"And these two smart girls I have adopted as grandchildren, too," declared the older Mrs. Castle, drawing Lyddy and 'Phemie forward. "These are the hard-working, cheerful, kind-hearted girls who make this delightful home at Hillcrest for us all."
"Oh, Mrs. Castle makes too much of what we do," said Lyddy, softly. "You see, 'Phemie and I are only too glad to have a grandmother; we do not remember ours."
"And, God forgive me! I'd almost forgotten what mine was like," said Mr. Castle, softly, eyeing his old mother with misty vision.
"Well, now!" spoke the old lady, briskly, "do you suppose you could find enough in that pantry of yours to feed this hungry mob of people in addition to your regular guests, Lyddy?"
"Why--if they'll take 'pot luck,'" laughed Lyddy. "Literally 'pot luck,' I mean, for the piece de resistance will be two huge pots of baked beans."
"And such beans!" exclaimed Grandmother Castle.
"And such 'brown loaf' to go with them," suggested Harris Colesworth.
"And old-fashioned 'Injun pudding' baked in a brick oven," added Mr. Bray, smiling. "There is a huge one, I know."
"I am not sure that there wasn't method in your madness, Mother," declared Mr. Castle. "All this sounds mighty tempting."
"And it will taste even more tempting," declared the elder Mrs. Castle.
"Let the hamper stay where it is," commanded her son, to the chauffeur. "We'll partake of the Misses Bray's hospitality."
The younger Castles, and the gentleman's wife, might have been in some doubt at first; but when they were set down to the long dining table, with Lyddy's hot viands steaming on the cloth--with the flowers, and beautiful old damask, and blue-and-white china of a by-gone day, and the heavy silver, and the brightness and cheerfulness of it all, they, too, became enthusiastic.
"It's the most delightful place to visit we've ever found," declared Miss Virginia Castle.
"It's too sweet for anything," agreed Miss Lucy. "I hope you'll come this way in the car again, Dad."
"I reckon we will if Grandma is going to make this her headquarters--and she declares she's going to stay," said Master Tom.
"Do you blame her?" returned his father, with a sigh of plenitude, as he pushed back from the table.
"Well! I can't convince myself that she ought to stay here; but you're all against me, I see," said their mother. "And, it really _is_ a delightful place."