talk as fast as she could about something else. All the time she found
herself taking measure of Imogen, and thinking--"Did I ever really like
her? How queer! Oh, what a wise man Papa is!"

Imogen stayed half an hour. Then she took her leave.

"She never asked how you were!" cried Elsie, indignantly; "I noticed,
and she didn't--not once."

"Oh well--I suppose she forgot. We were talking about her, not about
me," replied Katy.

The little group settled down again to their work. This time half an
hour went by without any more interruptions. Then the door bell rang,
and Bridget, with a disturbed face, came up stairs.

"Miss Katy," she said, "it's old Mrs. Worrett, and I reckon's she's
come to spend the day, for she's brought her bag. What ever shall I
tell her?"

Katy looked dismayed. "Oh dear!" she said, "how unlucky. What can we
do?"

Mrs. Worrett was an old friend of Aunt Izzie's, who lived in the
country, about six miles from Burnet, and was in the habit of coming to
Dr. Carr's for lunch, on days when shopping or other business brought
her into town. This did not occur often; and, as it happened, Katy had
never had to entertain her before.

"Tell her ye're busy, and can't see her," suggested Bridget; "there's no