d its
eyes and waked up again. I don't believe it would be itself with Mrs.
Hand in it, or even with the Halls, though they are so sweet and
fine-mannered."

"Wise Judy," commended Patricia. "You've discovered half the secret.
But here's Elinor, like patience on a monument, with David's letter in
her lily-white paw. What does he say, Norn? Is he coming to town this
month as he promised? Does he like Prep as well as he did----"

"Do let her read it to us," begged Judith. "You chatter so, Miss Pat,
that no one can get a word in edgewise."

Patricia made a laughing face.

"Fire away, Scheherezade," she commanded, folding her arms in eager
attention. "Unfold the tale of the letter of the long-lost twin
brother of the three lovely sisters of----"

Judith, who had muffled the sparkling stream of Patricia's nonsense,
drew her hand away with a little squeal.

"_Ouch!_" she cried reproachfully. "That's not fair. You bit."

"Not hard," Patricia reassured her gravely. "Just enough to turn you
loose. 'Twas not so deep as a grave nor so wide as a church door, but
it did answer. Go on, Elinor, love, it's getting late."

Judith had picked up the envelope and was examining the seal.

"Isn't the frat paper lovely?" she sighed. "I do hope I shall go to
college--or else have a husband who belongs to a lot of----"

"Silence!" thumped Patricia.

Elinor, who had been quietly going on with her breakfast, laid down her
fork.

"Read it for yourselves," she smiled, tossing the sheet across the
table. "My time's about up. It's criticism morning in the portrait
class, and I want to get a lot more done before Mr. Benton comes."

Patricia grabbed the sheet before Judith could set down her glass, and
she read it aloud, with great enjoyment.

"'Dear Elinor'--begins well, doesn't it, Judy? I couldn't have done
much better myself--'Tom Hughes and I are coming to town next Saturday,
and we are going to blow ourselves, for his birthday.' Not very
enlightening as to Tom Hughes--never heard of him before; but that's
neither here nor there, of course."

"Do get on, Miss Pat," urged Judith, folding her napkin. "I've got to
get to school sometime this morning, you know."

"Thus admonished, I return to the manuscript," said Patricia
gravely. "Where is it? 'His birthday.' Oh, yes. 'Don't you three
girls want to go to the matinee with us and have lunch at some swell
joint? Write me at once if you can go. We will be