ty of any sort, but to-night she was
specially happy to think that her plan had succeeded, and that she had
given to her dear friend Kitty what she most wanted in all the world.

"And I trust it will not be long," said Sir Otho, "before you will all
accept an invitation to dine with me in Carlton Terrace, with Lady
Hamilton presiding at my table."

This invitation was delightedly accepted, and then they all went up to
the Fairfields' drawing-room, and Patty sang songs, and they all sang
choruses, and then, as a final surprise, came a great, beautiful birthday
cake, with eighteen lighted candles.

Then Patty cut the cake, and there were more congratulations and good
wishes all round, and for pretty nearly the eighteenth time in her life
Patty declared it was the best birthday she had ever had.

CHAPTER XII

SUMMER PLANS

"As usual," said Mr. Fairfield, smiling, "the question is, what is to be
done with Patty?"

"Yes," agreed Patty, complacently, "you and Nan are usually trying to
dispose of me in some way. It's lucky I'm good-natured and don't mind
being left behind."

"That's a pretty speech!" exclaimed Nan, "after we've begged and coaxed
you to go with us!"

"So you have, my pretty little Stepmother--so you have; and I'm just
ungrateful enough not to want to go."

It was about a week after the birthday party, and the Fairfields were
making their plans for the summer. The elders wanted to travel in
Switzerland and Germany. Patty did not want to go with them, but her
dilemma was, which of several delightful invitations to accept.

"You see," she went on, "I'm invited to spend June in five separate
places, each one lovelier than the other. Now I can't chop myself up into
five pieces."

"You can chop June up into five pieces," suggested Nan.

"Yes, but if I go to a country house to make a good long visit, I want to
stay about a month. A week here and then a week there is so unsatisfactory.
However, after much thoughtful brooding over the question, I've cut out
three, and that brings my quandary down to only two places to decide
between."

"Lady Hamilton's being one," observed her father.

"Yes, Kitty's is one; and Mabel Hartley's is the other. Of course, if I
spend June with Kitty, we'll be right here in London all the time, and
though I love it, yet I love the country too. Now, if I go to Mabel's,
I'll have a beautiful experience of real English country life."

"You would enjoy it, I'm sure,"