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<v Speaker 1>Chapter twenty four of Cloudy Jewel. This is a LibriVox recording.

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<v Speaker 1>All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more

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<v Speaker 1>information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording

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<v Speaker 1>by Tera Mendoza. Cloudy Jewel by Grace Livingston Hill, Chapter

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<v Speaker 1>twenty four. Guardy Lud was the first visitor, just for

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<v Speaker 1>a night in a day. He had come east for

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<v Speaker 1>a flying business trip and could not pass by his

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<v Speaker 1>beloved wards without at least a glimpse. He dropped down

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<v Speaker 1>into their midst quite unexpectedly the night before college closed,

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<v Speaker 1>and found them with a bevy of young people at

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<v Speaker 1>the supper table, who opened their ranks right hardily and

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<v Speaker 1>took him in. He sat on the terrace in the

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<v Speaker 1>moonlight with them afterwards, joking, telling them stories, and eating

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<v Speaker 1>chocolates with the rest. When they gathered about the piano

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<v Speaker 1>for a sing, he joined in with a good old tenor,

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<v Speaker 1>surprising them all by knowing a lot of the songs

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<v Speaker 1>they sang. After the young people were gone, he lingered,

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<v Speaker 1>wiping his eyes and saying, bless my soul. Thoughtfully, he

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<v Speaker 1>told Julia Cloud over and over again how more than

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<v Speaker 1>pleased he was with what she had done for his children,

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<v Speaker 1>and insisted that her salary should be twice as large.

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<v Speaker 1>He told her she was a big success and should

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<v Speaker 1>have more money at her command to do with as

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<v Speaker 1>she pleased, and that he wanted the children to have

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<v Speaker 1>a larger allowance during the coming year. Allison had spoken

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<v Speaker 1>of his work among the young people with the church,

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<v Speaker 1>and he felt that it would have been the wish

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<v Speaker 1>of their father and mother both that the young people

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<v Speaker 1>should give liberally toward church work. He would see that

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<v Speaker 1>a sum was set aside in the bank for their

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<v Speaker 1>use in any such plans as they might have for

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<v Speaker 1>their Christian endeavor work. They talked far into the night,

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<v Speaker 1>for he had to hear all the stories of all

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<v Speaker 1>their doings, and every minute or two, one or the

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<v Speaker 1>other of the children would break in to tell something

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<v Speaker 1>about the other or to praise their dear Cloudy Jewel

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<v Speaker 1>for her part in everything. The next day, they took

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<v Speaker 1>him everywhere and showed him everything of about the college

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<v Speaker 1>and the place, introduced him to their favorite professors, at

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<v Speaker 1>least those who were not already gone on their vacations,

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<v Speaker 1>and took him for a long drive past their favorite haunts.

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<v Speaker 1>Then he had to meet Jane Bristol and Howard Letchworth.

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<v Speaker 1>Julia Cloud was greatly relieved and delighted when he set

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<v Speaker 1>his approval upon both of these young people as suitable

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<v Speaker 1>friends for the children. They are both poor and earning

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<v Speaker 1>their own living, said Julia Cloud, feeling that in view

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<v Speaker 1>of the future and what it might contain, she wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to be entirely honest that the weight of responsibility should

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<v Speaker 1>not rest too heavily upon her. All the better for that,

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<v Speaker 1>no doubt, said Guardy Lud, thoughtfully, watching Jane Bristol's sweet

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<v Speaker 1>smile as she talked over some committee plans with Allison.

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<v Speaker 1>I should say they were about as wholesome a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of young people as could be found to match your two.

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<v Speaker 1>Just keep em to that kind for a year or

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<v Speaker 1>two more, and they'll choose that kind for life. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>entirely satisfied with the work you're doing, miss Cloud. I

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't have found a better mother for em if I'd

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<v Speaker 1>searched heaven, I'm shure, and so Julia Cloud was well

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<v Speaker 1>content to go on with her beloved work as home maker.

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<v Speaker 1>But the day after Guardy Lud left, just as the

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<v Speaker 1>three were sitting together over a great state map of roads,

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<v Speaker 1>perfecting their plans for a wonderful vacation, which was to

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<v Speaker 1>include a brief visit to Ellen Robinson at Sterling. A

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<v Speaker 1>noisy Ford drew up at the door, and there was

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<v Speaker 1>Ellen Robinson herself, with the entire family done up in

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<v Speaker 1>linen dust coats and peering curiously, half contemptuously at the

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<v Speaker 1>strange pink and white architecture of the many windowed villa.

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<v Speaker 1>Allison arose and went down the terrace to do the honors,

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<v Speaker 1>showing his uncle where to drive in and put his

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<v Speaker 1>car in the little garage, helping his aunt and the

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<v Speaker 1>little cousins to alight. For mercy's sake, Julia, what a

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<v Speaker 1>queer house you've got, said Ellen the minute she arrived,

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<v Speaker 1>gazing disapprovingly at the many windows and the brick terrace.

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<v Speaker 1>I should think twould take all your time to keep clean.

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<v Speaker 1>What's the idea in making a sight walk of your

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<v Speaker 1>front porch? Looks as if some crazy person had built it.

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<v Speaker 1>Couldn't you find anything better than this in the town.

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<v Speaker 1>I saw some real pretty frame houses with gardens as

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<v Speaker 1>we came through. We like this very well, said Julia

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<v Speaker 1>Cloud with her old patient smile and the hurt flush

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<v Speaker 1>that always accompanied her answers to her sister's contempt. Cherry

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't seem to mind washing windows. She likes to keep

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<v Speaker 1>them bright. We find it very comfortable and light and airy.

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<v Speaker 1>Come inside and see how pretty it is once inside.

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<v Speaker 1>Ellen Robinson was somewhat awed with the strangeness of the

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<v Speaker 1>rooms and the beauty of the furnishings, but all she

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<v Speaker 1>said after a prolonged survey was humm, no paper on

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<v Speaker 1>the wall. That's queer, isn't it. And the chimney right

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<v Speaker 1>in the room. It looks as though they didn't have

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<v Speaker 1>plaster enough to go around. Leslie took the children upstairs

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<v Speaker 1>to wash their faces and freshen up, and Julia Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>led her sister to the lovely guest room that was

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<v Speaker 1>always in perfect order. Well you certainly have things well fixed,

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<v Speaker 1>said Ellen grudgingly. What easy little stairs. It's like child's

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<v Speaker 1>play going up. I suppose that's one consolation for having

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<v Speaker 1>such a little playhouse affair to live in. You don't

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<v Speaker 1>have to climb up far. Well, we've come to stay

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<v Speaker 1>two days if you want us, Herbert said he could

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<v Speaker 1>spare that much time off and we're going to stop

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<v Speaker 1>in Thayerville on the way back and see his folks

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of days, and that'll be a week now.

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<v Speaker 1>If you don't want us, say so, and we'll go

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<v Speaker 1>on to night. It isn't as if we couldn't go

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<v Speaker 1>when we like, you know. But Julia Cloud was genuinely

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<v Speaker 1>glad to see her sister, and said so heartily enough

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<v Speaker 1>to satisfy even so jealous a nature as Ellen's. And

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<v Speaker 1>so presently they were walking about the pretty rooms together,

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<v Speaker 1>and Ellen was taking in all the beauties of the home.

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<v Speaker 1>And this is your bedroom. She paused in the middle

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<v Speaker 1>of the rose and gray room and looked about her,

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<v Speaker 1>taking in every little detail with an eye that would

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<v Speaker 1>put it away for remembrance long afterwards. Well they certainly

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<v Speaker 1>have feathered your nest well, she declared, as her eyes

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<v Speaker 1>rested on the luxury everywhere. Though I don't like that

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<v Speaker 1>painted furniture much myself, she said, as she glanced at

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<v Speaker 1>the French gray enamel of the bed. But I suppose

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<v Speaker 1>it's all right if that's the kind of thing you like.

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<v Speaker 1>Was it some of their old furniture from California? Oh? No,

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<v Speaker 1>said Julia Cloud quickly. The pretty flush coming in her cheeks.

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<v Speaker 1>Everything was bought new, except a few little bits of

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<v Speaker 1>mahogany downstairs. We had such fun choosing it too. Don't

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<v Speaker 1>you like my furniture? I love it. I hovered around

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<v Speaker 1>it again and again, but I didn't dream of having

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<v Speaker 1>it in my room. It was so expensive. It's real

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<v Speaker 1>French enamel, you know, and happens to be a craze

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<v Speaker 1>of fashion at present. I thought it was ridiculous to

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<v Speaker 1>buy it, but Leslie insisted that it was the only

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<v Speaker 1>thing for my room, and those crazy extravagant children went

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<v Speaker 1>and bought it when I had my head turned. You

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<v Speaker 1>don't say, said Ellen Robinson, putting a hard investigating finger

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<v Speaker 1>on the foot board. Well, it does seem sort of smooth.

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<v Speaker 1>But I never thought my cane seat chairs were much

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<v Speaker 1>Guess I'll have to get 'em out and varnish em.

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<v Speaker 1>What's that out there? A porch? Julia Cloud led her

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<v Speaker 1>out to the upper porch, with its rush rugs, willow

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<v Speaker 1>chairs and table, and its stone wall crowned with blooming

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<v Speaker 1>plants and trailing vines. She showed her the bird's nest

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<v Speaker 1>in the tree overhead. Well, said Ellen, half sourly. I

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<v Speaker 1>suppose there's no chance of your getting sick of it

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<v Speaker 1>all and coming back. And I must say I don't

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<v Speaker 1>blame you. It certainly is a contrast from the way

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<v Speaker 1>you've lived up to now. But these children will grow

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<v Speaker 1>up and get married, and then where will you be.

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<v Speaker 1>I suppose you have chances here of getting married, haven't you.

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<v Speaker 1>The color flamed into Julia Cloud's cheeks in a good earnest.

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<v Speaker 1>Now I'm not looking for such chances, Ellen, she said decidedly.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't intend ever to marry. I'm happier as I am, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>But after these children are married, what'll you do? Who'll

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<v Speaker 1>support you? Don't let that worry you, Ellen. There are

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<v Speaker 1>other children, and I love to mother them. But as

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<v Speaker 1>far as support is concerned, I'm putting away money in

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<v Speaker 1>the bank constantly, more than I ever expected to have

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<v Speaker 1>all together in life. And I shall not trouble anybody

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<v Speaker 1>for support. However, I hope to be able to work

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<v Speaker 1>for a good many years. Yet, and what I am

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<v Speaker 1>doing now I love. Shall we go downstairs? Have Allison

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<v Speaker 1>and Leslie got any sweethearts yet? She asked pryingly as

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<v Speaker 1>she followed her sister down the stairs. I suppose they

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<v Speaker 1>have by this time. They have a great many young friends,

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<v Speaker 1>and we have beautiful times together, but you won't see

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<v Speaker 1>many of them now college clothes. Last week, for two

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<v Speaker 1>long days, Allison and Leslie devoted themselves religiously to their relatives,

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<v Speaker 1>taking them here and there in the car, showing them

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<v Speaker 1>over the college and the town, and trying in all

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<v Speaker 1>the ways they knew to make them have a good time.

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<v Speaker 1>But when at last the two days and nights were

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<v Speaker 1>over and the Robinsons had piled into their car and

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<v Speaker 1>started away with grudging thanks for the efforts in their behalf,

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<v Speaker 1>Leslie sat on the terrace musingly, and at last quite shyly,

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<v Speaker 1>she said, Cloudy, Dear, what makes such a difference in people?

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<v Speaker 1>Why are some so much harder to make have a

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<v Speaker 1>good time than others? Why I feel as if I'd

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<v Speaker 1>lived years since day before yesterday, and I don't feel

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<v Speaker 1>as if they'd half enjoyed anything. I really wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>make them happy, for I felt as if we'd taken

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<v Speaker 1>so much from them when we took you. But I

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<v Speaker 1>just seemed to fail everything I did. Julia Cloud smiled.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know what it is, dear, unless it is

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<v Speaker 1>that some people have different ideals and standards from other people,

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<v Speaker 1>and they can't find their pleasure the same way. Your

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<v Speaker 1>aunt Ellen always wanted to have a lot of people around,

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<v Speaker 1>and liked to go to tea parties and dress a

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<v Speaker 1>great deal, and she never cared for reading or study

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<v Speaker 1>or music. But I think you're mistaken about their not

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<v Speaker 1>having had a good time. They appreciated your trying to

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<v Speaker 1>do things for them, I know, for aunt Ellen said

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<v Speaker 1>to me that you were a very thoughtful girl. And

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<v Speaker 1>the children enjoyed the Victrola, especially the funny records. Herbert

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<v Speaker 1>liked it that Allison let him drive his car when

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<v Speaker 1>they went out. They enjoyed the eating too, I know.

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<v Speaker 1>Even though Ellen did say she shouldn't care to have

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<v Speaker 1>her meals cooked by a servant, she should want to

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<v Speaker 1>be sure they were clean. Did she truly say that

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<v Speaker 1>Cloudy twinkled Leslie? Isn't she funny? They both broke down

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<v Speaker 1>and laughed. But I'm glad they came Cloudy, I truly am.

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<v Speaker 1>It was nice to play with the children, and nice

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<v Speaker 1>to have a home to show our relatives, and nicest

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<v Speaker 1>of all, to have them see you how beautiful you are.

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<v Speaker 1>At the head of the house, dear flattering child, said

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<v Speaker 1>Julia Cloud lovingly. It is so good to know you

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<v Speaker 1>feel that way. But now here comes Allison, and we

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<v Speaker 1>must finish up our plans for the trip and get

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<v Speaker 1>ready to close the house for the summer. They had

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<v Speaker 1>a wonderful trip to mountains and lakes and seaside, staying

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<v Speaker 1>as long as they pleased, wherever they liked, and everywhere,

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<v Speaker 1>making friends and having good times. But toward the end

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<v Speaker 1>of their trip, the children began to get restless for

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<v Speaker 1>the little pink and white cottage and home. We really

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<v Speaker 1>ought to get back and see how the Christian Endeavor

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<v Speaker 1>Society is getting along, said Allison one day, as they

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<v Speaker 1>glided through the little village that reminded them of home.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't see any place as nice as our town,

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<v Speaker 1>do you, Cloudy? And I don't feel quite right anywhere

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<v Speaker 1>but home on Sunday? Do you? For? Really, all the

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<v Speaker 1>Christian Endeavor societies I've been to this summer acted as

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<v Speaker 1>if their members were all away on vacations, and they

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<v Speaker 1>didn't care whether school kept or not. And so they

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<v Speaker 1>went home to begin another happy winter. But the very

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<v Speaker 1>first day there came a rift in their happiness. In

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<v Speaker 1>the shape of the new professor of Chemistry, a man

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<v Speaker 1>about Julia Cloud's age, whom Ellen Robinson had met on

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<v Speaker 1>her visit to Thayerville and told about her sister. Ellen

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<v Speaker 1>had suggested that maybe he could get her sister to

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<v Speaker 1>take him to board. To this day, Julia Cloud has

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<v Speaker 1>never decided whether Ellen really thought Julia would take a

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<v Speaker 1>professor from the college to board, or whether she just

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<v Speaker 1>sent him there as a joke. There was a third solution,

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<v Speaker 1>which Julia Cloud kept in the back of her mind

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<v Speaker 1>and only took out occasionally with an angry, troubled look

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<v Speaker 1>when she was very much annoyed. It was that Ellen

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<v Speaker 1>was still anxious to have her sister get married, and

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<v Speaker 1>she had taken this way to get her acquainted with

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<v Speaker 1>a man whom she thought a good match. If Julia

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<v Speaker 1>had been sure that this idea had entered into her

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<v Speaker 1>sister's thoughts, she might have slammed the door in Professor

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<v Speaker 1>Armitage's face that night when he had the audacity to

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<v Speaker 1>come and ask to be taken into Cloudy Villa as

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<v Speaker 1>a boarder. Why the very idea, said Leslie with snapping eyes,

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<v Speaker 1>as if we wanted a man always around No indeed horrors,

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<v Speaker 1>wouldn't that be awful? But Professor Armitage, like everybody else

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<v Speaker 1>who came once to Cloudy Villa, liked it and begged

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<v Speaker 1>a thousand pardons for presuming, but came again and again

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<v Speaker 1>until even the children began to like him in a

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<v Speaker 1>way and did not in the least mind having him around.

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<v Speaker 1>But the day came at last, about the middle of

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<v Speaker 1>winter or nearer to the spring, when Leslie and Allison

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<v Speaker 1>began to realize that Professor Armitage came to see their

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<v Speaker 1>Cloudy Jewel, and they met in solemn conclave to talk

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<v Speaker 1>it over. End of Chapter twenty four. Recording by Terra Mendoza, Phoenix, Arizona,

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<v Speaker 1>April two thousand eleven.