ings.

Her face buried in her handkerchief, to her great surprise she felt a
kindly touch on her shoulder.

"Don't condemn me too soon, little one; and don't condemn me unheard.
Suppose I tell you that some of my ideas have undergone a change since
Miss Yankee Doodle has taken it upon herself to scold me."

"Oh!" said Patty, rendered almost breathless with amazement at the kind
tone and the gentle touch.

"But suppose it's very hard for an old man like me to uproot some
feelings that have grown and strengthened with the passing years."

"But if they're bad and unworthy feelings, you _want_ to uproot them!"
cried Patty.

"Yes," said Sir Otho, "I do. And though my irascible and taciturn nature
won't let me admit this to any one else, I'll confess to you, Miss Yankee
Doodle, I do want to pull them up, root and branch."

Sir Otho looked so brave and manly as he made this confession, which was
truly difficult for him, that Patty grasped his hand in both hers, and
cried: "Oh, what a _splendid_ man you are! I'll _never_ be afraid of you
again!"

"You _weren't_ afraid of me, child. That's why your words had weight with
me. You fearlessly told me just what I was, and I had the grace to be
ashamed of myself."

"Never mind that now," said Patty, eagerly. "Do you want to be friends
again with Kitty?"

"More than anything on earth."

"Well, then, let me manage it; and do it the way I want you to, will
you?"

Patty's voice and smile were very wheedlesome, and Sir Otho smiled in
response, as he said:

"You've surely earned the right to manage it. How shall it be done? Will
Kitty meet me halfway?"

"I think she will," said Patty, slowly. "But she's not very tractable,
you know. Indeed, Sir Otho, she's such a contrary-minded person, that if
she knew you wanted to be kind to her, she'd likely run away."

"Miss Patricia," said Sir Otho, gravely, "you can't tell me anything
about my daughter Catharine that I don't already know. And she is,
indeed, contrary-minded, on occasion. As you so justly observed, she
inherits my obstinate and cross-grained disposition."

"And yet she's so lovely to look at," sighed Patty.

"Ah, well, she didn't get her good looks from me, I'll admit."

"I think she did," said Patty, looking critically at the fine old face,
with a thoughtful gaze that was very amusing.

"Well, are you going to detail to me the plan of this rather difficult
campaign?"

"Yes, I am. And I hope you'll see it as