It was a new idea to her that any value was attached to old furniture , for Sara lived very much out of the world of fads and collectors . But she did not forget what Aunt Josephina had said . The winter passed away . Aunt Josephina plainly enjoyed her visit , whatever the Sheldons felt about it . In March her son returned , and Aunt Josephina went home to him . Before she left , Sara asked her for the address of the woman whose hobby was old furniture , and the very afternoon after Aunt Josephina had gone Sara wrote and mailed a letter . For a week she looked so mysterious that Willard and Ray could not guess what she was plotting . At the end of that time Mrs. Stanton came . Mrs. Stanton always declared afterwards that the mere sight of that blue north room gave her raptures . Such a find ! Such a discovery ! A bedstead with carved posts , a claw-footed table , real old willow-ware plates with the birds ' bills meeting ! Here was luck , if you like ! When Willard and Ray came home to tea Sara was sitting on the stairs counting her wealth . `` Sally , where did you discover all that long-lost treasure ? '' demanded Ray . `` Mrs. Stanton of Boston was here today , '' said Sara , enjoying the moment of revelation hugely . `` She makes a hobby of collecting old furniture . I sold her every blessed thing in the blue north room except Mother 's carpet and Grandma 's mats and sampler . She wanted those too , but I could n't part with them .
She bought everything else and , '' Sara lifted her hands , full of bills , dramatically , `` here are two hundred and fifty dollars XXXXX take you to the Valley Academy next fall , Ray . ''
Before about after for in like on that to with