es."

"Isn't she funny?" said Elise, as Patty returned to her room. "I never
saw anybody so crazy."

"She's so excited, she doesn't know whether she's on her head or her
heels," agreed Patty. "Her nature is volatile, and she has no sense of
moderation. She wants everything and all there is of it. That's all."

"She's a good one for Roger. He's inclined to take things lazily.
Mona will be a sort of spur to him."

"They're all right," agreed Patty. "It's an ideal match. Come on,
Elise, we've given them enough time alone."

The girls went down, and then Van Reypen and Kit Cameron appeared.

Dinner was a gay feast, and the elder Fairfields were as much
interested in the chatter as the young people.

"Assert yourself, Roger," said Mr. Fairfield. "Don't let these girls
monopolize the conversation, with their feminine fripperies and
millinery muddles."

"Models, Dad, not muddles," laughed Patty. "But we don't talk about
those much now, they're all finished. Oh, Mona, Genevieve's skirt had
to be all made over----"

"Oh, no," said her father, "you don't talk about them much! Only all
the time, that's all!"

"Let 'em," said Roger, magnanimously; "I've learned in the last few
days, that the hang of Genevieve's skirt is a matter of enormous
magnitude."

"Good!" cried Patty, "Mona has begun training you already. When is
your Bachelor dinner, Roger?"

"Not till Wednesday night. I put it off so Farnsworth could get here."

"Oh, is he coming? I didn't know he was East."

"He wasn't. He's coming on on purpose for the event. I wanted him
especially. At least, Mona did."

"All the same," said Mona. "Oh, yes, of course I wanted Big Bill here.
We've been friends for years, and he must dance at my wedding."

It was the first time Patty had seen Van Reypen since her return from
Lakewood, and, during the evening, he drew her away from the others and
leading her to the semi-privacy of a big davenport in the library, he
announced he was going to talk to her.

"Talk away," said Patty, "but I warn you, I've no time or attention for
anything not connected with wedding bells."

"But this is connected with wedding bells," and Philip's dark eyes
smiled into her own, "only, not Mona's chimes. Our own."

"Don't, Phil," said Patty, gently, noting his serious look and tone.
"I've got four days yet till the fifteenth, and,--oh, pshaw, I might as
well tell you now, that I'm not going to be engaged to you."

"Patt