Sarepta Darwin, paring apples at the kitchen window, saw the little procession coming across the Common. A spark crept into her pale blue eyes; she dropped her knife and hastened to the front of the house. When Kitty, still motherly and benignant, led her guests up the front garden path, the door opened; Sarepta stood there, erect, austere, as if she opened the door invariably, instead of on the rare occasions when she happened to feel like it. "Why, Sarepta, how nice of you!" said Kitty, surprised "Did you see us coming? This way, boys and girls!" She was about to enter the sitting-room, but Sarepta intervened. "_This_ way!" she said briefly, and indicated the Other Parlor, across the hall. Now the Other Parlor was a charming room in itself: with delicate moldings, and hangings of rose-color and pale gray; with cases of family miniatures, and delightful old pastels; but somehow, one did not sit there often; it was just a shade formal, a trifle austere. And after all, why should one ever sit anywhere except in the Sitting Room? Kitty opened her eyes wide with, "_Why_, Sarepta?" but encountered a glance of such icy command that as she told Nelly afterward, she could hear the ice crackling in her spinal marrow. "This way!" repeated Sarepta. "Your aunt has company in there!" And as Kitty, wondering more and more, shepherded the young people meekly into the Other Parlor, a steely whisper hissed in her ear, "Judge Peters--on business!" CHAPTER XVI PSYCHO-CARDIAC PROCESSES Kitty was so pleased with her little party, and so interested in seeing how many cheesecakes and hot scones the boys could eat ("There were four dozen of them cakes, I counted as I laid them out," Sarepta announced grimly at supper. "There's one apiece left for you two folks, and that's _all_ there is. If I was their Mas, I'd give 'em a portion of physic and put 'em to bed!") that she hardly noticed Judge Peters's quiet departure. When the young people reluctantly followed a little later, Kitty stood at the window of the Other Parlor, watching them with shining eyes. Melissa and Bobby walked together; well, they had to, of course, with that nice Myers boy so wrapped up in Nelly; dear Nelly! Kitty was _so_ glad! But Bobby's back was really interested, his shoulders _most_ attentive; and he did not once turn round to see if she were standing at the window. He always had, up to now, though of course she never let him see her. Now--of course he would walk home with Lissy; and then--there was no train back to Corona before the eight-thirty--if Lissy would only ask him in to supper! "Because," said Kitty aloud, "you see, if one could make some one else--some _two_ else--happy, perhaps it would not hurt so much; do you think?"