"Up in the clouds, I suppose," she exclaimed. "You ought to live in a balloon or a sky-scraper, Nan, you so seldom want to come down to earth. I want you to find Jack and Jean and tell them to come in and get ready for supper."
Nan departed on her errand, smiling to herself in the thought that she had a secret from them all. She was out of sorts with everybody in the house, but to-morrow would be the sunset-tree and Aunt Helen.
She was promptly on hand at the trysting-place the next morning, though finding some difficulty in getting there in time as it seemed that Aunt Sarah had a hundred things for her to do. That she did not dream over them goes without the saying, and Aunt Sarah congratulated herself upon the seeming improvement under her reproofs. Promptly, as Nan appeared, the little figure of her Aunt Helen was seen approaching her. She did not wait for Nan to come up but ran toward her and clasped her in her arms, and Nan gave her as close a hug. Her imagination was strongly appealed to by this relative, so little known and who had chosen such fascinating methods of becoming acquainted.
"You dear Aunt Helen," cried Nan, "where did you come from?"
"Oh, yes. When I told mother, she guessed who you were."
"And she let you come to meet me to-day?" said Miss Helen, with a strain of eagerness in her voice.
"She didn't know. She wasn't here to ask. She's gone away, you know."
"I didn't know. Tell me about it, please."
Nan poured forth her woes and fears concerning her mother.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear," sighed Miss Helen. "We didn't know. Oh, my dear."
"Do you think she may be very ill?" asked Nan her eyes wide with alarm.
"I hope not. I hope not." Her aunt spoke more cheerfully. "No doubt she will get quite well where she is."
"She says she will if she can stay long enough."
"She must stay." Miss Helen spoke with decision. "Did she mind very much, Nancy, that you met me?"
"Oh, no; she was glad. She said----" the girl hesitated.
"Go on, please." Miss Helen spoke pleadingly.
"She told me that she had said something that she regretted."
"And that was----" Miss Helen leaned forward eagerly and caught Nan's hand in a tight clasp.
"That she never wanted to see any of the Corner family again," here Nan hurried on. "It wasn't any wonder, was it, when she was in such trouble and distress?"