entre of attraction.

"It's perfectly lovely," said Patty, holding out her hand to Hepworth,
"and I'm as glad for you as I can be,--and for Christine, too."

"Thank you, Patty," he returned, and for a moment he held her eyes
with his own. Then he said, "Thank you," again, and turned away.

CHAPTER VIII

A DELIGHTFUL INVITATION

Patty was singing softly to herself, as she fluttered around her
boudoir at a rather late hour the next morning. Robed in a soft blue
silk negligee, with her golden curls tucked into a little lace
breakfast cap, she now paused to take a sip of chocolate or a bit of a
roll from her breakfast tray, then danced over to the window to look
out, or back to her desk to look up her calendar of engagements for
the day.

"What a flutter-budget you are, Patty," said Nan, appearing at the
doorway, and pausing to watch Patty's erratic movements.

Patty flew across the room and greeted her stepmother with an
affectionate squeeze, and then flew back and dropped comfortably on
the couch, tucking one foot under her, and thereby dropping off a
little blue silk boudoir slipper as she did so.

"Oh, Nan!" she began, "it was the most exciting party ever! What _do_
you think? Christine and Mr. Hepworth are engaged!"

"Christine! and Gilbert Hepworth!" and Nan was quite as surprised at
the news as Patty could desire.

"Yes, isn't it great! and oh, Nan, what _do_ you think? Christine was
all broken up,--crying in fact,--because,--did you ever know anything
so ridiculous?--because she thought she was taking him away from me!"

Nan looked at Patty a little curiously. "Well; you must know, Patty,
he certainly thought a great deal of you."

"Of course he did! And of course he _does!_--You speak as if he were
dead!--and I think a great deal of him, and I think a heap of
Christine, and I think they are perfectly suited to each other, and I
think it's all just lovely! Don't you?"

"Yes," said Nan, slowly. "Then, you didn't care for him especially,
Patty?"

"Good gracious, Nan, if you mean was I in love with him, I sure was
_not!_ Little girls like me don't fall in love with elderly gentlemen;
and this particular little girl isn't falling in love anyway. Why,
Nan, I'm only just out, and I do perfectly adore being out! I want
three or four years of good, solid outness before I even think of
falling in love with anybody. Of course I shall marry eventually, and
be a beautiful, lovely housekeeper, just exac