ppeared to be much younger than he
undoubtedly was.

For Patty's father, though nearly forty years old, had a frank, ingenuous
manner, and a smile that was almost boyish in its gaiety.

Mrs. Allen was in her element superintending her daughter's wedding, and
the whole affair was to be on a most elaborate scale. Far more so than
Nan herself wished, for her tastes were simple, and she would have
preferred a quieter celebration of the occasion.

But as Mrs. Allen said, it was her last opportunity to provide an
entertainment for her daughter, and she would not allow her plans to be
thwarted.

So preparations for the great event went busily on. Carpenters came and
enclosed the wide verandas, and decorators came and hung the newly made
walls with white cheese cloth, and trimmed them with garlands of green.
The house was invaded with decorators, caterers, and helpers of all
sorts, while neighbours and friends of Mrs. Allen and of Nan flew in and
out at all hours.

The present-room was continually thronged by admiring friends who never
tired of looking at the beautiful gifts already upon the tables, or
watching the opening of new ones.

"There's the thirteenth cut-glass ice-tub," said Nan, as she tore the
tissue paper wrapping from an exquisite piece of sparkling glass. "I
should think it an unlucky number if I didn't feel sure that one or two
more would come yet."

"What are you going to do with them all, Nan?" asked one of her girl
friends; "shall you exchange any of your duplicate gifts?"

"No indeed," said Nan, "I'm too conservative and old-fashioned to
exchange my wedding gifts. I shall keep the whole thirteen, and then when
one gets broken, I can replace it with another. Accidents will happen,
you know."

"But not thirteen times, and all ice-tubs!" said Patty, laughing. "You'll
have to use them as individuals, Nan. When you give a dinner party of
twelve, each guest can have a separate ice-tub, which will be very
convenient."

"I don't care," said Nan, taking the jest good-humouredly, "I shall keep
them all, no matter how many I get. And I always did like ice-tubs,
anyway."

Another great excitement was when Nan's gowns were sent home from the
dressmaker's. Patty was frankly fond of pretty clothes, and she fairly
revelled in Nan's beautiful _trousseau_. To please Patty, the bride-elect
tried them all on, one after another, and each seemed more beautiful than
the one before. When at last Nan stood arrayed in