here against your next visit."

"Good work! Here's a white crepe de chine. Just the thing for
tomorrow. No guests, are there, Tessie?"

"None, Miss Fairfield. Some ladies left this morning."

"Now, tell me all about it," said Adele, coming back. "You may go,
Tessie. I'll look after Miss Fairfield."

Tessie went away, and the two friends sat down for a chat.

"First of all, Adele," Patty said, "I don't want any one to know where
I am. I want a few days of absolute freedom from interruption,--I've
some things to think out."

"H'm," said Adele. "Who is he?"

Patty turned pink. "Nobody," she returned; "or, if it's anybody, it's
Phil Van Reypen; he wants me to marry him, and I don't know whether to
or not."

Adele looked at Patty's transparent face, and knew she was not telling
the whole truth. "You won't," she said, astutely. "But never mind why
you came, dear; tell me as much or as little as you wish. And nobody
shall know of your whereabouts, I promise you that. We'll have a
lovely, comfy time, just by ourselves."

"And I'll tell you this much, Adele; if Bill Farnsworth telephones, on
no account tell him I'm here. Please tell him I'm _not_!"

"Oh, fie, fie, Patty; tell a naughty story?"

"Sometimes a naughty story is justifiable; or, well, if you can't
conscientiously do it, let me know if he threatens to come up here and
I'll scoot off somewhere else."

"I think I see you! I'll leave it to Jim. He'll manage it
diplomatically. And perhaps Bill won't telephone."

"No, most likely not. But he may. He doesn't know I'm here,--nobody
does,--but I suppose this will be the first place anybody would suspect
me of being."

"I think very likely. Come on, now, I'll help you dress for lunch.
What a beautiful kimono! Where did you get that?"

"At the Sale last night. Oh, we had wonderful things. Everybody
donated, you know, and then came and bought the things. Philip gave us
some of Aunty Van Reypen's bronzes and ivory carvings. I think we'll
make a lot of money."

"And you ran away the morning after! Didn't you want to know how the
funds summed up?"

"Oh, yes; but the house was in such a fearful state! Furniture all
moved and things every which way. I was glad to disappear until it
gets into shape again."

"And doesn't Mrs. Fairfield or your father know where you are?"

"Well, I left a note for Nan, and I didn't tell her just where I was
going, so she could tell people that I hadn'