fully funny, Katy."

Katy was sober. She showed no appreciation of the fun.

"Ye know, lambie," she said, her hands on her hips, her elbows
wide-spread, her jaws argumentative, "I've done some blarneying with
that lad, an' I've fed him some, because he was doin' things that would
help an' please ye, but now I'm tellin' ye, just like I'll be tellin' ye
till I die, I ain't STRONG for him. If ever the day comes when ye ask me
to take on that Whiting kid for me boss, I'll bow my head an' I'll fly
at his bidding, because he is real, he's goin' to come out a man lots
like your pa, or hisn. An' if ever the day comes when ye will be telling
me ye want me to serve Pater Morrison, I'll well nigh get on my knees
to him. I think he'd be the closest we'd ever come to gettin' the master
back. But I couldn't say I'd ever take to Anderson. They's something
about him, I can't just say what, but he puts me back up amazin'."

"Don't worry, ancient custodian of the family," said Linda. "That same
something in Henry Anderson that antagonizes you, affects me in even
stronger degree. You must not get the foolish notion that any man has a
speculative eye on me, because it is not true. Donald Whiting is only a
boy friend, treating me as a brother would, and Peter Morrison is much
too sophisticated and mature to pay any serious attention to a girl
with a year more high school before her. I want to be decent to Henry
Anderson, because he is Peter's architect, and I'm deeply interested in
Peter's house and the lady who will live in it. Sometimes I hope it will
be Donald's sister, Mary Louise. Anyway, I am going to get acquainted
with her and make it my business to see that she and Peter get their
chance to know each other well. My job for Peter is to help run his
brook at the proper angle, build his bridge, engineer his road, and
plant his grounds; so don't be dreaming any foolish dreams, Katy."

Katy folded her arms, tilted her chin at an unusually aspiring angle,
and deliberately sniffed.

"Don't ye be lettin' yourself belave your own foolishness," she said. "I
ain't done with me exhibit yet. On the hall table ye will find a package
from the Pater Morrison man that Miss Eileen had the joy of takin'
in and layin' aside for ye, an atop of it rists a big letter that I'm
thinkin' might mean Miss Marian."

"Oh," cried Linda. "Why are you wasting all this time? If there is a
letter from Marian it may mean that the competition is decided; but if