at by the breakfast-room fire after lunch, the tears began to
well up in her eyes at the thought of the delightful parcel which she
had hoped by now to be packing up and despatching. Muriel, seated in the
opposite armchair, was absorbed in her new story, and beyond
occasionally asking Patty to poke the fire or put on more coals, took no
notice of her cousin, and did not see that anything was wrong. Patty
tried to fix her attention on "The Daisy Chain", which she had just
begun to read, but the description of the large family made her think of
her own, and she felt so wretchedly homesick and miserable that big
drops blurred her eyes and fell down on to the pages of her book. She
was wiping them up carefully with her pocket handkerchief when the door
opened suddenly, and Cousin Horace made his appearance.

"Hello!" he cried cheerily. "I thought I should find you two in here!
Muriel, Mother wants you for a minute in her bedroom."

"What for?"

"Your new dress has come, I believe."

Muriel jumped up with alacrity and went upstairs, and Horace, taking her
vacant chair, stretched himself lazily, and put his feet on the fender.

"I don't know what it is about holidays," he remarked; "they make a
fellow want to do nothing but lounge. Don't you feel the same, Patty?"

"I'm not sure," said Patty, so very chokily that Horace sat up and
examined her with critical eyes.

"Why, what's the matter?" he exclaimed.

"Nothing," said Patty, "at least, not much."

"But you're crying."

It was such a self-evident statement that Patty did not reply.

"Have you been quarrelling with Muriel?"

"No. Oh no!"

"Then what is it?"

"It seems hardly worth while telling."

"Of course it is. Look here, Patty, you and I are chums. If you've
anything on your mind, just reel it off and get rid of it. Perhaps I can
help."

"It's only about the children," began Patty.

"Well! Go on! What about them?"

"I meant to buy them some presents, and there was no time when we were
shopping this morning, and Aunt Lucy isn't going into town again before
Christmas, so I can't get them at all now," said Patty, blurting out her
trouble as briefly as she could.

"Is that all?" asked Horace.

"It's quite enough for me," replied Patty, wiping her eyes again.

"Why, my dear girl, that's easily remedied. Put on your hat and jacket
and I'll take you to town in the tramcar. It's only half-past three, and
we'll soon buy what you want."

"Oh! Would Aun