ke care of the flowers;
but you mustn't spend all your time in here. Have you straightened up in
the dining-room yet?"

"No, ma'am," said Pansy; "but these little daisies cried so loud to be
looked after that I just couldn't neglect them another minute. See how
they laugh when I tickle up the dirt around their toes."

"That's all very well, Pansy," said Patty, laughing herself; "but I want
you to do your work properly and at the right time; now leave the daisies
until the dining-room and bedrooms are all in order."

"Yes, Miss Patty," said Pansy, and, though she cast a lingering farewell
glance at the beloved posies, she went cheerfully about her duties.

"Now," thought Pansy, "I'll telephone to Marian to come over this
afternoon and stay to dinner, and stay all night; then we can arrange
about having the Tea Club to-morrow. Why, there's the doorbell; perhaps
that's Marian now. I don't know who else it could be, I'm sure."

In a few moments Pansy Potts appeared, and offered Patty a card on a very
new and very shiny tray.

"For goodness' sake, who is it, Pansy?" asked Patty, reading the card,
which only said, "Miss Rachel Daggett."

"I don't know, Miss Patty, I'm sure. She asked for you, and I said you'd
go right down."

"Very well; I will," said Patty.

A glance in the mirror showed a crisp fresh shirt-waist, and neatly
brushed hair, so Patty ran down to the library to welcome her guest.

The guest proved to be a large, tall, and altogether impressive-looking
lady, who spoke with a great deal of firmness and decision.

"I am Miss Daggett," she said, "and I am your neighbour."

"Are you?" said Patty pleasantly. "I am very glad to meet you, and I
hope you will like me for a neighbour."

"I don't know whether I shall or not," said Miss Daggett; "it depends
entirely on how you behave."

Although Patty was extremely good-natured, she couldn't help feeling a
little inclined to resent the tone taken by her guest, and she returned
rather crisply:

"I shall try to behave as a lady and a neighbour."

"Humph!" said Miss Daggett. "You're promising a good deal. If you
accomplish what you've mentioned, I shall consider you the best neighbour
I've ever experienced in my life."

Patty began to think her strange guest was eccentric rather than
impolite, and began to take a fancy to the somewhat brusque visitor.

"I live next-door," said Miss Daggett, "and I am by no means social in my
habits. Indeed, I prefer to le