



Produced by Annie McGuire








Two Little Women


Carolyn Wells




BY THE SAME AUTHOR

       *       *       *       *       *

PATTY SERIES

  PATTY FAIRFIELD
  PATTY AT HOME
  PATTY IN THE CITY
  PATTY'S SUMMER DAYS
  PATTY IN PARIS
  PATTY'S FRIENDS
  PATTY'S PLEASURE TRIP
  PATTY'S SUCCESS
  PATTY'S MOTOR CAR
  PATTY'S BUTTERFLY DAYS
  PATTY'S SOCIAL SEASON
  PATTY'S SUITORS
  PATTY'S ROMANCE


MARJORIE SERIES

  MARJORIE'S VACATION
  MARJORIE'S BUSY DAYS
  MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND
  MARJORIE IN COMMAND
  MARJORIE'S MAYTIME
  MARJORIE AT SEACOTE

       *       *       *       *       *


[Illustration: IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO SATISFY THE BOYS'
APPETITES.--_Page_ 199]




TWO LITTLE WOMEN


BY
CAROLYN WELLS

AUTHOR OF
THE PATTY BOOKS,
THE MARJORIE BOOKS, ETC.


ILLUSTRATIONS BY
E. C. CASWELL


GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK


COPYRIGHT, 1915
BY DODD, MEAD & COMPANY




CONTENTS


       CHAPTER                                                      PAGE

    I  THE GIRL NEXT DOOR                                              1
   II  DOTTY ROSE AND DOLLY FAYRE                                     15
  III  THE NEW ROOMS                                                  29
   IV  THE BIRTHDAY MORNING                                           43
    V  THE DOUBLE PARTY                                               57
   VI  ROLLER SKATING                                                 71
  VII  TWO BIG BROTHERS                                               87
 VIII  CROSSTREES CAMP                                               103
   IX  DOLLY'S ESCAPE                                                118
    X  HIDDEN TREASURE                                               133
   XI  A THRILLING EXPERIENCE                                        150
  XII  WHO WAS THE TALL PHANTOM?                                     167
 XIII  THAT LUNCHEON                                                 186
  XIV  THE CAKE CONTEST                                              201
   XV  WHO WON THE PRIZE?                                            215
  XVI  A WALK IN THE WOODS                                           231
 XVII  SURFWOOD                                                      250
XVIII  DOLL OVERBOARD!                                               260
  XIX  SPENDING THE PRIZE MONEY                                      276
   XX  GOOD-BYE, SUMMER!                                             288




CHAPTER I

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR


Summit Avenue was the prettiest street in Berwick. Spacious and
comfortable-looking homes stood on either side of it, each in its
setting of lawn and shade trees. Most of these showed no dividing fences
or hedges, and boundaries were indiscernible in the green velvety sward
that swept in a gentle <DW72> to the sidewalk.

Of two neighbouring houses, the side windows faced each other across two
hundred feet of intervening turf. The windows of one house were duly
fitted with window-screens, holland shades and clean, fresh white
curtains; for it was May, and Berwick ladies were rarely dilatory with
their "Spring-cleaning." But the other house showed no window dressings,
and the sashes were flung open to the sunny breeze, which, entering,
found rugless floors and pictureless walls.

But at the open front doors other things were entering; beds, chairs,
tables, boxes and barrels, all the contents of the great moving vans
that stood out at the curb. Strong men carried incredibly heavy burdens
of furniture, or carefully manoeuvred glass cabinets or potted palms.

From behind the lace curtains of the other house people were watching.
This was in no way a breach of good manners, for in Berwick the
unwritten law of neighbours' rights freely permitted the inspection of
the arriving household gods of a new family. But etiquette demanded that
the observers discreetly veil themselves behind the sheltering films of
their own curtains.

And so the Fayres, mother and two daughters, watched with interest the
coming of the Roses.

"Rose! what a funny name," commented Dolly Fayre, the younger of the
sisters; "do you s'pose they name the children Moss, and Tea and things
like that?"

"Yes, and Killarney and Sunburst and Prince Camille de Rohan," said
Trudy, who had been studying Florists' catalogues of late.

"Their library furniture is mission; there goes the table," and Mrs.
Fayre noted details with a housekeeper's eye. "And here comes the piano.
I can't bear to see men move a piano; I always think it's going to fall
on them."

"I'm tired of seeing furniture go in, anyway," and Dolly jumped up from
her kneeling position. "I'd rather see