CHAPTER XII.
A TEA CLUB TEA Patty rebelled at being overruled in this manner, but Marian had some Fairfield firmness of her own, and taking her cousin's arm led her to the library and plumped her down upon the couch in a reclining position, while she vigorously jammed pillows under her head.
"There, miss," she announced, "you will please stay there until luncheon is announced." "But, Marian," pleaded Patty, seeing that resistance was useless, "I've such a lot of things to do, and the girls will be here before I get them all done." "Let them come," said the hard-hearted Marian, "it won't hurt them a bit, and you've got enough things done now to feed the Russian army." "But they're not finished," said Patty, "and they'll spoil standing." "You'll more likely spoil them by finishing them.

Now you stay right where you are." So Patty rested, until Pansy came and called them to a most appetising little lunch spread very simply on the dining-table.
The two hungry girls did full justice to it, and then Patty said: "Now, Marian, you're a duck, and you mean well, I know; but this is my house and my tea-party, and now you must clear out and leave me to fix it up pretty in my own way." "All right," said Marian, "I rescued you once, now this time I'll leave you to your fate; but I'll give you fair warning that those Tea Club girls would rather have a few nice little things like we had at lunch, than all those ridiculous contraptions that you've got out there half baked." "Oh me, oh me!" sighed Patty, in mock despair.

"Nobody appreciates me; nobody realises or cares for my one great talent.

I believe I'll go and drown myself." "Do," said Marian, "drown yourself in that tub of wine-jelly, for it will never stiffen.

I can tell that by looking at it." "Bye, bye," said Patty, pushing Marian out of the dining-room, "run along now, and take a little nap like a good little girl.