ow it is; but I can't afford a better skirt. Mother is rather
worried about money just now. I know I oughtn't to tell you, but she is.
And, do you know, before you came in Aunt Church was so horrid. She got
quite dreadful about the blouse, and she tried to make out that I had
stolen the money from mother to buy it. Wasn't it awful of her? I can
tell you it was a blessing when you came in. You changed her altogether.
What did you do to her?"

"Well," said Kathleen, "I rather like old ladies, and she struck me as
something picturesque."

"She's a horrid old thing, and not a bit picturesque. I hate her like
poison."

"That is very wrong of you, Susy. Some day you will get old yourself,
and you won't like people to hate you."

"Well, that's a long way off; I needn't worry about it yet," cried Susy.
"I do hate her very much indeed. And then, you know, when you appeared
she began to butter me up like anything. I hated that the worst of all."

"I am sorry she is that sort of old lady," said Kathleen after a pause;
"but I have promised to try and get her into one of our almshouses. It
would be rare fun to have her there."

"But she is not a bit poor. She oughtn't to go into an almshouse if she
is rich," said Susy.

"Of course she mustn't go into an almshouse if she is rich; but she
doesn't look rich."

"She is quite rich. I think she has saved three hundred pounds. You must
call that rich."

"I'm afraid I don't," said Kathleen.

Susy was silent for a moment.

"There are so many different views about riches," she said at last. "I
am glad you are so tremendously rich that you think nothing of three
hundred pounds. Mother and I often sigh and pine even for _one_ pound.
For instance, now--But I mustn't tell you; it would not be right.
Perhaps Aunt Church will be a little nicer to me now that you have taken
her up. I'll threaten to complain to you if she doesn't behave."

Here Susy laughed merrily.

"That's all right, Susan," said Kathleen. "I must go back now, for I
have promised to go for a walk with Mrs. Tennant. No one ever thinks
about her as she ought to be thought of; so I have some plans in my head
for her, too. Oh, my head is full of plans, and I do wish--yes, I do,
Susy--that I could make a lot of people happy."

"You are a splendid girl," said Susy. "I wish there were others like you
in the world."

"No, I am not splendid," said Kathleen, her lovely dark eyes looking
wistful. "I have heaps and lashons