."

"Then she couldn't have been a real princess," said Patty
triumphantly.

"My father doesn't tell stories, I thank you," said Marian
indignantly.

"You don't know whether he does or not; you don't know him,"
retorted Patty.

Marian gave her one look, arose from where she was sitting, and
stalked into the house. Patty was at her heels in a moment. "Oh,
please don't get mad," she begged.

Marian made no reply for a moment, then she said in a low voice,
"I'm not exactly mad, but my feelings hurt me."

Patty was too warm-hearted to let this pass. She flung her arms
around her friend's neck. "I was horrid to say that," she said,
"when I have a father close by and you haven't any mother."

"Neither have you," returned Marian mollified.

"I know, but I have brothers and sisters, and live with my father. I
think, after all, Marian, we won't run away, but we might go down
that road a little way and see what it looks like."

"Haven't you ever been there?"

"No, we always go in the other direction." She did not say why, nor
did she tell Marian that she had been warned of a rowdy neighborhood
in the vicinity of some factories further on. "You see," she
continued, "it would be fun to pretend we were running away. We
could stay till it gets dark and we began to be afraid."

"Not till it is really dark," Marian improved on the suggestion,
"but just till it begins to be."

"Well, yes, that would do. Come on, let us start."

"Don't you think we ought to take some lunch?"

"Well, maybe, though I would rather trust to luck; it would be much
more exciting. I think I will take five cents that I have, and then
if we don't see any chance of getting something to eat we can buy
enough to keep us from getting very, very hungry." So saying, she
ran toward the house.

"Bring Patty Wee," called Marian after her.

"All right," answered Patty the Big from the door-step. She came out
again directly with the money clasped in her hand, and bearing Patty
Wee.

"I suppose we mustn't go near any children," said Marian as they
started off, "for we might give them the whooping-cough."

"I'm sure I don't want to go near any," replied Patty independently.
"See, the road we are going to take leads right past the chapel and
down that hill."

"What are those chimneys sticking up there at the foot of the hill,
where all that smoke is coming out?"

"They are the chimneys of the factories."

"What kind of factories?"

"Oh, some kin