VALLEY

THE MANSE CHILDREN 41screamed and screamed until Mrs. Ford had to carryhim out.""Who is Mrs. Ford ?" asked Una wonderingly."Oh, the Fords don't live here. They only comehere in the summer. And they're not coming thissummer. They live in that little house 'way, 'waydown on the harbour shore where father and motherused to live. I wish you could see Persis Ford. Sheis just like a picture.""I've heard of Mrs. Ford," broke in Faith.Shakespeare Drew told me about her.She was marriedto life.""Bertiefourteen years to a dead man and then he came"Nonsense," said Nan. "That isn't the wayof itat all. Bertie Shakespeare can never get anythingI know the whole story and I'll tell it to youstraight.some time, but not now, for it's too long and it's timefor us to go home.late these damp evenings."Mother doesn't like us to be outNobody cared whether the manse children were outin the damp or not. Aunt Martha was already in bedand the minister was still too deeply lost in speculationsconcerning the immortality of the soul to rememberthe mortality of the body. But they went home, too,with visions of good times comingin their heads."I think Rainbow Valleyis even nicer than thegraveyard," said Una. "And I justBlythes.love those dearIt's so nice when you can love people becauseso often you can't. Father said in his sermon last