Patty's Friends

delightfully. Patty fitted into her own niche, and

ums, and went fishing together, and

ked over the matter with Lady Hamilton, and as he chose to consider it all a great joke on himself, she also took his v

Lord Ruthven, she would say to herself, "Sylvester,

Patty would visit her again. Lady Kitty and Patty reached the Savoy duly, and Mr. Fairfield invited the returned travellers

ar, Kitty?" she said, roguishly,

e, now. I shall confess all to your father to

Patty, sagely. "Father's always

anxious about it all. But she need not have been, for when the story

Patty gave of the moonlight scene, and her tragic repetition in a

Hamilton. It would have been a pity to shut Patty in her room on such a gala occasio

n't do any such thing! He threw h

for many years, yet. I suppose some time, in the far future, I shall be asked to

uchess," cried irrepressibl

th an air of self-satisfact

'm going to average matters in this way. Next week is the child's birthday, and I want to give her a children's

s an inspiration of yours, Lady Hamilton, a

only a week to Patty's birthday, but Lady Kitty said that was

s as a small child. Patty put considerable thought on her own costume, for she s

hers tumbling over its brim. The frock was ankle length and short-waisted and she wore old-fashioned little slippers,

It came to her suddenly, as most inspirations do, and i

elf, one minute; and "I will do i

e lose her determination, she started tha

o tea with a friend, and on her way home she asked

r card in by the footman, and awa

Otho Markleham would be pleased to see Miss Fairfield,

nd formal drawing-room, and wa

, for the stiff hangings, and massive furniture were oppressive. But

sy, but with a surprised air,

though she tried to conquer her embarrassment, her voice tremble

ly, but there was a queer

Otho, coldly. "May I ask

alised how foolish her little plan had been, and how hopeless was her dream of reconciling this dreadful old man and his daughter.

r undeserved unkindness. But when she did cry, it was done

, for a few moments she sobbed, a

eman fairly d

er? What does this mean? Did you come into my ho

w of disappointment, and she would have been over it in a mom

't have such goings on in my

ftly weeping into an already soaked handkerc

ting her name as it appeared on the card she had sent in, "I di

trying to smile. Then, as she saw Sir Otho's hard old face beg

th a clumsy imitation of gentleness. "Shall I r

g hard to check her sob

" said the bewildered old

with such suddenness th

y soul! Wha

atty, weeping afresh at the r

, I won't be cross again

usly believed he was touched by her tears,

u now. You're not

y to tell me,

ould turn from anger to kindness so suddenly, b

ing, but peeping out from behind her handk

said, with a sigh. "

Patty, growing more daring, as she slyl

ed? I'd forgo

ne, was better than his usual

t me to this absurd scene, just to

to tears again. "I stopped i

h it! Are you

ettled

I came in here, Sir Otho Markleham, to ask you to make peace with your daughter, and to propose to you a pleasant way to do so. But you have been so cross and ugly, so sarcastic and cruel, th

uggested Sir O

the older, you ought to make the advance, yo

e from sheer sadness of heart at

ef, to her great surprise she fel

rd. Suppose I tell you that some of my ideas have undergone a chan

t breathless with amazement at t

ike me to uproot some feelings that have gro

orthy feelings, you want to

nature won't let me admit this to any one else, I'll confess to yo

truly difficult for him, that Patty grasped his hand in both hers, and cr

ds had weight with me. You fearlessly told me just wh

atty, eagerly. "Do you want t

anything

ge it; and do it the way

ery wheedlesome, and Sir Otho

to manage it. How shall it be do

e, you know. Indeed, Sir Otho, she's such a contrary-minded person,

Catharine that I don't already know. And she is, indeed, contrary-minded, on occasion

lovely to look a

t get her good looks

critically at the fine old face, with a

ail to me the plan of this

I hope you'll

views. Will you have time to drink a cup of tea with

aid Patty, consu

and not in this depressing room, which you m

stately old gentleman into the l

santer this is

tongs poised over a teacup, while she put

have some one make my tea for m

, "I'll soon be supplanted here, by that

ure she'll come b

" said Patty, wagging her head saga

han squabbling," she observed,

id he, a bit teasing

" she said; "and now

ing for some time, and then Patty had to hu

en," she said, as they parted at the

art, he made a profound bow, and Patty drove homewa