ead," said Patty, blithely, who didn't feel she really owed the
girl any further consideration. "And next time you try to get even
with anybody, pick out some one who'll let you _stay_ even!"

"You're a hummer!" said Ray, in unwilling admiration. "How did you do
it?"

"I'll tell you some other time," and Patty laughed in spite of herself
at the admiration on Ray's countenance. "If you're going to get your
costume over here and get into it, you want to hustle."

"Time enough," returned Ray, carelessly. "My stunt is the sixth on the
program, so there's lots of time."

This was true, so Patty turned all her attention to reddening her pink
cheeks, while the other girls gathered around in desperate curiosity.

"What does it all mean?" asked Ethel Merritt. "Do tell us, Miss
Fairfield. Why did Ray wear your dress?"

"Ask her," said Patty, smiling. "It was a whim of hers, I guess. It
made me a little bother, but all's well that ends well."

"You are the good-naturedest old goose!" cried Elise, who had an
inkling of what was inexplicable to the others.

"Might as well," said Patty, serenely. "She's a hummer, Ray Rose is.
She sure is a hummer!"

And then Patty pronounced herself finished and turned from the mirror
for inspection.

"Lovely!" approved Elise, "if you admire strongly-marked features!"

Patty's cheeks and lips were very red, her eyebrows greatly darkened,
and her face thickly coated with powdered chalk.

"It's awful, I know," she agreed, "but in the strong lights of the
stage and the footlights too, you have to pile it on like that."

"Of course you do," said Ethel. "Mine looks the same."

Laughingly gaily, the girls went to take their places on the stage.
Bob Riggs, the ringmaster, was there and assigned them their places.

Patty's performance was near the beginning of the program. She did a
solo dance, first, a lovely fancy dance that she had learned in New
York, and then she did the grotesque and humorous dances called for by
the occasion. The one that necessitated springing, head first, through
hoops covered with light, thin paper, she did very prettily, striking
the taut paper with just the right force to snap it into a thousand
shreds.

Her act was wildly applauded by the enthusiastic audience, and would
have been several times repeated but for the scarcity of hoops.

Later came her grotesque dance with Bruin Boru, the wonderful dancing
bear. Jack Fenn was very funny in his bear-