hat good friend and pour forth the story! But Mr. Patterson
asked no questions and it never occurred to her to offer him any
information. She had given him her precious packet and asked him to take
charge of it, according to Mademoiselle's suggestion. He had accepted
the charge reluctantly, as a matter of necessity. As soon as they passed
the custom-house in New York, he sealed the articles in an envelope
which he handed to Anne, saying curtly: "You had these before; take them
again."

Mr. Patterson, Pat, and Anne took the first south-bound train, and a few
hours later found them in Washington. Passing from the noble Union
Station, they took an Avenue car and whirled past Peace Monument,
between the shabby buildings on the right and the Botanical Gardens on
the left. Mr. Patterson sat in frowning silence. A sorry home-coming
this. How eager he had been in former days to reach the old home in
Georgetown, which now was closed and silent. Ah! he must try not to
think about that. He pulled himself together and rang the bell.

"We are going to stop at the Raleigh," he said, in answer to Pat's
surprised look. "Our house is shut up, you know. I'll have you children
sent to your rooms. I must get off some telegrams and attend to some
business. We'll get out of this hot hole to-morrow."

Pat pleaded and was allowed to take Anne for a sight-seeing ride. What a
gay time they had! Everything delighted Anne--the stately Capitol, the
gold-domed Library of Congress, the noble-columned Treasury Building,
the sky-pointing Washington Monument, the broad streets over-arched
with stately trees, the grassy squares and flower-bordered circles
dotted with statues.

"Oh, isn't it beautiful? Isn't it beautiful?" Anne exclaimed over and
over. "I told them America was the best. I told them so. I do wish
Mademoiselle Duroc could see it and Louise and cook Cochon."

Mr. Patterson was waiting for his son in the hotel lobby. "Here, Pat,
come here," he said. "Orton, this is my boy.--Pat, here's a streak of
luck for us. I've just run across this friend of mine who's instructor
at George Washington University. He's taking a party of boys to a camp
in the Virginia mountains--fine boating and swimming, all the fun you
want. Starting to-night. Says he can manage to take another boy. How
would you like to go with him instead of to your Aunt Sarah?"

"Fine!" said Pat, eagerly. "I've always wanted to go camping. Good
fishing, too?"

"Great. You trot a