tedly; "and I don't believe it ever will."

The next morning Patty devoted all her energy to getting ready for the
Tea Club. She declined Marian's offers of help, saying:

"No, I really don't need any help. If I can keep Pansy out of the
conservatory, we three can accomplish all there is to be done; so you go
and sit by the library fire, and toast your toes and read, or play with
the cat, or do whatever you please. Remember, whenever you come here,
you're one of the family."

So Marian went off by herself and played on the piano, and read, and had
various kinds of good times, scrupulously keeping out of the way of her
busy and preoccupied cousin.

"Now, Pansy," said Patty, as she captured that culprit in the
conservatory, and led her off to the kitchen, "I want you to try
especially hard to-day to do just as I want you to, and to help me in
every possible way."

"Can I fix the flowers, Miss Patty?" said Pansy Potts, her eyes sparkling
with delight.

"Where are there any flowers to fix? You've fussed over those in the
conservatory until you've nearly worn them all out."

"Oh, Miss Patty, they're thriving beautifully. But I mean that big box
of flowers that just came up from the flower man's. He said Mr.
Fairfield sent it."

"Oh!" exclaimed Patty, "did papa really send me up flowers for the Tea
Club? How perfectly lovely! I meant to order some myself, but I know his
will be nicer."

By this time Patty was diving into the big box and scattering tissue
paper all about.

"They're beautiful," she exclaimed, "and what lots of them! Yes, Pansy,
you may arrange them; you really do it better than I do. Keep all the
pink ones for the dining-room, and put the others wherever you like. Now,
Mancy," she went on, "we'll discuss what to eat."

"Yas'm, and I s'pose it'll be some ob dem highfalutin fandangoes ob yo's,
what nobody can't eat."

"You guessed right the very first time," said Patty, smiling back at
the good-natured old cook, whose bark was so much worse than her bite.
"You see, Mancy, this is my own party, and so I can have just what I
like at it. Not even papa can object to the things that I have for my
own Tea Club."

"Dat's so, chile, but co'se yo' knows you'se mighty likely to spoil dem
good t'ings befo' yo' get 'em made."

"Oh, I don't think I will this time," said Patty, with that assured
little toss of her head which always meant perfect confidence in her
own ability.

Mancy said nothing, but grunt