Charlotta the Fourth endured it till patience ceased to be a virtue ; then she confronted Anne on the occasion of that romantic young person 's third aimless peregrination through the kitchen . `` Please , Miss Shirley , ma'am , '' said Charlotta the Fourth , with an indignant toss of her very blue bows , `` it 's plain to be seen you and Miss Lavendar have got a secret and I think , begging your pardon if I 'm too forward , Miss Shirley , ma'am , that it 's real mean not to tell me when we 've all been such chums . '' `` Oh , Charlotta dear , I 'd have told you all about it if it were my secret ... but it 's Miss Lavendar 's , you see . However , I 'll tell you this much ... and if nothing comes of it you must never breathe a word about it to a living soul . You see , Prince Charming is coming tonight . He came long ago , but in a foolish moment went away and wandered afar and forgot the secret of the magic pathway to the enchanted castle , where the princess was weeping her faithful heart out for him . But at last he remembered it again and the princess is waiting still ... because nobody but her own dear prince could carry her off . '' `` Oh , Miss Shirley , ma'am , what is that in prose ? '' gasped the mystified Charlotta . Anne laughed . `` In prose , an old friend of Miss Lavendar 's is coming to see her tonight . '' `` Do you mean an old beau of hers ? '' demanded the literal Charlotta . `` That is probably what I do mean ... in prose , '' answered Anne gravely . `` It is Paul 's father ... Stephen Irving . And goodness knows what will come of it , but let us hope for the best , Charlotta . '' `` I hope that he 'll marry Miss Lavendar , '' was Charlotta 's unequivocal response . `` Some women 's intended from the start to be old maids , and I 'm afraid I 'm one of them , Miss Shirley , ma'am , because I 've awful little patience with the men . But Miss Lavendar never was . And I 've been awful worried , thinking what on earth she 'd do when I got so big I 'd HAVE to go to Boston .
There ai n't any more girls in our family and dear knows what she 'd do if she got some stranger that might laugh XXXXX her pretendings and leave things lying round out of their place and not be willing to be called Charlotta the Fifth .
In about at because for from if of on to