wicker armchair.

"I did think--seeing there was company,--that probably you'd like me to
stay up a little later to-night."

"If the 'company' takes my advice, she'll go, too," her mother answered.

"The 'company' thinks she will." Hilary slipped out of the hammock.
"Mother, do you suppose Miranda's gone to bed yet?"

"I'll go see," Patience offered, willing to postpone the inevitable for
even those few moments longer.

"What do you want with Miranda?" Pauline asked.

"To do something for me."

"Can't I do it?"

"No--and it must be done to-night. Mother, what are you smiling over?"

"I thought it would be that way, dear."

"Miranda's coming," Patience called. "She'd just taken her back
hair down, and she's waiting to twist it up again. She's got awful
funny back hair."

"Patience! Patience!" her mother said reprovingly.

"I mean, there's such a little--"

"Go up-stairs and get yourself ready for bed at once."

Miranda was waiting in the spare room. "You ain't took sick, Hilary?"

Hilary shook her head. "Please, Miranda, if it wouldn't be too much
trouble, will you bring Pauline's bed in here?"

"I guessed as much," Miranda said, moving Hilary's bed to one side.

"Hilary--wouldn't you truly rather have a room to yourself--for a
change?" Pauline asked.

"I have had one to myself--for eight days--and, now I'm going back to
the old way." Sitting among the cushions of the cozy corner, Hilary
superintended operations, and when the two single white beds were
standing side by side, in their accustomed fashion, the covers turned
back for the night, she nodded in satisfied manner. "Thank you so
much, Miranda; that's as it should be. Go get your things, Paul.
To-morrow, you must move in regularly. Upper drawer between us, and
the rest share and share alike, you know."

Patience, who had hit upon the happy expedient of braiding her
hair--braids, when there were a lot of them, took a long time--got
slowly up from the hearth rug, her head a sight to behold, with its
tiny, hornlike red braids sticking out in every direction. "I suppose
I'd better be going. I wish I had someone to talk to, after I'd gone
to bed." And a deep sigh escaped her.

Pauline kissed the wistful little face. "Never mind, old girl, you
know you'd never stay awake long enough to talk to anyone."

She and Hilary stayed awake talking, however, until Pauline's prudence
got the better of her joy in having her sister back in