t you wished to see me," she said, in a
voice that matched her appearance.

"We wanted to ask the right road to West Grafton," said Diana. "We
are invited to tea at Mr. Kimball's, but we took the wrong path coming
through the woods and came out to the base line instead of the West
Grafton road. Do we take the right or left turning at your gate?"

"The left," said Miss Lavendar, with a hesitating glance at her tea
table. Then she exclaimed, as if in a sudden little burst of resolution,

"But oh, won't you stay and have tea with me? Please, do. Mr. Kimball's
will have tea over before you get there. And Charlotta the Fourth and I
will be so glad to have you."

Diana looked mute inquiry at Anne.

"We'd like to stay," said Anne promptly, for she had made up her mind
that she wanted to know more of this surprising Miss Lavendar, "if it
won't inconvenience you. But you are expecting other guests, aren't
you?"

Miss Lavendar looked at her tea table again, and blushed.

"I know you'll think me dreadfully foolish," she said. "I AM foolish
. . . and I'm ashamed of it when I'm found out, but never unless I AM
found out. I'm not expecting anybody . . . I was just pretending I was.
You see, I was so lonely. I love company . . . that is, the right kind
of company.. .but so few people ever come here because it is so far out
of the way. Charlotta the Fourth was lonely too. So I just pretended I
was going to have a tea party. I cooked for it . . . and decorated the
table for it.. . and set it with my mother's wedding china . . . and I
dressed up for it." Diana secretly thought Miss Lavendar quite as
peculiar as report had pictured her. The idea of a woman of forty-five
playing at having a tea party, just as if she were a little girl! But
Anne of the shining eyes exclaimed joyfuly, "Oh, do YOU imagine things
too?"

That "too" revealed a kindred spirit to Miss Lavendar.

"Yes, I do," she confessed, boldly. "Of course it's silly in anybody as
old as I am. But what is the use of being an independent old maid if
you can't be silly when you want to, and when it doesn't hurt anybody?
A person must have some compensations. I don't believe I could live at
times if I didn't pretend things. I'm not often caught at it though, and
Charlotta the Fourth never tells. But I'm glad to be caught today, for
you have really come and I have tea all ready for you. Will you go up to
the spare room and take off your hats? It's the white door at the h