ll what's cooking for dinner. Then he makes
a fuss if it's not to his liking."

"Yes," responded Miss McGill, "but that isn't a circumstance to some of
his ways. I ran in there last night a few minutes, to show Emma Belle a
pattern she wanted. He got it into his head we were hiding something
from him, and he actually climbed up on the dining-room table and peeped
through the transom at us. I nearly fainted when I happened to look up
and saw that old monkey-like face, with its dense, gloomy whiskers,
looking down at me. I just screamed and sat jibbering and pointing at
the transom. I couldn't help it. He gave me such a turn, I didn't get
over it all night. Emma Belle was so mortified she didn't know what
to do. It isn't as if he was crazy. He's just mean. That girl has the
patience of a saint."

[Illustration: "'I NEARLY FAINTED WHEN I HAPPENED TO LOOK UP'"]

Before the afternoon was over, Lloyd decided that Miss Allison was
right. The Valley held a number of interesting characters, whose
acquaintance was well worth cultivating if she wanted to be entertained.
Part of the time, while the needles were flying, Mrs. MacIntyre read
aloud. Miss Allison called Lloyd into the dining-room when it was time
to serve the refreshments.

"I'm going to ask a favour of you, dear," she said. "I want you to sing
for us presently. No, wait a minute," she added, hurriedly, as Lloyd
drew back with an exclamation of dismay. "Don't refuse till you have
heard why I ask it. It is on account of Agnes Waring. These meetings are
the great social events of the winter to her. She never gets to go
anywhere else except to church. She's passionately fond of music, and I
always make it a point to prepare a regular programme when the Circle
meets here. But all my musicians failed me this time, and I cannot bear
to disappoint her. I know you are timid about singing before older
people, but this is one of the cobwebs I promised to find for you. It
will be disagreeable, but I have a good reason for thinking that you
will find it the first strand of the rope that is to lift you out of
your dungeon. I'll tell you some things about Agnes after awhile that
will make you glad you have had such an opportunity."

When Lloyd went back to the library, bearing a pile of snowy napkins,
she stole several glances at Agnes Waring in her journey around the room
to distribute them. All that she knew of her was that she was the
youngest of three sisters who sewed for t