Narrow green edged her red girdle.

Blue and buff, rose and orange, straw-color and lavender, surely not a
tint was missing, and the result was absolutely comical! One would have
thought that a lunatic had designed the costume.

And when she believed that her dress had been seen from all angles,
Patricia left the reception-room, passing to a larger room beyond, where
she seated herself, and at once assumed a bored expression. Not the
least interest in other pupils had she. She had come to the little
social to be gazed at, and as soon as she believed that all must have
seen her, the party held no further interest for her.

She heard the buzz of whispered conversation in the room that she had
left, and she wished that she might know what they were saying. It was
well that she could not.

"What an unpleasant-looking girl!" said one.

"Wasn't that dress a regular rainbow?" whispered another.

"Oh, but she was funny, turning around for us to see her, just like a
wax dummy in a store window," said a third.

[Illustration: SHE WISHED THAT SHE MIGHT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE
SAYING.--_Page 32._]

"She's queer to go off by herself!" remarked the first one who had
spoken.

"We're not very nice," said Betty Chase, who thus far had not spoken,
"that is not very kind, to be so busily talking about her."

"Well, I declare, Betty, who'd ever dream that you, who are always
getting into scrapes would boldly give us a lecture."

Betty's black eyes flashed.

"I know I get into funny scrapes," she snapped, "but whatever I do, I
don't talk about people, Ida Mayo."

"You don't have time to," exclaimed her chum, Valerie Dare. "It takes
all your spare time to plan mischief."

In the laugh that followed, Betty forgot that she was vexed.

Patricia began to find it rather dull sitting alone in a room back of
the reception-hall.

She felt that she had entered the hall in a burst of glory; had fairly
dazzled all beholders!

She had believed that the girls would be so entranced with her
appearance that they would follow her that they might again inspect her
costume.

She was amazed that she had been permitted to sit alone if she chose.

The other pupils thought it strange that she should choose to remain
alone instead of becoming acquainted with those who were to be her
schoolmates for the year, but believing that she was determined to be
unsocial, they made no effort to disturb her.

Arabella, who had followed her, became curio