Page:The Star in the Window.pdf/324

314 platform and slipped them out of sight. She then approached a flat-topped desk, facing the door, and sitting down before it began writing in a large book—records of some sort. She wrote with a fountain-pen, that made a pleasant purring sound as it traveled smoothly over the page.

The pen's purring was interrupted ten minutes later. Somebody had pushed open one of the big doors.

The young lady glanced up, without any great curiosity. But at sight of the figure she saw standing on the threshold before her a faint color mounted to her face.

"Cousin Pattie!" she exclaimed.

"Hello, Reba," the large fleshy woman upon the threshold replied with a broad pleased smile.

Reba got up, walked across the hall, extended her hands, both of them.

Cousin Pattie grasped them, and kissed Reba.

"Why, Cousin Pattie," Reba exclaimed again. "Where—I thought Do sit down. Why, I'm so surprised!"

There were chairs near at hand. Cousin Pattie sat down in the nearest one, in front of one of the work-tables. Reba sat down opposite her.

"Where did you drop from, Cousin Pattie?"

"From up the hill. Been waiting for you for an hour and a half, up at the house. They told me I'd most likely find you here."

"But we thought you were in Europe. We heard you went to England after your San Domingo trip. We had no idea"

"Nobody has any idea about Cousin Pattie, child," the older woman interrupted, chuckling. "Haven't