a hot little bedroom on the second floor of a New
York apartment house. She did her duty faithfully by the children;
dressed them all; set Lord Fauntleroy, Rose-Florence, and Lily-Bell at
their lessons, arranged Miss Mollie's hair in the latest fashion, and
gave Violet-May a dose of castor oil. Then when there was really nothing
more to be done for her family, and she had learned from her mother that
her services were not desired in the kitchen, she took up "Denise and
Ned Toodles," and settling herself in the coolest spot she could find,
tried to forget other things in the interest of a new story.

"Well, mousie, here you are; deep in a story book as usual."

At the sound of the familiar voice, Winifred dropped her book, and
sprang up with an exclamation of pleasure.

"Oh, Aunt Estelle, I am glad to see you!" she cried joyfully, running to
greet the tall, bright-faced young lady who was standing in the
doorway. "How did you get in? I never heard the bell."

"I didn't ring, the door was open," said her aunt, laughing and kissing
her. "I've been here for some time, talking to your mother in the
kitchen, and now I've come to have a little talk with you."

"Won't you sit down?" said Winifred, hospitably drawing forward the
comfortable rocker in which she had been sitting. "You look awfully
warm. You sit here, and I'll fan you; that'll be nice."

"What have you been reading?" Mrs. Meredith asked, as her little niece
perched herself on the arm of her chair, and began swaying a large
palm-leaf fan back and forth.

"'Denise and Ned Toodles.' It's a very nice story. Mother got it out of
the library for me yesterday. It's all about a little girl who lived in
the country and had a pony."

"Do you think you would like to live in the country?" her aunt asked,
smiling.

"Yes, I think so; I should like it in the summer, at any rate. Oh, Aunt
Estelle, I had such a lovely letter from Lulu this morning. Would you
like to see it?"

"Yes, very much, but not just now, for I am in a hurry. I am going
downtown to do some errands, and then I am coming back here, and,
Winnie, I want you to be ready to go home with me to spend the night."

"To spend the night?" Winifred repeated, looking very much surprised.

"Yes; Uncle Will was grumbling this morning, because he says he never
sees anything of you nowadays. We are going to the country on Saturday,
you know, and this will be our last chance of having you with us for
ever so long."