Marian ran out to see her grandmother, her grave, quiet, dignified grandmother, sobbing in her son's arms, and he kissing her bowed head and murmuring loving words to her.
"Grandpa says please come in," said Marian giving the message with added politeness, and with one arm around his mother and the other grasping Marian's hand, Ralph Otway entered his father's house to meet the hand clasp of one who for more than eight years had forbidden him entrance.
The remainder of Marian's day was spent in making visits to Mrs. Hunt's parlor and to her grandmother's sitting-room. When the grown-ups' talk began to grow uninteresting and herself unnoticed she would slip away to gloat over the Christmas tree, then when she had firmly fixed in her mind just what hung on this side and on that, she would go back to the sitting-room to nestle down by her father, or to turn over the contents of her stocking.
It was during this process that she heard part of a conversation which interested her very much. "Herbert Robbins wrote me not long ago to ask if I could suggest a fitting man for one of the engineering departments of the college," said Grandpa Otway. "I told him I would consider the matter, and if any one occurred to me I would let him know. How would you like the work, Ralph?" he went on in his measured tones. "Revell is not far away; it is a progressive college in a pleasant community."
Marian laid down her stocking and came nearer.
"I should like to look into the matter," said her father thoughtfully.
"I would advise your seeing Robbins," said his father. "He can give you the particulars." Then he added somewhat hesitatingly, "I should like—I should be pleased to have my son one of the faculty of my own college."
Marian's father looked up brightly. "Thank you, father; that settles it. If it is as good a thing as now appears I shall not hesitate to accept if I am given the opportunity."
"Are you going to see Patty?" whispered Marian, "and couldn't I go, too?"
Her father looked down at her with a smile. "I'd like you to go if your grandmother is willing."