They looked back as they reached the Valley level to see Jean MacDonald and Robert Bruce silhouetted against the sky-line, and to wave them a last good-by.
“It’s like your ’Power of the West’ picture in our room at school, Virginia,” Priscilla almost whispered—“the man on horseback with the sunset and the mountains behind him. Just look! There! Now she’s turned Robert, and now they’re out of sight!”
That night they all sat on the porch together and watched the sunset. A flaming pageant of color traced and retraced its course across the sky.
“I never saw such color,” cried Aunt Nan. “Sometimes you think it’s saffron, and then you 66 know it’s amber, and then you’re sure it’s real gold, and—it’s changed again! See, Virginia!”
“I think I know what it’s like,” said Virginia. “Mother and I discovered it years ago when I was a little girl. Jim took us camping once when Father was away, and at night we had a big fire and sat and watched it. The sunset was gorgeous like this, I remember, and just as we were watching it and the fire, Mother discovered what the clouds were like. They’re like the smoke as the flames underneath push it through the green boughs! It’s just that wonderful color in the sky now. The next time we camp you’ll see, Aunt Nan. It always makes me think of the flame-colored veils which the Roman girls used to wear on their wedding-days. Mother told me about them that very night.”
“Just think how beautiful it must be from Jean’s cabin,” said Priscilla. “And she can see a larger sweep of sky and mountains because she’s up higher than we. I know she’s watching it all alone, and maybe dreaming about college.”
“I’ll never forget her to-day,” Mary said earnestly. “I think she’s wonderful! And, Aunt Nan, 67 you just know from her eyes that she’s gazed on big stretches of country all her life. You must go with us next time to see her.”
“It’s more than that, Mary.” The voice came from the corner of the porch where Vivian sat apart from the others. “It’s more than that. You don’t just know she’s always looked at big things. You know she’s had them inside of her all her life long!”