--
A star
Afar--
Ay,--far and far,
Ay, far.
And yet, a bar,--
A bar
Is between thee and me!
Thee and me----
Thee and me!"

The voice was so lovely that Patty scarcely sensed the words. With the
haunting accompaniment, the whole was like a bit of music, and the
words were negligible.

But in the hush which followed, Patty began to think that after all the
words didn't amount to much. However, everybody was raving over the
performance, and begging for more.

"Did you care for it?" Blaney asked of Patty, with what seemed to be a
great longing in his eyes.

Unwilling to seem disappointed, she replied, "Oh, yes, it was most
significant."

"I thank you," he said, his eyes alight with pleasure, "you have used
the right word!"

As Patty had spoken the first noncommittal word that came into her
head, she was thankful it proved acceptable!

CHAPTER IV

PATTY STAYS LATE

"It is so delightful to have you one of us, Patricia," said Alla,
waving her long arms about. "This place is a Cosmic Centre, you know,
and now that you belong to us, you must be here much of the time."

"But I'm only in Lakewood for a fortnight," said Patty, smiling at her;
"I go back to New York soon."

"So do we. That is, we go in a few months. But we claim you. You
shall return and visit us here, and we shall be much together in the
city. Oh, we have adopted you, and now you are ours, isn't she, Sam?"

"Indeed, yes," returned Blaney, enthusiastically; "never was such a
rare soul added to our circle. Priestess Patricia, our star soul!"

Patty was flattered at the attention she was receiving. She didn't
quite understand what a star soul meant, but she knew she held an
elevated position among these highly intellectual people, and it
dazzled her.

"I have always had an ambition," she admitted, "for something bigger
and better than my social butterfly life, and with you I hope to
achieve it. But I am ignorant,--you must teach me."

"We will," promised Miss Norton, "I shall take you in hand as my
special charge. May I call on you tomorrow, and bring you some books
to study?"

Patty hesitated. When she was a house guest she never made engagements
without consulting her hostess. But she wanted to see and know more of
this new venture, so she said, "I can't promise. But if I find I can
receive you, may I not telephone or send you some message?"

"Yes, indeed," acquiesced Miss Norton, gladly.

Then