eight o'clock? Regular breakfast will be at nine-thirty."

"Good! I'll be ready at eight."

"Meet me in the breakfast-room at eight, then. Do you know where it
is? Just off the big dining-room."

"What are you two hob-nobbing about?" asked Daisy, curiously, as she
strolled over toward them.

"I'm just telling Miss Fairfield about the plan of the house," said
Ferris, innocently. "It's well planned, isn't it?"

"Very," said Patty.

CHAPTER X

CHRISTMAS EVE

As Patty stepped out of her room into the hall the next morning, at
eight o'clock, she found Hal Ferris already tiptoeing down the stairs.
He put his finger to his lip with a great show of secrecy, which made
Patty laugh.

"Why must we be so careful?" she whispered. "We're not doing anything
wrong."

"No; but it's so much more fun to pretend we are. Let's pretend we're
on a mysterious mission, and if we are discovered we're lost!"

So they crept downstairs silently, and reached the breakfast-room,
without seeing any one except one or two of the maids, who were
dusting about.

Patty had on a trim, short skirt of white cloth and a blouse of soft
white silk. Over this she wore a scarlet coat, and her golden curls
were tucked into a little scarlet skating cap with a saucy, wagging
tassel.

But in the warm, cheery breakfast-room she threw off her coat and sat
down at the table.

"I didn't intend to eat anything," she said; "but the coffee smells so
good, I think I'll have a cup of it, with a roll." She smiled at the
waitress, who stood ready to attend to her wishes, and Hal took a seat
beside her, saying he would have some coffee also.

"We won't eat our breakfast now, you know," he went on; "but we'll
come back with raging appetites and eat anything we can find. I say,
this is jolly cosy, having coffee here together like this! I s'pose
you won't come down every morning?"

"No, indeed," and Patty laughed. "I don't mind admitting I hate to get
up early. I usually breakfast in my room and dawdle around until all
hours."

"Just like a girl!" said Hal, sniffing a little.

"Well, I _am_ a girl," retorted Patty.

"You sure are! _Some_ girl, I should say! Well, now, Girl, if you're
ready, let's start."

He held Patty's scarlet coat for her while she slipped in her arms.

Then he disappeared for a moment, and returned wearing a dark red
sweater, which was very becoming to his athletic figure and broad
shoulders.

"Come on, Girl," he said, gat