th.

"Little deserter!" he said to her, as he sauntered past her, in search
of another partner.

"Deserter, yourself!" she returned. "You completely forgot my
existence!"

"I didn't, but I am duly punished for seeming to do so. But I claim
you for a supper partner, so make a memorandum of that!"

Patty smiled an assent, and the dance began.

"Don't you like this better than that smoky, incense-smelly atmosphere
of the Studio?" Farnsworth said to Patty, as they walked through the
stately figures of the dance.

"This is a home of wealth and grandeur," said Patty, "but wealth and
grandeur are not the most desirable things in the world."

"What are?"

"Brains and----"

"Yes, brains and breeding. But your high-browed, lowbred----"

"Billee, I've stood a lot from you tonight; now, I refuse to stand any
more. You will please stop saying things that you know offend me."

"Forgive me, Patty, I forgot myself."

"Then it's forgive and forget between us. I'll do the forgiving
because you did the forgetting. But I've forgiven you all I'm going
to. So don't make any more necessary."

"I'll try not to," and then the subject of the earlier evening was not
mentioned again.

The dance concluded, Farnsworth stood for a moment, still holding
Patty's hand after their last sweeping curtsey, and he said, "Will you
be my supper partner, too? Please do."

"I can't," and Patty laughed up at him. "I'm really engaged to Phil."

"Oh, are you, Patty?" cried Daisy, who was just passing, with Kit
Cameron. "I said you'd announce it tonight! What fun! But why are
you telling Big Bill all by himself first? You ought to tell all the
crowd at once. I'll do it for you. Come on, Kit, let's spread the
news! We've Patty's own word for it."

The two ran off, laughing, and Patty looked a bit dismayed. "Kit's
such a scamp," she said, ruefully, "he'll tell that all over the
room----"

"Isn't it true?"

"Would you care if it were?"

"I care for anything that concerns you or your happiness."

"Or any one else or any one else's happiness! Oh, I know you, Bill
Farnsworth, you want everybody to be happy."

"Of course I do!" and the big man laughed, heartily. "Is that a crime?
But most of all I care to have one little foolish, petulant
Blossom-girl happy."

"Well, then, why don't you make her so? Why aren't you kind and nice
to her, instead of being horrid about her friends and her dancing, and
acting like a great Lord