was the great occasion of Patty's debut, and in accordance with
the social custom, all her friends had sent her flowers as a message
of congratulation.

"You certainly have heaps of friends," said Elise, who was helping
arrange the bouquets.

"Friends!" cried Patty; "nobody could have as many friends as this!
These flowers must be also from my enemies, my casual acquaintances,
and indeed from utter strangers! I think the whole hilarious populace
of New York has gone mad on the subject of sending flowers!"

Even as she spoke, Jane came in with several more boxes, followed by
Miller, fairly staggering under an enormous box that was almost too
much for one man to carry. Behind him was Nan, who went straight to
Patty and held out both hands to assist her to rise.

"Patty," she said, "if you don't come out this minute, you never _can_
get out! A few more of these boxes, and the door will be completely
blocked up."

"That's so, Nan," and Patty scrambled to her feet. "Come on, girls,
let's gather our foodings while we may. These flowers will keep; but I
shudder to think of the accumulation when we come back from luncheon!"

"I didn't know there were so many flowers in the world," said Mona
Galbraith, who paused to look back into the drawing-room.

"There aren't," said Patty solemnly; "it's an optical illusion. Don't
you know how the Indian jugglers make you see flowers growing, when
there aren't any flowers there? Well, this is like that."

Following Nan, Patty's pretty stepmother, the three girls, arm in arm,
danced along to the dining-room, quite hungry enough to do justice to
the tempting luncheon they found there.

All the morning they had been untying the flower boxes and making a
list of the donors.

"Just think of the notes of thanks I have to write," said Patty,
groaning at the outlook.

"Wish we could help you," said Elise, "but I suppose you have to do
those yourself."

"Yes; and I think it will take me the rest of my natural life! What's
the use of 'coming out,' if I have got to go right in again, and write
all those notes? Why, there are hundreds!"

"Thousands!" corrected Elise. And Mona said, "Looks to me like
millions!"

"Who sent that last big box, Patty?" asked Nan; "the one that just
came."

"Dunno, Nancy; probably the Czar of Russia or the King of the Cannibal
Islands. But I mean to take time to eat my luncheon in peace, even if
the flowers aren't all in place by the time the company comes