Patience asked.

Hilary shook her head. "I promised her Pauline and I would be over
soon. We may have Fanny some afternoon, mayn't we, father?"

Patience's blue eyes danced. "They can't have Fanny, can they,
father?" she nodded at him knowingly.

Hilary eyed her questioningly. "What is the matter, Patience?"

"Nothing is the matter with her," Pauline said hurriedly. "Don't pay
any attention to her."

"Only, if you would hurry," Patience implored. "I--I can't wait much
longer!"

"Wait!" Hilary asked. "For what?"

Patience pushed back her chair. "For--Well, if you just knew what for,
Hilary Shaw, you'd do some pretty tall hustling!"

"Patience!" her father said reprovingly.

"May I be excused, mother?" Patience asked. "I'll wait out on the
porch."

And Mrs. Shaw replied most willingly that she might.

"Is there anything more--to see, I mean, not to eat?" Hilary asked. "I
don't see how there can be."

"Are you through?" Pauline answered. "Because, if you are, I'll show
you."

"It was sent to Paul," Patience called, from the hall door. "But she
says, of course, it was meant for us all; and I think, myself, she's
right about that."

"Is it--alive?" Hilary asked.

"'It' was--before supper," Pauline told her. "I certainly hope nothing
has happened to--'it' since then."

"A dog?" Hilary suggested.

"Wait and see; by the way, where's that kitten?"

"She's to follow in a few days; she was a bit too young to leave home
just yet."

"I've got the sugar!" Patience called.

Hilary stopped short at the foot of the porch steps. Patience's
remark, if it had not absolutely let the cat out of the bag, had at
least opened the bag. "Paul, it can't be--"

"In the Shaw's dictionary, at present, there doesn't appear to be any
such word as can't," Pauline declared. "Come on---after all, you know,
the only way to find out--is to find out."

Patience had danced on ahead down the path to the barn. She stood
waiting for them now in the broad open doorway, her whole small person
one animated exclamation point, while Towser, just home from a
leisurely round of afternoon visits, came forward to meet Hilary,
wagging a dignified welcome.

"If you don't hurry, I'll 'hi yi' you, like I do Fanny!" Patience
warned them. She moved to one side, to let Hilary go on into the barn.
"Now!" she demanded, "isn't that something more?"

From the stall beside Fanny's, a horse's head reached inquiringly out
for the sug