Farringtons', and the accumulation was almost as great as Elise's.

"I'm helpless," said Patty, as she sat with her lap full of gifts, boxes
and papers strewn all about her on the floor, and Louise or Hester still
bringing her more parcels.

"Let me help you," said Kenneth, as he picked up a lot of her belongings.

As he was only a dinner guest, of course Kenneth had no such array of
gifts, though the Farringtons had given him some pretty trifles, and
Patty gave him a charming little Tanagra statuette she had brought from
Florence.

"See what Elise gave me," he remarked, as he showed the bronze
paper-knife. "Jolly, isn't it?"

"Yes, indeed," returned Patty, relieved to see that Elise had not given
him the ring after all. "It'll be fine to cut your briefs when you're a
real out-and-out lawyer. What are briefs, anyway?"

"Little girls shouldn't use words of which they don't know the meaning,"
said Kenneth, reprovingly.

"Well, anyway, if they're brief enough, they won't need cutting,"
returned Patty, saucily, and then returned to the opening of her own
presents.

She had pretty little gifts from Hilda Henderson, Lorraine Hamilton,
Clementine Morse, and many of the other girls, some of whom she had not
seen since her return to New York.

"Isn't it lovely to have so many friends?" said she, looking over her
pile of gifts at Kenneth.

"Do you love them all?" he asked, smiling back at her happy face.

"Oh, indeed I do. Not exactly because they've given me all these pretty
things, for I love the girls just as much in the summer time as at
Christmas. But because they're my friends, and so,--I love them."

"Boys are your friends, too," suggested Kenneth.

"Of course they are!" Patty agreed; "and I love them, too. I guess I love
everybody."

"Rather a big order," said Roger, coming up just then. "Loving everybody,
you can't give a very large portion to each one."

"No," said Patty, pretending to look downcast. "Now, isn't that _too_
bad! Well, never mind, I've plenty of gratitude to go round, anyway. And
I offer you a big share of that, Roger, for this silver box."

"Do you like it? Oh, please like it, Patty."

"Of course I do; it's exquisite workmanship, and I shall use it
for,--well, it seems most too prosaic,--but it's exactly the right shape
and size for hairpins!"

"Then use it for 'em! Why not?" cried Roger, evidently pleased that Patty
could find a use for his gift.

"And see what Ken gave me," wen