The Quest of Happy Hearts | Page 9

Dad told us of your invitation we--we--didn't want to come
at all!"
Nora looked crestfallen, also.
Aunt Janice seeing the cause of their woe, immediately set their hearts
at rest.
"Why I don't blame you, not even a little bit, my dears--Land's End
doesn't sound a bit inviting, if you don't really know anything about it;
no wonder you felt regretful!"

Janey's tears were quickly dried.
"We didn't know you then, Aunt Janice."
"Nor this lovely old castle and garden--"
"Nor the forest--with Marty and Jerry living in it--"
"Neither did we know that we were setting out, like Nora's story, on a
quest for happy hearts."
"I think that is a lovely quest to be traveling on; how far have you gone
on the way?" Aunt Janice was all interest, as she included the whole
group in the question.
For a moment everyone was silent, then Nora broke the pause
shyly--"We put you as the first Aunt Janice, on the quest for happy
hearts, because you said we had brought gladness into your life. You're
the golden link that began our chain of happiness."
"Quite right--quite right--" Aunt Janice agreed heartily, almost
overcome herself. "But now it's bedtime, so let us first of all thank our
heavenly Father for our happiness and then go to bed. We all need a
refreshing sleep."
For a few minutes they all listened devoutly as Aunt Janice read the
Twenty-third Psalm, after which they joined her in prayer and in the
singing of the doxology. Then bidding Aunt Janice a hasty good-night,
tired out with the day's adventure, the Merediths trooped away to enjoy
the great blessing of sleep and rest.

CHAPTER VIII
THE STORY OF THE TOWER ROOM
Tell us a story, please tell us a story, Aunt Janice!"

"A story, Janey? . . . . What shall it be about?"
"About the old castle in the long ago," Beth hastened to beg, for she too,
dearly loved the story hour.
The quiet moment seemed to have at last arrived, as they all gathered
together on the broad veranda, in the twilight.
The old lady smiled. "A story of long ago! It seems I shall hardly know
just where to begin; in the long ago, there used to be merry parties,
but--" just there she paused, and linked it up with the present--"now
since you young people have come, it seems more as it did then."
Aunt Janice's face was thoughtful, and for a few moments no one
interrupted the thread of her thoughts.
Outside the twilight deepened, and the stars began to shine down
through the rustling trees, in the garden.
"Do you think Dad may get here in time for the party?" Alice's tone
was a tiny bit mournful, and Aunt Janice hastened to dispel any feeling
of homesickness.
"Who can tell? Perhaps he may surprise us at any time now; anyway,
I'm sure he wants you to spend happy days at the old place."
"We are, indeed we are!" chorused the Merediths together.
Alice placed an arm around Aunt Janice's shoulder, and began
coaxingly--"Tell us the story of the Tower room, please." In vain Nora
shook her head, but Alice did not look up. "The first day that we went
through the gardens, Janey saw something white waving from the
window, but we hurried by, as you said, we must. Nora said, it was
only a pigeon!"
Alice had completely forgotten her promise, and dismayed, but helpless
to stop her, the others sat around, speechless.
Aunt Janice's face whitened with the request, but she patted gently the

golden head against her shoulder.
"The story of the tower room is a long one, dearie, but perhaps you
should know it. I shall try and hurry through it. Your own father could
tell you much of those happy days gone by; Harry, his brother, and
senior by a good many years, married Gwendolyn Arlington, and they
had one son, beloved by his parents to almost a painful degree. When
he was about sixteen years old perhaps, he insisted that the only thing
that he wanted to do, was to go to sea, and although it almost broke his
mother's heart, they gave in to his whim. With his departure, the life of
the old place also seemed to go.
"In just a few months after that, a report was received that the vessel on
which he had gone was lost with all the crew and passengers.
"After the terrible news, your Aunt Gwen's health failed, and she lost
interest in everything; finally after the death of your uncle Harry, she
went into a complete melancholy, and retired to the seclusion of the
tower room, with an attendant. In all of these seven years since the
tragedy, she has remained there; only at night