up his old cap he opened the door. Miss Patty herself was coming up the
path.

She was flushed from the cold air and from hurrying, and I don't know
that I ever saw her look prettier. When she came into the light we could
both see that she was dressed for dinner. Her fur coat was open at
the neck, and she had only a lace scarf over her head. (She was
a disbeliever in colds, anyhow, and all winter long she slept with the
windows open and the steam-heat off!)

"I'm so glad you're still here, Minnie!" she exclaimed, breathing fast.
"You haven't taken the dinner out to the shelter-house yet, have you?"

"Not yet," I replied. "Tillie hasn't brought the basket. The chef's been
fussing about the stuff we're using in the diet kitchen the last few
days, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's shut off all extras."

But I guess her sister and Mr. Dick could have starved to death just
then without her noticing. She was all excitement, for all she's mostly
so cool.

"I have a note here for my sister," she said, getting it out of her
pocket. "I know we all impose on you, Minnie, but--will you take it for
me? I'd go, but I'm in slippers, and, anyhow, I'd need a lantern, and
that would be reckless, wouldn't it?"

"In slippers!" Mr. Pierce interrupted. "It's only five degrees above
zero! Of all the foolhardy--!"

Miss Patty did not seem to hear him. She gave the letter to me and