"That's the best part of it," she said. "It seems that last April, when Mrs. Kennedy and Miss Chick were on their way home from California, they stopped in Houston, Texas, a few days, and there they met John Hartley and his daughter, Genevieve. It appears they had known him years ago when they were 'the Chick girls,' and he came to Sunbridge to visit relatives. I've heard it whispered that he was actually a bit in love with one of them, though I never heard whether it was Miss Jane, or the one who is now the Widow Kennedy. However that may be, he was delighted to see them in Texas, report says, and to introduce to them his daughter, Genevieve." "But that doesn't explain how the girl came here," frowned Miss Sophronia. "No, but I will," smiled her sister-in-law. "Fond and proud as Mr. Hartley very plainly was of his daughter, it did not take Mrs. Kennedy long to see that he was very much disturbed at the sort of life she was living at the ranch. That is, he felt that the time had come now when she needed something that only school, young girl friends, and gently-bred women could give her; yet he could not bear the thought of sending her off alone to an ordinary boarding school. Then is when Mrs. Kennedy arose to the occasion; and very quickly it was settled that Genevieve should come here to her in Sunbridge for school this last winter--which she did, and Mrs. Kennedy has been a veritable mother to her ever since. She calls her 'Aunt Julia.'" "Hm-m; very fine, I'm sure," murmured Miss Sophronia, a little shortly. "And now she's asked these girls home with her--the whole lot of them!" "Yes; and they're crazy over it--as you'd know they would be." Miss Sophronia sniffed audibly. "Humph! It's the parents that are crazy, I'm thinking," she corrected. "Imagine it--six scatter-brained children, and all the way to Texas! Mary!" "Oh, but the father is in the East here, on business and he goes back with them," conciliated Mrs. Wilson, hastily. "Besides, Mrs. Kennedy is going, too." Miss Sophronia raised her eyebrows. "Well, I can't say I envy her the thing she's undertaken. Imagine _my_ attempting to chaperon six crazy girls all the way from New Hampshire to Texas--and then on a ranch for nobody knows how long after that!" "I can't imagine--_your_ doing it, Sophronia," rejoined the minister's wife, demurely. And at the meaning emphasis and the twinkle in her eye, Miss Sophronia sniffed again audibly. "When do they go?" she asked in her stiffest manner. "The first day of July." "Indeed! Very fine, I'm sure. Still--I've been thinking of the expense. Of course, for a minister--" Mrs. Wilson bit her lip. After a moment she filled the pause that her sister-in-law had left. "I understand, of course, what you mean, Sophronia," she acknowledged. "And ministers' families don't have much money for Texas trips, I'll own. As it happens, however, the trip will cost the young people nothing. Mr. Hartley very kindly bears all the expenses."