tty involuntarily
exclaimed in admiration.

"I'm glad you like it," said Nan, "I want to look my best so as to do you
credit, and in return I want you to do your best so as to do me credit."

"I will," said Patty, earnestly, "I truly will. You've been awfully good
to me, Nan, and but for you I don't know what I should have done."

Away they went, and when they reached the schoolroom, and Patty went to
join her classmates, while Nan took her place in the audience, she said
as a parting injunction, "Now mind, Patty, this afternoon you're to
attend strictly to your own part in the programme. Don't go around
helping other people with their parts, because this isn't the time for
that. You'll have all you can do to manage Patty Fairfield."

Patty laughed and promised, and ran away to the schoolroom.

The moment she entered, half a dozen girls ran to her with questions
about various details, and Nan's warning was entirely forgotten. Indeed
had it not been for Hilda's intervention, Patty would have gone to work
at a piece of unfinished scenery.

"Drop that hammer!" cried Hilda, as Patty was about to nail some branches
of paper roses on to a wobbly green arbour. "Patty Fairfield, are you
crazy? The idea of attempting carpenter work with that delicate frock on!
Do for pity's sake keep yourself decent until after you've read your poem
at least!"

Patty looked at Hilda with that same peculiar vacantness in her glance
which she had shown in the morning, and though Hilda said nothing, she
was exceedingly anxious and kept a sharp watch on Patty's movements.

But it was then time for the girls to march onto the platform, and as
Patty seemed almost like herself, though unusually quiet, Hilda hoped it
was all right.

The exercises were such as are found on most commencement programmes, and
included class history, class prophecy, class song and all of the usual
contributions to a commencement programme.

Patty's class poem was near the end of the list, and Nan was glad, for
she felt it would give the girl more time to regain her poise. Mr.
Fairfield had arrived, and both he and Nan waited anxiously for Patty's
turn to come.

When it did come, Patty proved herself quite equal to the occasion.

Her poem was merry and clever, and she read it with an entire absence of
self-consciousness, and an apparent enjoyment of its fun. She looked very
sweet and pretty in her dainty white dress, and she stood so gracefully
and seemed so cal