ian bow, and then the
three went away.

"Did I drive off your young friends, Patty?" said Mr. Hepworth, as she
returned to the library, where Jane was already setting forth the tea
things.

Patty was nonplussed. He certainly had driven them away, but she couldn't
exactly tell him so.

"You needn't answer," he said, laughing at her dismayed expression. "I am
sorry they don't like me, but until you show that you don't, I shall
continue to come here."

"I hope you will," said Patty, earnestly. "It isn't that they don't like
you, Mr. Hepworth; it's that they think you don't like them."

"What?"

"Oh, I don't mean exactly that; but they think that you think they're
children,--almost, and you're bored by them."

"I'm not bored by you, and you're a child,--almost."

"Well, I don't know how it is," said Patty, throwing off all
responsibility in the matter; "but I like them and I like you, and yet,
I'd rather have you at different times."

"Which do you like better?" asked Mr. Hepworth. He knew it was a foolish
question, but it was uttered almost involuntarily.

"Them!" said Patty, but she gave him such a roguish smile as she said it,
that he almost thought she meant the opposite.

"Still," she went on, with what was palpably a mock regret, "I shall have
to put up with you for the present; so be as young as you can. How many
lumps, please?"

"Two; you see I can be very young."

"Yes," said Patty, approvingly; "it is young to take two lumps. But now
tell me something about Miss Farley. Have you heard from her or of her
lately?"

"Yes, I have," said Mr. Hepworth, as he stirred his tea. "That is, I've
heard of her. My friend, down in Virginia, who knows Miss Farley, has
sent me another of her sketches, and it proves more positively than ever
that the girl has real genius. But, Patty, I want you to give up this
scheme of yours to help her. It was good of your father to make the offer
he did, but I don't want you racing around to these dreadful places
looking for work. I'm going to get some other people interested in Miss
Farley, and I'm sure her art education can be managed in some way. I'd
willingly subscribe the whole sum needed, myself, but it would be
impossible to arrange it that way. She'd never accept it, if she knew;
and it's difficult to deceive her."

Patty looked serious.

"I don't wonder you think I can't do what I set out to do," she said
slowly, "for I've made so many ridiculous failures already.