Patty's Friends   By: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942)

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

PATTY FAIRFIELD PATTY AT HOME PATTY IN THE CITY PATTY'S SUMMER DAYS PATTY IN PARIS PATTY'S FRIENDS

[Illustration: "Patty was a comfort loving creature" (p. 33)]

PATTY'S FRIENDS

By CAROLYN WELLS

Author of "Patty Fairfield," "Patty in Paris," etc.

NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1908

Copyright, 1908 By Dodd, Mead and Company

Published, September, 1908

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I An Afternoon Tea 9 II Riddles and Games 23 III The White Lady 36 IV A Floral Offering 51 V Miss Yankee Doodle 65 VI Herenden Hall 79 VII For One Night Only 93 VIII The Earl of Ruthven 107 IX An Important Document 121 X A Momentous Interview 134 XI The Birthday Party 149 XII Summer Plans 162 XIII Cromarty Manor 175 XIV Uncle Marmaduke 190 XV Puzzling Rhymes 204 XVI The Croquet Party 218 XVII The Griffin and the Rose 231 XVIII The Old Chimney Piece 245 XIX The Discovery 258 XX Good Byes 272

ILLUSTRATIONS

"Patty was a comfort loving creature" Frontispiece

"Marie pinned it and sewed it" 95

"'How much pleasanter this is than squabbling'" 145

"Often she would spend a morning lying in a hammock beneath the old trees" 175

PATTY'S FRIENDS

CHAPTER I

AN AFTERNOON TEA

"I wish I had a twin sister," said Patty; "no, that wouldn't do, either. I wish I were twins, and could be both of them myself."

"What a sensible wish!" commented Nan. "But why do you want to double yourself up in that way?"

"So I could go to two places at once. Here I have two lovely invitations for this afternoon, and I don't know which I want to accept most. One is a musicale at Mrs. Hastings', and the other is a picture exhibition at the New Gallery."

"They sound delightful. Can't you manage to go to both?"

"No, they're too far apart; and they're both at four o'clock, anyway. I think I'll choose the musicale, for I'll surely get another chance to see the pictures."

"Yes, of course you will," agreed Nan, a little absently, for she was reading some newly arrived letters.

The Fairfields were in London, and were comfortably established in the Savoy Hotel. It was April, and though they intended to travel later in the summer, their plans were as yet indefinite, and they were enjoying the many and varied delights of the London season.

To be sure, Nan and Mr. Fairfield were invited to many dinners and elaborate entertainments which Patty was too young to attend, but her time was pleasantly filled with afternoon garden parties or teas, while mornings were often devoted to sight seeing.

Patty was almost eighteen, and though not allowed quite the untrammelled freedom she would have had in America, she was not kept so utterly secluded as English girls of her age. Sometimes she would go all alone to Westminster Abbey or to the National Gallery, and enjoy hugely a solitary hour or two. At other times, Nan or her father, or some girl friend, would go with her.