, and if I hadn't thought of old Denny to
bring up as a support to the Young Women's Christian Association I think
it would have sure gone the other way." And Roger laughed with the
twinkle above the freckles as he leaned against the rose vine around the
pillar and fanned himself with his hat.

"_Is_ there any Denny?" questioned Patricia weakly, from the top step
upon which she had sunk when the Major was wheeled away.

"Certainly, and he's a jolly good fellow," answered Roger. "I had a
letter from him year before last. I'll write him all about everything
and he'll look after you for me. I'd trust Denny to do his best for me
if I hadn't seen him for fifty years. I lived with him our Junior and
Senior years and I know him. But I must go. I have to go back to the
grocery again to get a plow point."

"Please don't go until after supper," pleaded Patricia. "I want to think
out loud to you. It has just struck me that I will have to have some
clothes. What will I do about it? I can't go to New York in a gingham
dress."

"In such a crisis as that I think Miss Elvira will be a better target
for your thoughts than I can be. I'll stop and tell her the news and
send her over," teased Roger with his engaging twinkle.

"I can't think to anybody like I can to you," said Patricia, as she came
and stood beside him.

"I really have to go, honey child, to see about the ploughing in my
South meadow, but I'll come back to be in the finish of the dimity
confab," answered Roger, as he patted Patricia on the shoulder and went
rapidly away.

And a dimity confab was a good name for the conference that was held in
the July moonlight on the front porch of Rosemeade for several silvered
hours that night. Miss Elvira Henderson, modiste, who was the guide,
philosopher and friend, in the matter of costuming as well as in all
other matters, of the feminine population of Hillcrest, had hurried down
the street to the Rosemeade gate as soon as she had consumed her
spinster baked apple and toast supper, and on her way had collected
pretty Mamie Lou Whitson and progressive Jenny Kinkaid, who formed a
thrilled chorus to her interested and joyful conversation with
Patricia.

"The eyes of the world will be on you, Patricia, and nothing short of a
silk tailor suit will be suitable for you to wear to sustain yourself in
such a position," declared Miss Elvira, with a positive degree of
finality in her voice.

"And you'll have to have at least three e