ibrary was the favourite room in the house
and that after dinner Patty proposed they go there for their coffee.

"Some room!" ejaculated Chick Channing, as they sauntered in and stood
about, gazing at the wealth of books.

"Glorious!" agreed Mona, who had a mere pretence of a library in her own
home. "I didn't know you were so literary, Patty."

"Oh, I'm not. It's Little Billee's gigantic intellect that planned this
room, and he's the power that keeps it going. Every week he sends up a
cartload of new books--"

"Oh, come, now, Patty,--I haven't bought a book for a fortnight!" laughed
Farnsworth. "But I've just heard of a fine old edition of Ike Walton that
I can get at--"

"There, there, my son, don't get started on your hobby," implored
Channing. "We're ignoramuses, Mona and I, and we want to talk about
less highbrow subjects."

"Count me on your side," said a smiling girl, whose big gray eyes took
on a look of awe at the turn the conversation had taken. "I don't know
if Ike Walton is a book or a steamboat!"

The speaker was Beatrice Gale, a neighbour of the Farnsworths. She was
pretty and saucy looking,--a graceful sprite, with a dimpled chin, and
soft brown hair, worn in moppy bunches over her ears. She was called
Betty by her friends, and Patty and Bill had already acquired that
privilege.

"Now, Betty," and Patty shook her head at her, "you are a college
graduate as well as a debutante,--you _must_ know old Ike!"

"But I don't! You see, my debut meant so much more to me than my
commencement, that all I ever learned at college flew out of my head
to make room for all I'm going to learn in society."

"Have you much left to learn?" asked Elise, looking at the piquant face
that seemed to show its owner decidedly conversant with the ways of the
world,--at least, her own part in it.

"Oh, indeed, yes! I only know how to smile and dance. I'm going to learn
flirting, coquetry and getting engaged!"

"You're ambitious, little one," remarked Van Reypen. "Have you chosen
your instructors?"

"I'm sure you won't need any," put in Elise, who was already jealous of
Philip's interested looks at the new girl. "I think you could pass an
efficiency examination already!"

"You ought to know," said Betty, with such an innocent and demure look
at Elise, that it was difficult to determine whether she meant to be
impertinent or not.

"Let me conduct the examination," said Philip; "shall it be public,--or
will you go wit