"Now, Philip, stop talking about love! It's bad enough to be lost,--and we _are_ lost,--without having somebody harping about love all the time." "Well, this isn't much of a time or place, is it? So, suppose we invade this peaceful dwelling, and inquire our latitude and longitude." They drove up a winding road to a large, old-fashioned house, and Philip jumped out at the front door. His summons on the big, brass knocker was answered by a prim little lady, with grey hair and bright, dark eyes. "Pardon me, madame," said Philip, in his best manner. "We have lost our way. Will you tell me how to reach Hatton's Corners?" "Hatton's Corners! Why, that's a good ten miles from here. Where'd you come from?" "From Fern Falls." "Then you took the wrong road at the Big Tree Fork. You'd oughter 'a' gone to the left." "H'm; you may be right. But must we go back there, or is there a shorter cut?" "No; there ain't no shorter cut. But your young lady looks cold. Won't you two come in and take a bite o' dinner, and get warm before you go on?" "Why, this is true hospitality, madame. What do you say, Patty?" Patty looked uncertain. "I don't know what to say," she replied, hesitatingly. "I _am_ cold; but I'm afraid it would delay us so long that Adele will worry about us. I think we'd better jog along." But then another old lady appeared. She was rounder, rosier, plumper, and jollier than the first, and she cried out, heartily: "Jog along? Well, I reckon not! I jest waited to slip into my shoes,--my feet's awful tender,--and then I come right out here to see what's goin' on. Now, you two young folks come right in, and set a spell. 'Tain't often we get a chance to have comp'ny,--and on chicken pie day, too!" "Whew, chicken pie!" exclaimed Philip. "How about it, Patty?" "Have you a telephone?" asked Patty, with a sudden inspiration. "Yes, miss. Now you jest come along. 'Kiah, the hired man, he'll look after your horses, and I'm free to confess they need a rest and a feed, even if you don't." "That's so," said Philip. "We must have come twelve or fifteen miles." "It's all o' that from Fern Falls. My, I'm right down glad to look after you two. You do seem to need it." The speaker's twinkling dark eyes looked at her two visitors with such comprehension that Patty blushed and Philip smiled. "We're from Mr. Kenerley's house," he explained,--"guests there, you know. And we started for Hatton's Corners to get some butter and eggs--and somehow, we took the wrong turn----" "It was all my fault," confessed Patty. "I insisted on coming this way, though Mr. Van Reypen thought the other was right." "Well, well, never mind! It'll jest be a nice, smart trip back after dinner. I'm Mrs. Fay, and this is my sister, Miss Wilhelmina Winthrop. She's got a longer name than I have, but I've got a longer head."