were in town
or I'd have tried to look you up. Miss Merton told me when we were at
the theater with the Filmores last night that your family had left town
for a while."

Patricia explained, and Mr Long in his turn told her that he was only in
for a brief stay. He needed a secretary, a sort of caretaker for his
chicken books, he said, laughing, and it must be a female person, since
he had determined to bring Danny home from school for good and all, and
he felt that a woman-body was a crying necessity.

Patricia understood at once. "He wouldn't get on with Mrs. Jonas," she
admitted with a smile. "Have you anyone yet?"

Mr. Long had not. He had seen dozens of them, but they were all either
too young or too old or too stupid or too clever.

"It's going to be mighty hard to fit Danny and the hen accounts, too,"
he confessed. "He's so dead set on pretty people, and most of the pretty
ones are stupid or conceited."

Patricia had a sudden thought that made her dimple. "Must she be very
old?" she asked eagerly.

"Mrs. Jonas will chaperone the place as ever," replied Mr. Long. "She's
needed mainly for Danny, if the truth must be told. I've got to try the
mother act on him now. Poor kid, he's never had anything to look up to
in that line."

"I know someone," said Patricia guardedly. "I can't tell you about her
now, but if you'll come to the dance on Friday I'll show her to you and
you can do the rest."

Mr. Long thought Friday was too far off, but Patricia was firm, and he
ended by saying he'd come. They parted at the next entrance and Patricia
hurried off to Artemis Lodge feeling much elated.

"I'll ask Doris about it in a roundabout way, so she'll say just what
she thinks," she planned, and she was so eager to seek out Doris that
she hurried through her dinner before Rosamond had begun on her first
mouthful, excusing herself by saying that she had some business on hand
that would not wait.

She found Doris in her room, trying to make up her accounts, and the
process was evidently not very agreeable work, for she flung down the
pen at Patricia's knock and slammed the covers of the book with unusual
vigor.

"I never can bear to face that horrid book," she confessed with a little
laugh. "I'm always spending more than I should and it makes me so
ashamed of myself, when Mother needs so many things."

Patricia was finding it very easy. She had not much trouble in learning
that Doris was in search of a more paying posi