"You well know I am a thoroughly capable and experienced housekeeper; honest, steady, good-tempered, and with a fine reference from my last place." "You're certainly a clever little housekeeper for your age," said her aunt, "but I'm not sure you could keep house successfully, and go to school, and practice your music, and attend to your club all at the same time." "But I wouldn't do them all at the same time, Aunt Alice.

I'd have a time for everything, and everything in it place.

I would go to school, and practise, and housekeep, and club; all in their proper proportions--" Here Patty glanced at her father.

"You see, if I had the proportions right, all would go well." "Well, perhaps," said Mr.Fairfield, "if we had a competent cook and a tidy little waitress, we could get along without a professional housekeeper.

I admit I had hoped to have Patty keep house for me and preside at my table, and at any rate, it would do no harm to try it as an experiment; then, if it failed, we could make some other arrangement." "I guess I do want to sit at the head of our table, papa," said Patty; "I'd just like to see a housekeeper there! A prim, sour-faced old lady with a black silk dress and dangling ear-rings! No, I thank you.