"of course i could do it," patty agreed, "and i will, if you say so, elise. i don't care a lot about it, but if everybody is going in for the game, i am, too."

"yes, do, patty; it's just in your line, and you can do it a whole lot better than that girl did last year,—you know whom i mean, ethel."

"yes, ray rose——"

"ray rose," said patty, "what a pretty name!"

"pretty girl, too," said ethel merritt, who was calling at pine laurel. "also, she isn't going to like it any too well to have miss fairfield take her part."

"oh, is it her part?" asked patty; "then i won't take it."

"yes, you will. it's all right. nobody wants her and everybody wants you."

the subject under discussion was a "society circus" to be performed by the young people of lakewood, and of great interest to all concerned.

it was a few days after the spring beach trip. mona had gone back home and philip also, and roger was in new york. elise was greatly enthusiastic over the circus plan, and was managing committees, and arranging details in her usual capable fashion. the affair was a charity benefit under the auspices of a philanthropic society that gave some such entertainment every winter. patty, always ready for any gaiety, was preparing to take part, though the scheme was a new one to her. she had never been in a society circus, and wanted the matter thoroughly explained.

"it isn't much to explain, miss fairfield," ethel said; "you see, everybody is an animal or a clown or a bareback rider, or something that belongs to a circus. bob riggs is ringmaster, and they all obey him. he's awfully funny, and whatever he has to do with, is sure to be a success."

"tell me more about my part," said patty; "how do i dress?"

"well, you see, you're mlle. hooperino, and you do fancy dancing and jump through paper hoops——"

"what! oh, i can't do that!"

"yes, you can; bob will show you how. why, anybody who dances as you do, can do anything of that sort. and your costume is anything you like, in the way of tulle skirts, lots of 'em, and a satin bodice, laced up, you know, and a dinky little cap, and,—oh, anything you think fetching and attractive."

"it sounds fun," patty agreed, "but what about miss rose? i don't want to disappoint her; will she feel annoyed?"

"she sure will! but never mind that. as soon as bob saw you dance the other night, he said you were the one for the part. you must do it."

"and ray rose hasn't been asked this year," put in elise. "she can't resent your taking what she never had."

"she will, though," declared ethel. "she looks upon that part as hers, and she won't like miss fairfield's having it one bit. but that doesn't matter. what bob says, goes; and that's all there is about that!"

they talked over the costumes and dances until every question was settled, and ethel went away with patty's promise to do what was requested of her.

"but i don't like it," patty demurred, "on account of that rose girl.

what is she like, elise?"

"oh, she's the jolliest thing in the world. she won't get mad at you,—she isn't that sort. but i know what she will do. she'll try to 'get even,' you know,—do something to pay you out for stealing her glory."

"what'll she do?"

"oh, i don't know. some practical joke, like as not. she's a sort of kid, although she's nineteen years old."

"all right, if she's that sort, i'm not afraid of her. i thought she was haughty and sarcastic."

"oh, no, nothing like that. she's full of mischief and awfully good-natured. but she'll resent bob's putting you in her place. don't think of it, patty. it's all a trifle. she'll have some other part, just as good."

"very well, i'll turn me thinks toward me frock. what say to pale blue tulle, with silver lace by way of trimmin's?"

"fine! and after you get yours all planned will you help me with mine?"

"will i! i live but for that! you, my elise, must wear corn colour, or, say, maize colour, and poppies."

"yes, now that you speak of it, that's just what i want. shall us ask

philip down, patty?"

"no; i'd like to have one time of my life without his revered presence."

"look here, patty, between you and me and the circus, aren't you expecting to be the eventual mrs. philip?"

"oh, elise, don't bother me about such far-away eventualities."

"all right, i won't, 'cause i know all about that. you're trying him out, and if he passes his exams, you're going to say yes, pretty soon, now."

"good gracious! i believe my loving friends know more about my affairs than i do myself!"

"if we didn't we wouldn't know much! you are the most wabbly-hearted person i ever knew! say, pats, what did you do to big bill farnsworth to send him flying off out west again?"

"i?" and patty opened her blue eyes wide at elise.

"yes, you, you saucer-eyed doll! one day, he was shining brightly all over the place, and the next, he was like a thunder cloud, and departed straightway for the wild and woolly."

"oh, well, elise, i can't feel sure that it's precisely your affair; but, as you show a polite interest, i don't mind telling you that we quarrelled."

"about philip van reypen."

"clairvoyant! well, if you will have it so,—yes."

"oh, patty, then you do like phil better than mr. farnsworth!"

"do i?"

"you must! or you never would have sent one away because of the other. and, patty, you did just right. phil van reypen is worth a dozen of that western giant. he's nice, mr. farnsworth is, but philip is so much more—oh,—aristocratic and—and smart-looking, you know."

"bill is smart enough," said patty, thoughtfully.

"i don't mean smart in the sense of clever, but——"

"i know; you mean well-dressed and fashionable."

"yes, and correct-mannered, and generally all round a gentleman."

"bill farnsworth is a gentleman."

"of course. but not the polished type philip is. he's an aristocrat."

"oh, fiddlestrings. i'm sick and tired of hearing that phil van reypen is an aristocrat! if i were an aristocrat, i'd try to hide it! anyway, i wouldn't advertise it all the time!"

"patty! you ought to be ashamed of yourself! phil doesn't advertise it!"

"well, he doesn't employ you to do it for him, either, so you may as well stop it. i know all about phil's aristocracy. and it's all right. i never said it wasn't. but a man has got to be something more than an aristocrat before i can fall desperately in love with him. and i must be desperately in love with the man i promise to marry."

patty spoke seriously, and her blue eyes took on a violet light as she looked out of the window and far away to the sky beyond the pine trees.

"of course, you must, patty. every girl feels that way. but when phil adores you so, how can you resist him?"

"now, now, elise, don't ask leading questions. and, also, let's turn the tables. when a certain nice young man that i wot of, so adores you, how can you resist him?"

"i don't know that i shall," replied elise, blushing.

"oho! bad as that, eh? now i see why you're so interested in my affairs of the heart. misery loves company."

"but i'm not miserable."

"no, of course not. howsumever, if you insist on asking philip van down to the circus, i shall advise asking one mr. kit cameron."

"you're a day behind the fair! i've asked him and he can't come."

"too bad. but, just for that, i won't have phil, either. then we can both be heart-whole and fancy free."

"all right. bob riggs has taken a large and elegant notion to you, and i am engaged in the pleasant pastime of subjugating hal merritt, so we shan't want for rustic swains."

"as if we ever had! but as for me, this circus business seems a piece of work, and i must apply myself to it, or rejoice in a failure at the eventful moment."

"you're right. let's go over to mme. beauvais' and see about her making our costumes."

"come on, we'll go now."

the next few days the girls devoted all their time to their costumes and to rehearsals for the circus. it was a more elaborate affair than patty had anticipated, and the men who were to represent animals had marvellous suits of fur that closely imitated the real thing in wild beasts.

a bear, who was ordinarily jack fenn, captivated patty from the first, and when she proposed to dance with him, bob riggs caught at the idea.

"capital!" he cried, "just the thing, miss fairfield. hit of the evening, i assure you. come, begin your rehearsal at once."

it was not easy, for the bear costume made its wearer clumsy and he awkwardly tripped and nearly upset patty. but she good-naturedly tried the steps over and over until they began to do better.

"it'll right itself after a few more rehearsals," she said, encouragingly. "come over to the farringtons' mornings, and we'll get a little extra practice."

fenn did so, and, as they perfected the dance, all who saw it prophesied it would be the hit of the whole affair.

and everybody was pleased save and except ray rose. she had taken quietly enough the substitution of patty for herself as première danseuse, and had even said she preferred the part that had been assigned her. but when the bear dance began to be talked about with such enthusiasm, she commenced to find fault.

"how did you happen to worm yourself into my place, miss fairfield?" she said at a rehearsal. "did you make up this bear foolery?"

"i'm afraid i did, miss rose," returned patty, smiling. "you've no criticism to make, have you?"

"none, except that i wanted that part that mr. riggs saw fit to give you, and i'm madder'n hops 'cause i haven't got it."

"why, i'll give it to you," and patty smiled at the pouting girl.

"oh, you can't do that now, it's too late."

"why didn't you tell me sooner that you wanted it?"

"never s'posed you'd give it up, or i would have. but i'll get even with you!"

"now, don't talk like that, for it wasn't my fault that mr. riggs selected me for the part."

"well, it was your fault that you took it, and it will be my fault if i don't make you pay for it!"

"is this a threat?"

"it most certainly is. what are you going to do about it?"

"nothing at all,—unless it is carried out. then i shall defend myself to the best of my ability. i'm good-natured,—and i am told you are,—but i've no intention of being annoyed unjustly, and you'll find that out, miss ray rose! by the way, what a pretty name you have."

"do you like it? it's really ramona, but i've always been called ray. i like you a lot, miss fairfield, and i'd be sorry to annoy you, but,—well, perhaps because i do like you so much,—i warn you, i'm going to get ahead of you on this circus program, if i can."

"you're a little goose," said patty, laughing outright at the determined face and snapping black eyes of ray rose. "i do believe you want to cut up some trick on me, because i stole your part, or it seems to you i did, and yet, you rather like me, and hate to do it, after all."

"how did you know?" cried ray rose, astonished. "that's exactly what was in my mind! well, honest, if i can conquer my desire to get even with you, i'll let you alone. but i feel pretty sure i shall do your act myself."

"you are the queerest girl i ever saw!" and patty looked her astonishment. "your frankness and your slyness together are the funniest combination! just for your queer cleverness, i give you permission to get my place from me if you can! but don't forget i offered it to you."

"that's nothing. bob riggs wouldn't let me take it. but if i get it in some way that he can't help himself, remember that you told me i might."

patty was greatly amused at this conversation, but as other and more important matters quickly demanded her attention, she promptly forgot the whole matter.

the circus proper was to be an evening entertainment, but in the afternoon of the same day, the entire cast of characters marched up and down the streets as an advertisement, hoping to attract attention and rouse curiosity to such an extent that the attendance at the evening performance would be large.

the animals presented a fearsome sight. lions, bears, tigers, monkeys, a giraffe and a donkey, were followed by clowns, acrobats, trapeze performers, and jugglers.

patty, as première danseuse, rode in a gilded chariot drawn by four gaily caparisoned white horses. she sat enthroned on a high seat, and waved smiling greetings as she passed.

ray rose, in pierrette costume, was gay and good-natured, and chummed up with patty, in evident forgetfulness of any ill-feeling.

"she's all right," patty said to elise, as they went home after the parade, and prepared to rest up a little before the evening performance.

patty had no sooner reached her room than she was called to the telephone. the speaker was ray rose.

"excuse me, miss fairfield, but i do want to speak to you a minute. i think my pierrette act would be a whole lot prettier, if i had a few highland fling steps in it, don't you?"

"i do," patty replied, after a moment's consideration. "put them in after the one-step movement."

"yes, that's what i meant. may i run over to your house a minute, and will you show me about the fling? it won't take a jiffy."

"yes, of course. will you come right away?"

"i will. but, oh, pshaw,—i'm all dressed in my pierrette rig; wouldn't you,—couldn't you come here instead? i'll send the car, it won't take any time at all."

"why, yes, i can come over, and i will, if you want me to so much." patty ran to tell elise she was going, but elise was not in her room, so patty went downstairs to look for her. before she saw elise, or indeed any one else, the rose car came, a little runabout, with only the chauffeur.

flinging a motor coat from the hall-rack around her, patty ran out the door and jumped into the car.

in a moment she was at ray rose's house, and the girl herself stood smiling in the doorway.

"good for you!" she cried, "you're a duck! come right up to my room."

patty followed ray, who ran lightly up stairs, and threw open the door of her bedroom.

"what a lovely room!" patty exclaimed, as she entered a dainty nest all pink and white.

"yes, isn't it?" agreed ray, and they stepped inside. "sit down a minute," she went on, "i want to get another scarf. i'll be right back."

patty threw herself into a low wicker chair, and, gently closing the door behind her, ray disappeared.