for Patty a while longer.

"Come on, then," said Dick Phelps, "there's no reason why you shouldn't,
since Miss Leslie is kind enough to fill your place."

Patty still hesitated, for she thought that Kenneth would be still more
offended if he saw her walking around with Mr. Phelps, after having told
him that she could not leave the gypsy camp.

But Dick Phelps was of an imperious nature. He was accustomed to having
his own way, and was impatient at Patty's hesitation.

"Come on," he said. "March!" And taking her by the arm, he led her
swiftly down the path toward the photograph booth.

As he strode along, cowboy fashion, Patty said, meekly, "Let go of my
arm, please, Mr. Phelps. I think you've broken two bones already! And
_don't_ walk so fast. I'm all out of breath!"

"Forgive me," said Dick Phelps, suddenly checking his speed, and smiling
down at the girl beside him, "you see this cowboy rig makes me feel as if
I were back on the plains again, and I can't seem to adjust myself to
civilised conditions."

Mr. Phelps looked very splendid as a cowboy, and Patty listened with
interest, as he told her of an exciting episode which had occurred during
his ranch life, in a distant western territory.

So engrossed did they become in this conversation that the photographs
were forgotten for the moment, and they strolled along past the various
booths, unheeding the numerous invitations to enter.

Of course Kenneth saw them, and from a trifling offence, Patty's conduct
seemed to him to have grown into a purposed rudeness.

As they passed him, Patty smiled pleasantly, and paused, saying, "We're
all going to have supper in the Dairy, and of course you'll be with us,
Ken?"

"Of course I won't!" said Kenneth, and deliberately turning on his heel,
he walked the other way.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE END OF THE SUMMER

"Whew!" said Dick Phelps, in his straightforward way, "he's mad at you,
isn't he?"

"Yes," said Patty, "and it's so silly! All about nothing at all. I wish
you'd take me back to him, Mr. Phelps, and leave us alone, and I think I
can straighten matters out in two minutes."

"Indeed, I'll do nothing of the sort," returned Mr. Phelps, in his
masterful way; "you promised to go to the photograph place, and that's
where we're going. I don't propose to give you up to any young man we
chance to meet!"

Patty laughed, and they went on. At the photograph booth they found many
of the gaily dressed young people,