his daughter, who sat with a fig in one hand and a chocolate in the
other, trying to open a book with her elbows.

"I certainly am," she responded. "The only flaw is that I suppose it's
about time to go in to dinner. I wish we could all sit here on the
sand forever."

"You'd change your mind when you reached my age," said Mrs. Allen. "I'm
quite ready to go in now and find a more comfortable chair."

Later that evening Patty, completely arrayed for the dance, came to her
father for inspection.

"You look very sweet, my child," he said after gazing at her long and
earnestly; "and with your hair dressed that way you look very much like
your mother. I'm sorry you're growing up, my baby, I certainly am; but I
suppose it can't be helped unless the world stops turning around. And if
it's any satisfaction to you, I'd like to have you know that your father
thinks you the prettiest and sweetest girl in all the country round."

"And aren't you going to tell me that if I only behave as well as I look,
I'll do very nicely?"

"You seem to know that already, so I hardly think it's necessary."

"Well, I'll tell it to you, then; for you do look so beautiful in
evening clothes that I don't believe you _can_ behave as well as you
look. Nobody could."

"I see your growing up has taught you flattery," said her father, "a
habit you must try to overcome."

But Patty was already dancing down the long hall to Aunt Alice's room,
and a few moments later they all went down to the parlours.

When Kenneth first saw Patty that evening, he stood looking at her with a
funny, stupefied expression on his face.

"What's the matter?" said Patty, laughing. "Just because I'm wearing a
few extra hairpins you needn't look as if you'd lost your last friend."

"I--I feel as if I ought to call you Miss Fairfield."

"Well, call me that if you like, I don't mind. Call me Miss Smith or Miss
Brown, if you want to--I don't care what you call me, if you'll only ask
me to dance."

"Come on, then," said Kenneth; and in a moment they were whirling in the
waltz, and the boy's momentary embarrassment was entirely forgotten.

CHAPTER XXIII

AMBITIONS

"There!" said Kenneth, after the dance was over, "you look more like your
old self now."

"I haven't lost any hairpins, have I?" said Patty, putting up her hands
to her fluffy topknot.

"No, but you've lost that absurd dressed-up look."

"I'm getting used to my new frock. Don't you like it?"