Contrary Mary

Cousin Patty wore a little knot of yellow ribbon when Porter met her at

the station.

Porter was not inclined to welcome any cousin of Roger Poole's with

open arms. But he knew his duty to Mary's guests. He had offered his

car, and had insisted that Mary should make use of it.

"For Heaven's sake, don't make me utterly miserable by refusing to let

me do anything for you, Mary," he had said, when she had protested.

"It is the only pleasure I have."

Cousin Patty, in spite of Porter's preconceived prejudices, made at

once a place for herself. She gave him her little bag, and with a sigh

of such infinite relief, her eyes like a confiding child's, that he

laughed and bent down to her.

"Mary Ballard is in my car outside. I didn't want her to get into this

crowd."

Cousin Patty shuddered. "Crowd! I've never seen anything like--the

people. I didn't know there were so many in the world. You see, I've

never been far away from home. And they kept pouring in from all the

stations, and when I reached here and stood on the steps of the

Pullman, and saw the masses streaming in ail directions, I felt

faint--but the conductor pointed out the way to go, and then I saw

your--lovely head."

She said it so sincerely that Porter laughed.

"Miss Carew," he said, "I believe you mean it."

"Mean what?"

"That it's a lovely head."

"It is." The dark eyes were shining. "You were so tall that I could

see you above the people, and Roger had described how you would look.

Mary Ballard had said you would surely be here to meet me, and now--oh,

I'm really in Washington!"

If she had said, "I'm really in Paradise," it could not have expressed

more supreme bliss.

"I never expected to be here," Cousin Patty went on to explain, as they

crossed the concourse, and Porter guided her through the crowd. "I

never expected it. And now Roger's beautiful Mary Ballard has promised

to show me everything."

Roger's beautiful Mary Ballard, indeed!

"Miss Ballard," he said, stiffly, "is taking a week off from her work.

And she is going to devote it to sightseeing with you."

"Yes, Roger told me. Is that Mary smiling from that big car? Oh, Mary

Ballard, I knew you'd be just--like this."

Well, nobody could resist Cousin Patty. There was that in her charming

voice, in her vivid personality which set her apart from other

middle-aged and well-bred women of her type.