Miss Panney had been seated but a very few minutes when the two girls emerged from the bosky intricacies of the garden.

“Upon my word!” exclaimed the old lady, “she has got on Judith Pacewalk’s teaberry gown.  I could never forget that!”

At this moment there was a clatter of hoofs and a rattle of wheels, and a brown horse, drawing a very loose-jointed wagon, with Ralph Haverley, in a broad hat and light tennis jacket, driving, dashed up to the back door and stopped with a jerk.

“Back so soon!” cried Miriam.  “See what a lot of raspberries we have picked.  I will take them into the house, and then come out and get the things you have brought.”

As Miriam went around toward the kitchen, Ralph sprang to the ground, and Dora approached him.  Miss Panney could see her face under the sunbonnet.  It was suffused with the light of a smiling, beaming welcome.

“You did go quickly, didn’t you?” she said.  “You must be a good driver.”

“I didn’t want to lose any time,” answered Ralph, “and I made Mrs. Browning step along lively.  As it was, I was afraid that your brother might arrive before I got back and that I might find you were gone.”

“It was a pity,” said Dora, “that you troubled yourself to hurry back.  You may have wanted to do other things in Thorbury, and if Herbert missed seeing you to-day he would have plenty of other opportunities.”

Ralph laughed.  “I should like to meet your brother,” he said, “but I am bound to say that I was thinking more of the new cook.  I did not want her to leave before I got back.”

Dora raised her sunbonnet toward him.  Miriam’s steps were heard approaching.

“You might have felt sure,” she said, “that she would not have gone without seeing you again.  You have been so kind and good to her that she would not think of doing that.”  Then, as Miriam was very near, she approached the wagon.  “Did you get the snowflake flour, as I told you?” she asked.  “Yes, I see you did, and I am glad you listened to my advice, and bought only a bag of it, for you know you may not like it.”

“If it is the flour you use, I know we shall like it,” said Ralph; “but still I am bound to follow your advice.”

“You would better follow me, now,” said Miriam, who had taken some parcels from the wagon, “and bring that bag into the pantry.  I do not like Mike to come into our part of the house with his boots.”

Ralph shouldered the bag, and Dora stepped up to him.

“I will stay with the horse until you come out again,” she said, not speaking very loudly.

Miss Panney, who had heard all that had been said, smiled, and her black eyes twinkled.  “Truly,” she said to herself, “for so short an acquaintance, this is getting on wonderfully.”

Miriam, her arms full of parcels, and her mind full of household economy, walked rapidly by Miss Panney without seeing her at all, and, entering the dining-room, passed through it into the pantry.  But when Ralph appeared in the open doorway, the old lady rose and confronted him, her finger on her lip.