quite willing to be as chummy as you like."

"H--h'm," said the girl again. "Don't bank on me. Merton isn't in my
class, and if you're her chum, I'll have to decline anything more than
mere acquaintance."

Patricia began a hasty explanation of her presence in the luxurious
rooms, but the girl waved her words aside with abrupt good humor. "You
may not know her well," she insisted, smiling a pleasant wide smile.
"But you simply must be some sort of a bob or she wouldn't take to you.
Merton is not a wasteful child."

Patricia understood that the girl was entirely in earnest, and the idea
that she was committed to an exclusive and perhaps unpopular set among
the democracy of talent at Artemis Lodge rather chilled her.

"You are a friend of hers yourself," she accused with a trace of
indignation. "You wouldn't be coming in here to see her if you
weren't."

"Oh, am I, indeed?" grinned the girl. "Don't jump at conclusions at that
reckless rate, Miss Patricia Kendall. I'm merely connected with the
ultra Merton by means of a piece of canvas and some paint tubes. In
other words, I'm at work on a panel of peacocks and goldy sunbeams for
her music room at home, and am only tolerated because I can draw little
birdies with pretty eyes in their tails better than anyone who happens
to be here now."

Patricia forgot Miss Merton in her sudden interest. "Oh, are you doing
some panels for her?" she asked, leaning forward with shining eyes. "You
must be awfully clever. Will you let me see them? I want to tell Bruce
all about them, if I may."

Her interest seemed to please the girl. She rose abruptly and held out
her hand. "Shake on good fellowship," she said heartily, and Patricia
accepted the queer invitation with great good will.

"Come along over," invited the girl, jerking her head toward the
opposite side of the hall. "Everything's in a mess, but you won't mind.
You'll have to put up with that sort of things if we're to be friends."

"Indeed, I'll love it!" said Patricia enthusiastically. It was very good
to be taken into fellowship so informally. "Bruce and Elinor mess up
their studios terribly and I used to trail clay all over the place when
I had the modeling mania."

The girl threw open the door of a large bare, well-lighted room, that
somehow managed, in spite of rather poor furniture and much disorder, to
look attractive and inviting; and Patricia saw on a huge easel a tall
canvas with beautiful, gorgeous peacocks str