her bridal gown, with
veil and orange blossoms complete, Patty's ecstacy knew no bounds.

"You are a picture, Nan!" she cried. "A perfect dream! I never saw such a
beautiful bride. Oh, I am so glad you're coming to live with us, and then
I can try on that white satin confection and prance around in it myself."

They all laughed at this, and Nan exclaimed, in mock reproach:

"I'd like to see you do it, Miss! Prance around in my wedding gown,
indeed! Have you no more respect for your elderly and antiquated
Stepmamma than that?"

Patty giggled at Nan's pretended severity, and danced round her, patting
a fold here, and picking out a bow there, and having a good time
generally.

The next day there was a luncheon, to which Mrs. Allen had invited a
number of Nan's dearest girl friends.

Patty enjoyed this especially, for not only did she dearly love a pretty
affair of this sort, but Mrs. Allen had let her help with the
preparations, and Patty had even suggested some original ideas which
found favour in Mrs. Allen's eyes.

Over the table was suspended a floral wedding bell, which was supplied
with not only one clapper, but a dozen. These clappers were ingenious
little contrivances, and from each hung a long and narrow white ribbon.
After the luncheon, each ribbon was apportioned to a guest, and at a
given signal the ribbons were pulled, whereupon each clapper sprang open,
and a tiny white paper fluttered down to the table.

[Illustration: "Patty fairly reveled in Nan's beautiful trousseau"]

These papers each bore the name of one of the guests, and when opened
were found to contain a rhymed jingle foretelling in a humorous way the
fate of each girl. Patty had written the merry little verses, and they
were read aloud amid much laughter and fun.

As Patty did not know these Philadelphia girls very well, many of her
verses which foretold their fates were necessarily merely graceful little
jingles, without any attempt at special appropriateness.

One which fell to the lot of a dainty little golden-haired girl ran thus:

Your cheeks are red, your eyes are blue;
Your hair is gold, your heart is too.

Another which was applied to a specially good-humoured maiden read thus:

The longer you live the sweeter you'll grow;
Your fair cup of joy shall have no trace of woe.

But some of the girls had special hopes or interests, and these Patty
touched upon. An aspiring m