The Quest of Happy Hearts | Page 4

tower room at the
extreme west wing--perhaps sometime--," the old lady paused, a sigh
escaping her lips, that she forgot to stifle, but quickly remembering,
brought back a bright smile, as she first led them in family prayers and
then waved them off, bidding her young visitors to have a happy
morning.
"What a wonderful old place!" Nora was the first to speak, as they
passed here and there examining one thing after another.
"It certainly is," Harry's eyes were thoughtful. "I wonder why Dad has

only dropped a word, here and there, of it, and about Aunt Janice. I
hardly realized that she was real until we came and saw!"
"It puzzles me, too," Nora agreed, "I keep thinking that maybe I'll wake
up directly and find I've been dreaming."
"And we thought Land's End was going to be the end of everything!
The old place holds a mystery, and I can't but wonder what it is."
The undercurrent of excitement was thrilling to the Merediths, as their
thoughts turned to Aunt Janice's parting injunction about the tower
room.
"If there's anything bothering Aunt Janice, I'd do anything to help her
out." Nora was speaking softly.
"Perhaps we can help," Don said, "anyhow we can follow out her
instructions, whatever they may be."
"I love Aunt Janice," Alice joined in, "don't you?"
"She's a perfectly darling old lady," Beth replied, a sentiment that
expressed the feelings of all the Merediths.
A sudden turn in their wanderings, revealed the mysterious west wing
and tower room, that was uppermost, just then, in their minds.
With its clinging ivy that covered the old walls, it looked more
mysterious than they dreamed it would. In another moment, however,
they remembered what Aunt Janice had said, and hurried on by.
"I don't think we ought to look at it even at a distance," Nora remarked,
"because I'm sure that room holds the secret that shadows the old place;
for some reason Aunt Janice isn't ready to disclose it."
"And I believe that Dad would have told us all about the castle if it
hadn't been for the mystery." Janey glanced back over her shoulder as
she spoke, then gave a suppressed scream.

"There's someone inside the tower room," she gasped--"I saw a
handkerchief waving behind the ivy covered window!"
"Hush!" Nora broke in hurriedly, "you imagined that, Janey--probably
a white pigeon has flown in and can't find its way out again."
"Imagined indeed!" Janey's voice was shaking with excitement, "I tell
you that someone is there at this moment, peering through those
overhanging vines."
Alice began to cry softly, while Nora had to turn her attention toward
pacifying the little girl.
"Don't cry Alice, I think it is only a white pigeon that can't escape, and
is flying back and forth to find an opening; there's nothing mysterious
in that; now promise not to say anything of this to Aunt Janice."
"I'll try to remember," and Alice dried her tears with Nora's words of
comfort, and soon they caught up with the party ahead, and for the time
being the incident was forgotten.
The morning hours slipped rapidly along, but at last they had gone over
the old place and gardens, which stretched around on all sides. With
reluctance they then retraced their steps, thinking perhaps they were
overstaying their time.
Aunt Janice was standing in the door awaiting them.
"Did you have a pleasant morning; and what do you think of the old
gardens?"
"Beautiful" and "Wonderful!" Their exclamations of delight and
pleasure, were quite satisfying to Aunt Janice.
"We're having the loveliest visit, and everything is charming."
The old lady's face was a picture, as she smiled on the group, reacting
to the breath of youth, again awakened in her heart, by these happy
young visitors.

"Suppose it could be managed, would all of you care to make the old
castle your--home?" She spoke on impulse on hearing their words of
praise.
"Oh, Aunt Janice--" Nora replied quickly, "it would seem like the
happy ending to a book!"
"Perhaps it can be arranged then," the old lady clasped her hands
together--"you could have all of the advantages of the near-by city, and
yet we could have a merry time out here in the old homestead, if only
Gwen--" she paused, suddenly remembering, and cut short the words
unuttered.
"Come--" she said, turning abruptly, "lunch is waiting, and I feel sure
you must be ready for it, after the morning hours of exploration."

CHAPTER IV
PLANS FOR THE PARTY
Luncheon over, the ponies were brought out from the stables, and as
Don expressed it, they seemed ready-made for their visit.
The boys were overjoyed as they mounted and galloped away down the
long avenue for a ride; the girls at first being satisfied with a