Or do you want to do it yourself ?" "No, no," returned Mrs.Hale hurriedly; "you do it.

I'll look in a little later on." She turned away with a sigh.

The sun was shining brilliantly outside.
Through the half-open blinds its long shafts seemed to be searching the house for the lost guests, and making the hollow shell appear doubly empty.

What a contrast to the dear dark days of mysterious seclusion and delicious security, lit by Lee's laughter and the sparkling hearth, which had passed so quickly! The forgotten outer world seemed to have returned to the house through those open windows and awakened its dwellers from a dream.
The morning seemed interminable, and it was past noon, while they were deep in a sympathetic conference with Mrs.Scott, who had drawn a pathetic word-picture of the two friends perishing in the snow-drift, without flannels, brandy, smelling-salts, or jelly, which they had forgotten, when they were startled by the loud barking of "Spot" on the lawn before the house.

The women looked hurriedly at each other.
"They have returned," said Mrs.Hale.
Kate ran to the window.