"Where is thee going, Emily?"
"Pardon me; I thought you would all have much to say to Mr. Morton."
"So we have, to be sure. We won't get half through to-day, but that's no reason for thy leaving us. We are all one family under this roof, thank God, and I'm going to thank Him to-day in good old style and no make-believe;" and he kept her hand as she sat down by him.
"If you knew how homesick I've often been you would realize how much good your words do me," she replied gratefully.
"So thee's been homesick, has thee? Well, thee didn't let us know."
"What good would it have done? I couldn't come before."
"Well, I am kind of glad thee was homesick. The missing wasn't all on our side. Why, Richard, thee never saw such a disconsolate household as we were after Emily left. I even lost my appetite—didn't I, mother?—and that's more than I've done for any lady since Ebenezer Holcomb cut me out of thy company at a picnic—let me see, how many years ago is it, mother?"
"Thee doesn't think I remember such foolishness, I hope," said the old lady; but with a rising color almost pretty as the blush I had seen so recently on Adah's face.
Mr. Yocomb leaned back and laughed. "See mother blush," he cried. "Poor
Ebenezer!"
"Thee'll want more than light nonsense for thy dinner by and by, so I must go back to the kitchen."