You've a
fine basket of flowers to take; Patience has done herself proud this
morning."

"It's wonderful how well that young lady can behave--at times."

"Oh, she's young yet! When I hear mother tell how like her you used to
be, I don't feel too discouraged about Patty."

"That strikes me as rather a double-edged sort of speech," Pauline
gathered up the reins. "Good-by, and don't get too tired."

Shirley's turn was to be a combination studio tea and lawn-party, to
which all club members, both regular and honorary, not to mention their
relatives and friends, had been bidden. Following this, was to be a
high tea for the regular members.

"That's Senior's share," Shirley had explained to Pauline. "He insists
that it's up to him to do something."

Mr. Dayre was on very good terms with the "S. W. F. Club." As for
Shirley, after the first, no one had ever thought of her as an outsider.

It was hard now, Pauline thought, as she drove briskly along, the lake
breeze in her face, and the sound of Bedelia's quick trotting forming a
pleasant accompaniment to her, thoughts, very hard, to realize how soon
the summer would be over. But perhaps--as Hilary said--next summer
would mean the taking up again of this year's good times and
interests,--Shirley talked of coming back. As for the winter--Pauline
had in mind several plans for the winter. Those of the club members to
stay behind must get together some day and talk them over. One thing
was certain, the club motto must be lived up to bravely. If not in one
way, why in another. There must be no slipping back into the old
dreary rut and routine. It lay with themselves as to what their winter
should be.

"And there's fine sleighing here, Bedelia," she said. "We'll get the
old cutter out and give it a coat of paint."

Bedelia tossed her head, as if she heard in imagination the gay
jingling of the sleighbells.

"But, in the meantime, here is the manor," Pauline laughed, "and it's
the prettiest August day that ever was, and lawn-parties and such
festivities are afoot, not sleighing parties."

The manor stood facing the lake with its back to the road, a broad
sloping lawn surrounded it on three sides, with the garden at the back.

For so many seasons, it had stood lonely and neglected, that Pauline
never came near it now, without rejoicing afresh in its altered aspect.
Even the sight of Betsy Todd's dish towels, drying on the currant
bushes at one side of the b