"I'd like to go if mother says so," said Winifred, rather pleased at the
prospect of this little change.

"Oh, that's all right; everything is arranged, and here comes your
mother to speak for herself."

Winifred turned eagerly to Mrs. Hamilton, who had just entered the room.

"Mother, Aunt Estelle wants me to go home with her to spend the night.
May I go?"

"Yes, dear," said her mother, smiling, "I should like to have you go. I
expect to be very busy this afternoon, and Aunt Estelle says Uncle Will
wants to see you very much."

"Norah is cleaning silver to-day," Mrs. Meredith said, as she rose to
go. "You should have seen her face when I told her I was coming for
you."

Winifred looked flattered.

"I always helped Norah clean silver," she said, "and sometimes I used to
read to her. I'll take 'Denise and Ned Toodles' and read this
afternoon."

The matter having been thus arranged, Mrs. Meredith hurried away to do
her errands, promising to return for Winifred in a couple of hours.

"You're sure you won't miss me very much, mother," Winifred said
anxiously, as she was bidding her mother good-bye. "It's only for one
night, you know, and that is quite different from going away for a real
visit."

"Of course it is," said Mrs. Hamilton, laughing. "Now run along with
Aunt Estelle, sweetheart, and have a good time. I will come for you
early to-morrow morning."

"Mother does seem very busy to-day," remarked Winifred, rather
wonderingly, as she walked along by her aunt's side. "I wonder what
she's going to do this afternoon. It can't be the preserves, because
they're 'most done."

Mrs. Meredith made no answer, and Winifred soon forgot her curiosity in
the interest of other subjects. But she would have wondered a good deal
more if she could have heard the words her mother was at that moment
saying to Lizzie, for no sooner had the door closed behind Winifred and
her aunt than Mrs. Hamilton hurried back to the kitchen.

"We can begin right away now, Lizzie," she said, laughing; "the darling
is safely out of the way for the rest of the day, and we shall have to
work like beavers to accomplish all we have to do. In the first place, I
want you to come with me to the storeroom, and help me to get out that
big trunk."

Winifred had a very pleasant afternoon. She helped Norah with the
silver, and read aloud to her, and then there were Hannah, the German
cook, and Josephine, the French maid, to be talked to, and they