Just Patty

lver B

weeks with the two stupid

so bad," said C

orrid litt

she's entert

that isn't slang, and I

way, Harri

. I would just as soon spend Christmas

ases with her. But anyway, you'll have fun. You can be late for meals

ut this particular year, she was gaily setting out to visit cousins in New York-with three new dresses and two new hats! And Patty, whose home was a mere matter of two hours in a Pullman car, was to be left behind; for six-year old Thomas Wyatt had chosen this inopportune time to come down with scarlet fever. The case was of the lightest; Master Tommy was sitting up in bed and occupying himself with

ut this year the assortment was unusually meager. Patty was left alone in "Paradise Alley." Margarite McCoy, of Texas, was stranded at the end of the Sou

, and she was now a lanky big girl of seventeen, still all legs and arms. An invisible father, at intervals mentioned in the catalogue, mailed checks to Mrs. T

icked out her clothes, and Miss Sallie's standards were utilitarian rather than ?sthetic. Harriet, with no exception, was the worst dressed girl in the school. Even her school uniform, which was an exact twin of sixty-three other

Gladden during vacation?" Priscill

ummer," was Patty's opinion, "and s

fortable, healthy farmhouse, and installed Harriet in charge of the farmer's wife. By the end of three months she w

he teachers discussing Harriet, and he

years and years. He just chucks

oesn't want her at h

Harriet couldn't go abroad with the school party last year. Her father was afraid that when she got to Pa

s a tragic intrigue, such as you expect to meet

annot imagine the loneliness of a childhood

er father must be a perfect Beas

Her father can't bear to look at her, because she r

that?" they demanded i

ds," Patty confessed. "I

was cast for, she might have attained popularity of a sort; but Harriet did not have the slightest trace of the histrionic in her make-up. She merely moped a

s travelers, then turned indoors to face an empty three weeks. As she was l

o speak to you in her pr

isit to the Dowager's private study usually meant that a storm was brewing. She found the four left-behin

atty, and ha

d toast, and Miss Wadsworth, salted almonds. Patty blinked dazedly and accepted the offerings. To be waited on by four teachers was an entirely new experience. Her spirits r

ules about bounds will be somewhat relaxed-only of course we must always know where to find you. I shall try to plan a matinée party in the city, and Miss Sallie will take you to spend a day at the farm. The ice is strong enough now

ere getting at the kernel of the interview. The tea and toast had been merely wrapping. She lis

h as sometimes happens in a crowded, busy, selfish community, she has been overlooked and left behind. Harriet has never seemed to adjust herself so readily as most girls; and I fear

stubbornly resolved to be as distant with Harriet as possible. Her fr

set in a corner of the dining-room, while the four teachers

y night) she was laughing whole-heartedly at Kid's ingenuous conversation. Miss McCoy's vocabulary was rich in the vernacular of the plains, and in vacation she let herse

contribute at least two remarks. It cannot be said that on French nights the dining-room was garrulous. Saturday night was devoted to a discussion (in English) of current events, gleaned from a study of the editorials in the morning paper. Nobody at St. Ursula's had much time for editorials

of glistening sunshine. Martin got out the bobs, and the girls piled in and rode to the wood-lot for evergreens. There w

ool; and on the way home, through pure overflowing animal spirits, for a mile or more they had "caught on" the back of the bob, and then tumbled out and run and caught on again, until they finally dove head foremost into the big piled-up drift by the porte-cochère. They shook the snow from their clothes, like puppies from a pond, and l

vested themselves of rubbers and leggins in the

enough to play up to her looks, she'd be

ke her!"

irs they met Osaki wi

ved. "One Mees Margarite M

starting at a gallop for

s subject to fits of such erratic generosity that the Dowager had regularly to remind him that Margarite was but a school girl with simple tastes

she became aware of deserted Harriet, slowly trailing down the

y! And help me

areer, that she had ever achieved the dignity of a nickname. She accompanied Patty with some degree of eagerness

ribbon and holly, and tucked into every crevice funny surprises. You could picture, just fro

ent away from home," said Patty, with

ce, while Patty gaily strewed the floor with tissue paper and scarlet ribbon. She unpacked a wide assortment of gloves and books and trinkets, each with a message of love. E

a chocolate into her mouth, and dro

imes, they think such a lot more of you! This is from Mother," she added, as she pried of

ed, "and I didn't need it a bit! Don't

do," said

eady deep in

t is? I hope Mother suggested something. He's a perfect idiot about choosing presents, unless-Oh!" s

slipper adorned with the daintiest of silver buc

king portrait on the bureau. "Mother suggested the slippers, of course, but the buckle

riet throw herself across the bed and clutch the pillow in a storm of weeping. Patty stared with wide-open eyes; she herself did not indulge in such emotional demonstrations, and she could not imagine an

y inquired, when Harriet's sob

sent me any s-s

" said Patty, awkwardly

sn't even know me. He wouldn't reco

her with doubtful comfort. "You h

me. I'm not pretty, and my clothes are

silence, then she decided on a new tack. She

the matter with your father. No man can stand

ested her s

ed her before the mirror. "Did you ever see such a fright? And I was just thinking, before you began, about how pre

ust as ugly as I can b

that you're so damp! You cry all the time, and it gets tiresome to be forever sympathizing. I'm telling you the truth because I'm beginning to like you. There's never any use bothering to tell people the truth when you don't

er mouth open, too

ice; I like her a lot, but she doesn't know any more than a rabbit about clothes; you can tell that by the way she dresse

ink things are funny? The jokes

on her head, drum-major fashion; a lace handkerchief and a carved ivory fan protruded from the pocket of her blouse and a pink chiffon scarf floated from her shoulders; her wrist was adorned with an Or

pon them. "He's a daisy; he's a ducky; he's a lamb.

d the pink chiffon scarf into a bridle,

Hi, there! Cl

natched her pink frock from the path of the runaway. They

"It's perfectly easy to laugh if you just let yourself go.

her horse

I like

atty politely, "I'm just using you for an

with one hand, while she pushed he

be a very delicate attention for us to be on time to-nig

ng coasting. They were on time

wager. She read it with agitated surprise and passed it to Miss Sallie, who raised he

h can it be?"

t to hunt for a new Latin teach

ft the table, the Dow

y a moment. A tele

mbed the stairs i

ling-" meditated Patty. "And I can't think of

footsteps on the stairs, and Harriet burs

s co

ho

fath

he

en in New York on business, and i

you see the reason he hasn't come before i

ad, with a sudden dr

he thinks

nse

really. He likes girls to be joll

lly and pretty an

ght the mirror, an

idiot!" said Pat

ht in my green dre

rudgingly conc

short, and the w

are sort of que

iting facts, she felt

s he coming?

o'cl

ly nearer my size, you could wear my new pink dress-but I'm afraid-" She regarded Harriet's long legs dubi

Patty's zeal in any cause was roused, all other considerations were swept

kings and slippers-if you can get 'em on-and I think Conny left a lace pett

o the school beauty, was going gaily forward. Kid McCoy was supposed to be an irreclaimable tomboy, but in this crucial moment the eternal feminine

ressed her attentio

ed. "It looks as though you'd done it with

ressed her attentio

tied a towel about her neck, and

?" she dema

mbled, her mout

bon bow. The ribbon belonged to Conny Wilder, and had heretofore figured as

dozen of her absent friends in the vain hope of unearthing pink footwear. In the end, she had

of conspicuous in pink." She was still in her truthful mood. "I'll tell you!" she cried, "you can

Harriet gasped a

ty ruthlessly carried on the work of destruction. "When yo

ts quota, even to the lace-edged handkerchief with a hand-embroidered "H" that had been left behind in Hester Pringle's top drawer. The two turne

e appeared

s Harriet." She stopped and stared. "Sur

laugh-and a fighti

dden butterfly flight had caused in Paradise Alley-it is always dreary wor

d in the hall, and Harriet ran in-danced in-her eyes were shinin

Patty and Ki

nd displayed a gold-linked br

isn't going to pick them out ever again. And he's going to stay for dinner to-night, and eat at the little table wit

id. "It paid for all

rriet caught her breath in

r buckles would fet