therwise she would have been
glad of a summons to the house next-door, for she had taken a decided
fancy to her erratic neighbour.

Determining she would return quickly, and smiling to herself as she
thought that probably she would be asked to do so, she ran over to Miss
Daggett's.

"Come in, child, come in," called the old lady from the upper hall, "come
right up here. I'm in a terrible quandary!"

Patty went upstairs, and then followed Miss Daggett into her bedroom.

"I've decided," said the old lady, with the air of one announcing a
decision the importance of which would shake at least two continents,
"I've decided to go to that ridiculous show of yours."

"Oh, have you?" said Patty, "that's very nice, I'm sure."

"I'm glad you're pleased," said the old lady grimly, "though I'm not
going for the sake of pleasing you."

"Are you going to please your nephew, Mr. Harper?" said Patty, not being
exactly curious, but feeling that she was expected to inquire.

"No, I'm not," said Miss Daggett curtly. "I'm going to please myself; and
I called you over here to advise me what to wear. Here are all my best
dresses, but there's none of them made in the fashions people wear
nowadays, and it's too late to have them fixed over. I wish you'd tell
me which one you think comes nearest to being right."

Patty looked in amazement at the great heap of beautiful gowns that lay
upon the bed. They were made of the richest velvets and satins and
laces, but were all of such an antiquated mode that it seemed impossible
to advise anyone to wear them without remodeling. But, as Miss Daggett
was very much in earnest, Patty concluded that she must necessarily make
some choice.

Accordingly, she picked out a lavender moire silk, trimmed with soft
white lace at the throat and wrist. Although old-fashioned, it was plain
and very simply made, and would, Patty thought, be less conspicuous than
the more elaborate gowns.

"That's just the one I had decided on myself," said Miss Daggett, "and I
should have worn that anyway, whatever you had said."

"Then why did you call me over?" said Patty, moved to impatience by this
inconsistency.

"Oh, because I wanted your opinion, and I wanted to ask you about some
other things. Kenneth is coming to-night, you know."

"Yes, I know it," said Patty, "and I am very glad."

This frank statement and the clear, unembarrassed light in Patty's eyes
seemed to please Miss Daggett, and she kissed the pretty