Emily and Teddy caught a train to Shrewsbury and then decided to walk home. It was a fine night, clear, with thousands upon thousands of stars--or so it seemed--overhead.

"I feel like 'a traveler in an antique land,' Emily quoted, "With the only the stars to guide me home and the Wind Woman to whisper to me the way. Oh, Teddy, it's so good to be going home!"

Teddy looked over at the elfin face he loved so much and agreed with her, wholeheartedly.

They turned off of the main Shrewsbury road onto a smaller, narrower one--they passed Lofty John's bush and the New Moon farm--the road narrowed until it was little more than a path--and Evensong burst into view. It did not look like a Disappointed House now. It sat silently and sleekly in the night like a cat with its paws folded under it. It was waiting for them--biding its time until they got home.

Someone--later they would find it was Cousin Jimmy--had gone down to put a lamp in the window. It gave off such a nice, homey feeling that Emily suddenly stopped--Teddy looked over at her face, which was rapt--she had that mysterious look in her eyes that she always called the flash.

"I wonder all of the things that will happen here," Emily said, as she and Teddy made their way up the walk. "There will be births--and deaths--and weddings--hearts will be broken--and will mend--people will fall in love in this house. Oh, Teddy!"

"Welcome home, darling," he said, opening the door for her, and leading her over the threshold.

* * *

Aunt Elizabeth and Aunt Laura were so glad to have them back. Cousin Jimmy was beside himself with delight.

Aunt Elizabeth felt her a suspicious pricking feeling behind her eyes. She wasn't going to cry because she was glad that Emily was home! She wasn't. But just in case, she hastened to the kitchen where she'd prepared a special welcome-home dinner for the weary travelers. When the strange sensation had stopped she made her way back out to the parlour, where Emily was still chatting away.

"Oh, I can't wait to tell Ilse about it," said Emily. "Have you seen much of her lately?"

The Aunts and Cousin Jimmy exchanged glances. Cousin Jimmy said, "As a matter of fact, no."

* * *

Emily went over to the Burnley's the next night to call on Ilse.

"You mean you haven't heard?" Dr. Burnley boomed. "Ilse doesn't live here anymore."

"She--doesn't?"

"She and Perry Miller ran off last week and got hitched," Dr. Burnley explained. "Then they went off to Halifax for a week--as a honeymoon. Oh, the honeymoons I could have given them. Europe--Asia--Africa!" He shook his head mournfully. "Anyhow, they'll be home tomorrow."

Emily went back to Evensong, electrified.

"What could have possessed her to run off?" Emily said to Teddy. "We made a pact when we were small that neither of us would ever run away to be married. We heard how people talked of my mother doing it and it seemed such a bad thing. And Ilse had such great plans for her wedding to Perry--it was going to be in September. Oh, why didn't they wait? Everyone will be scandilised."

"Ilse won't care much about that," said Teddy, with a smile. He had more than once been privy to Ilse's scandals.

Ilse and Perry had arranged to rent old Mr. Carpenter's house for the rest of the summer. It had stood empty since he died. Emily went up the path the next night, as soon as Ilse telephoned to say she was home.

"Mrs. Perry Miller, I presume?" said Emily, arching one eyebrow, as Ilse threw open the door.

Ilse said, "You young goat."

"You've used that one before," Emily said. "Honestly, Ilse, if you must insult me, you might think up some new ones every now and again."

"You corpulent kangaroo, then," said Ilse nonchalantly. "Oh, Emily, I'm glad you've come. I want to tell you everything. I've been dying to, but you were over in mouldy old Paree."

"Whatever possessed you to run away when your father has already started to pay for a big wedding for you at the end of the summer?"

"The official story is that we were swept off of our feet by romance and couldn't wait any longer to bonded together forever," said Ilse, sweeping dramatically around the small, dingy house.

"What's the unofficial story?" asked Emily coolly.

"Why, we're having a baby, Perry and I," said Ilse, just as calmly. "So you see, we had to marry."

Emily was rendered speechless--but only for a second. "Ilse!" she managed to say. 'What--what?"

"You should see the emotions playing across your face at this moment," said Ilse happily, sitting on the sofa next to Emily with her legs tucked under her. "Shock--reproach--disbelief--pity--why, Emily, don't be any of those things. I'm glad. A baby! Imagine--me, a mother!"

"I am imagining it," Emily retorted. "That's what caused the look of disbelief. Ilse, what does everyone say about this?"

"Perry's wild with delight," said Ilse. "And so am I--and you're reproachful. That's everyone who knows. Except for a doctor in Charlottetown, but I don't expect him to tell anybody. And I guess you'll tell Teddy--that's all right. But tell him that you both must act very surprised when its born 'early.'"

"But Ilse, where will you live?"

"We're going to buy this little cottage," said Ilse, gesturing around her. "It's not so bad. There's a lovely view and a nice yard. We won't be cramped--we'll be cozy. Perry's hired cleaners to come in from Shrewsbury and get rid of the dirt and the creepy-crawlies--Mr. Carpenter was a good teacher, but he wasn't much of a housekeeper, even before he was dead. Emily, you'll help me really set this place up like a home though, won't you? You've done such a sweet job on your own house. And I have great plans for the garden. During the winter Perry will be in Charlottetown, when Parliament's in session. He'll keep a flat there, and come home on the weekends, and I'll stay here with our wee one and miss him like crazy."

Emily slid over on the couch then, and put her arm around Ilse's shoulders.

"I am glad for you, dearest," she said, with a smile and a tender note in her voice.

"I knew you would be," said Ilse contentedly, "Just as soon as you came to your senses. And, you know, if it's a girl, I'm going to call her Emily. What do you think of that?"

Emily could not say. Her eyes were shining with tears.