s well down on her nose, industriously searched
out her references and made record of them, her eyes roving often to the
white face that was fuller of interest than she had ever seen it.

When four o'clock came, she went back to the house and returned with
Flossie's lap table, which she leaned against the tree trunk. This
afternoon lunch for the invalid was always accomplished with much coaxing
on Miss Fletcher's part, and great reluctance on Flossie's. The little girl
took no notice now of what was coming. She was too much engrossed in
Hazel's efforts to induce Miss Fletcher's maltese cat to allow Bernice to
take a ride on his back.

But when the hostess returned from the house the second time, Hazel gave
an exclamation. Miss Fletcher was carrying a tray, and upon it was laid out
a large doll's tea-set. It was of white china with gold bands, and when
Flossie saw Hazel's admiration, she exclaimed too.

"This was my tea-set when I was a little girl," said Miss Fletcher, "and I
was always very choice of it. Twenty years ago I had a niece your age,
Hazel, who used to think it was the best fun in the world to come to aunt
Hazel's and have lunch off her doll's tea-set. I used to tell her I was
going to give it to _her_ little girl if she ever had one."

Both children exclaimed admiringly over the quaint shape of the bowl and
pitchers, as Miss Fletcher deposited the tray on her sewing-table.

"When I was a child we didn't smash up handsome toys the way children do
nowadays. They weren't so easy to get."

"And didn't your niece ever have a little girl?" asked Flossie, beginning
to think that in such a case perhaps these dear dishes might come to be her
own.

"Yes, she did," replied Miss Fletcher kindly, and as she looked at the
guest's interested little face her eyes were thoughtful. "I shall give them
to her some day."

"Has she ever seen them?" asked Hazel.

"Once. I thought you children must be hungry after your games, and you'd
like a little lunch."

This idea was so pleasing to Hazel that Flossie caught her enthusiasm.

"You'll be the mistress and pour, Flossie, and I'll be the waitress," she
said. "Won't it be the most _fun_! I suppose, ma'am, you'll like to have
the children come to the table?" she added, with sudden respectfulness of
tone.

"Yes," returned Flossie, with elegant languor. "I think it teaches them
good manners."

And then the waitress forgot herself so far as to hop up and down; for Miss
F