l sorts of good things.

Cold turkey, game pate, jellies, custards, cakes, and all varieties
of food.

"This is ever so much more fun than moonlight," said Patty, as she
perched herself on a table, there being no chair, and held a partridge
wing in one hand and a macaroon in the other. "Could you find me a
glass of milk, Philip?"

"Yes, indeed; anything you want, my Princess."

"I thought you said Jim was about," Patty remarked.

"He was," returned Philip, calmly. "I saw him go upstairs as we came
in the dining-room."

"Did he see us?"

"Sure! He grinned at me and I grinned at him. I didn't invite him to
come with us,--so being a polite gentleman, he didn't come. He doesn't
mind our eating up his food. He's awful hospitable, Jim is."

"Well, I've had enough of his food, and now I'm going back to my downy
couch. If I don't see you to-morrow before you leave,--good-bye,
Philip."

"That's a nice, casual way to say good-bye to a man who has just
proposed to you!"

"Good gracious! _Was_ that a proposal?"

"Well, rather! What did you think it was? A sermon, or just a bit of
oratory?"

"Do you know, Philip, truly I didn't realise it at the time," and
Patty's smile was very provoking, as she looked up into his face.

"Would your answer have been different if you had?" he asked, eagerly.

"Oh, no, not that! But I just want you to understand that I don't
consider it a real proposal," and Patty laughed and ran away, leaving
Philip to "clear up" the pantry.

She stopped a moment in the library, long enough to get her blue
letter, and then scuttled up the stairs and into her own room.

CHAPTER XV

A CHRISTMAS CARD

Once safely behind her locked door, Patty tore open her blue envelope.
It was only a card,--but not an ordinary printed Christmas card.

In the upper corner was a spray of apple blossoms, exquisitely
painted; and on the card were some verses, written in a hand that was
small and fine, but unmistakably the same as the address on the
outside of the envelope.

With a little sigh of pleasure, Patty cuddled up in her arm-chair to
read the Christmas message.

But it proved to be not very Christmassy, after all; for this is what
she read:

"MY LADY OF DELIGHT

"My Lady of Delight's a dainty, winsome thing;
She's Queen of Summertime, and Princess of the Spring.
Her lovely, smiling lips are roses set to rhyme,
She has a merry, lilting laugh, like Blu