"You're Pansy, are you?" said Patty, looking puzzled. "And what are you
doing here, Pansy?"

"Well, miss, you see it's this way. I want to go out to service; and when
I heard you was going to have a house of your own, I thought maybe you'd
take me to work for you."

"Oh, you did! Well, why didn't you come and apply to me, then, in proper
fashion, and not sit out here waiting for me to come to you? Suppose I
hadn't come?"

"I was sure you'd come, miss. Everybody who looks at this house comes out
to look at the arbour; but there hasn't been anybody before that I wanted
to work for. Please take me, miss; I'll be faithful and true."

"What can you do?" asked Patty, half laughing, and half pitying the
strange-looking girl. "Can you cook?"

"No, ma'am, I can't cook; but I might learn it. But I didn't mean that. I
thought you'd have a cook, and you'd take me for a table girl, you know;
and to tidy up after you."

"I do want a waitress; but have you had any experience?"

"No, ma'am," said the girl very earnestly, "I haven't, but I'm just sure
I could learn. If you just tell me a thing once, you needn't ever tell it
to me again. That's something, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is," said Patty, remembering a certain careless waitress at