going to pay back every cent I borrow from you. Thank goodness, I saved a little from the money I made on the architectural sketches I did for the article Dickson wrote on the French country homes. I'm going over steerage."
"You are going over in the first class cabin! Steerage, indeed! I lend no money for such a trip."
"All right, Mother! You are the boss. And now, don't you think I'll have time to go see Aunt Mary a few minutes?"
"Of course you must go see the poor old woman. She has been afraid she would not live until you got home. She is very feeble. Dear old Aunt Mary!"
They had reached the Chatsworth garden and Kent noticed with delight the hollyhocks that had flourished wonderfully since he had dug them up that moonlight night more than three years ago and transplanted them from the chicken yard, where no one ever saw them, to the beds in the garden, and all because Miss Julia Kean had regretted that they were not there to make a background for the bridal party, after they had determined to have Mildred's wedding out of doors.
"Haven't they come on wonderfully? I know Judy would like to see how well they have done. I think hollyhocks are the most decorative of all flowers. I wonder we never had them in the garden before, Mother."
Both of them were thinking of Mildred's wedding on that rare day in June. Kent remembered with some satisfaction that in the general confusion that ensued after Mildred and Crit were pronounced, by Dr. Peters, to be man and wife, and everybody was kissing everybody else, he had had presence of mind to take advantage of the license accorded on the occasion of a family wedding and had kissed his sister Molly's college friend, Miss Julia Kean.