t is going to keep house for us."

Phil bounced up, wiped her nose, and fell on her knees before Anne.

"Girls--girls--let me come, too. Oh, I'll be so good. If there's no room
for me I'll sleep in the little doghouse in the orchard--I've seen it.
Only let me come."

"Get up, you goose."

"I won't stir off my marrow bones till you tell me I can live with you
next winter."

Anne and Priscilla looked at each other. Then Anne said slowly, "Phil
dear, we'd love to have you. But we may as well speak plainly. I'm
poor--Pris is poor--Stella Maynard is poor--our housekeeping will have
to be very simple and our table plain. You'd have to live as we would.
Now, you are rich and your boardinghouse fare attests the fact."

"Oh, what do I care for that?" demanded Phil tragically. "Better a
dinner of herbs where your chums are than a stalled ox in a lonely
boardinghouse. Don't think I'm ALL stomach, girls. I'll be willing to
live on bread and water--with just a LEETLE jam--if you'll let me come."

"And then," continued Anne, "there will be a good deal of work to be
done. Stella's aunt can't do it all. We all expect to have our chores to
do. Now, you--"

"Toil not, neither do I spin," finished Philippa. "But I'll learn to do
things. You'll only have to show me once. I CAN make my own bed to begin
with. And remember that, though I can't cook, I CAN keep my temper.
That's something. And I NEVER growl about the weather. That's more. Oh,
please, please! I never wanted anything so much in my life--and this
floor is awfully hard."

"There's just one more thing," said Priscilla resolutely. "You, Phil,
as all Redmond knows, entertain callers almost every evening. Now, at
Patty's Place we can't do that. We have decided that we shall be at home
to our friends on Friday evenings only. If you come with us you'll have
to abide by that rule."

"Well, you don't think I'll mind that, do you? Why, I'm glad of it.
I knew I should have had some such rule myself, but I hadn't enough
decision to make it or stick to it. When I can shuffle off the
responsibility on you it will be a real relief. If you won't let me cast
in my lot with you I'll die of the disappointment and then I'll come
back and haunt you. I'll camp on the very doorstep of Patty's Place and
you won't be able to go out or come in without falling over my spook."

Again Anne and Priscilla exchanged eloquent looks.

"Well," said Anne, "of course we can't promise to take you until