"if you ask me," patty said to nan, "i think these 'shower' affairs are ridiculous. all the girls who are coming today will give mona a wedding present, so why add a shower gift?"

"i didn't ask you," returned nan, "but since you raise the question, i'll just remark, in passing, that it's part of the performance, and it's no more ridiculous than lots of the other flummery that goes along with a this year's model wedding. i didn't have any showers,—but that was then."

"right you are, lady gay, and as mona most especially desired this mark of esteem from her friends, i'm glad she's going to have it."

"but i thought showers were usually surprises,—i didn't know the bride-elect requested one, or even knew of it beforehand."

"your think is correct. it's most unusual, but mona is unusual, and any surprise in connection with her wedding would be impossible. she knows it all, and the arrangements are all under her direct supervision. it's going to be a pretty stunning affair, nansome."

"so i gather from what i hear. while you were at lakewood, i didn't get much of the news about it, but since your return i've heard of nothing else."

"and you won't until after the fifteenth. i declare, nan, i've had no time for a real heart to heart talk with you since i got back. i haven't even told you about the blaneys."

"oh, the highbrow people? no; were they interesting?"

"yes, indeed. you'll meet them at the wedding. now, see here, i've asked half a dozen of the crowd to stay to dinner tonight after the shower, so look after the commissariat, won't you?"

"with pleasure. who's staying?"

"oh, mona and roger and elise and kit cameron and phil,—that's all."

"elise and kit are pretty good friends, aren't they?"

"yes, there may be another wedding in the dim future."

"be careful, patty. they say 'three times a bridesmaid, never a bride,' you know."

"goodness! i must beware. i was bridesmaid for christine,—and now for mona,—then, if i'm bridesmaid for elise, my last hope vanishes! i might be her maid of honor, though. does that count?"

"yes, counts just the same. but perhaps you'll be married before

elise. she isn't engaged yet."

"neither am i."

"same as."

"indeed it isn't same as! philip made me pretty mad down at lakewood. he scorned my new friends, the blaneys, and he was most disagreeable about it, too."

"all right. far be it from me to hasten your matrimonial alliance. i'm only too glad to keep you here. it's lonesome enough, days when you're away."

"nice old nan!" and patty gave her a whirlwind hug that nearly took her off her feet.

twenty girls were invited to the shower, and mona arrived first of all. she came bustling in enveloped in furs, which she unfastened and threw off as she talked.

"everything's going fine!" she announced. "i've attended to the very smallest details myself, so there'll be no mistakes. there always are mistakes and oversights at a wedding and mine is going to be the great exception. my, but i'm tired! i've been chasing about since early this morning. spent hours with the floral artist, and had a long interview with the caterer. but i confab with him every day. i've changed the menu four times already."

"you're a goose, mona," observed patty, smiling at her enthusiastic friend, "what do you care what people eat at your wedding, as long as it's good and proper?"

"my dear child, i only expect to get married once in my checkered career, and so i want everything connected with the occasion to be perfect. i don't want to look back and regret that i didn't have as much of a symphony in the supper as i did in the orchestra. you don't know the responsibility of a girl who has to get married and look after the wedding both. you'll have mrs. nan to run the arrangements, but i haven't anybody but little mona."

the bride-elect looked so radiant and capable and generally happy, that

patty knew better than to waste any sympathy on her.

"you love it all, mona," she said, "you're just in your element ordering decorations and deciding menus; and i suppose you've superintended the hat-check people and the elevator service."

"of course i have. i practically run the whole hotel just at present. the management have to take a back seat where anything connected with the fifteenth is concerned."

"it doesn't seem like a wedding at all," laughed patty. "it is more like a pageant."

"it's a wedding, all right. you'll realise it when you see me go off with roger. oh, patty, don't think i don't realise and appreciate the importance and solemnity of the marriage tie, but i do want the appointments to be perfect and beautiful just because it is my wedding to roger. we're very much in love, you know——"

"i do know it, mona, and it's all beautiful, and i'm glad you're having everything just as you want it. you're an old dear, and nobody wishes you more happiness than i do."

"don't talk in that strain, or i'll weep on your shoulder. i'm all keyed up, you know—honest, patty, it's pretty awful to have no mother or aunt or anything. only just a father, who's heavenly kind and generous, but no good for advice or consulting talks."

"all right, mona girl, we won't indulge in real talk now, for the girls will begin to come in a minute. go and primp a little, and then come down to the drawing-room."

patty ran downstairs, mona soon followed, and then the guests arrived.

in an effort to have a new sort of a shower, patty had decreed a lace shower, and many and varied were the gifts. as patty had wisely remarked, lace gave a wide scope. one could choose valuable specimens of real lace or trifling affairs that were pretty and inexpensive.

and so, when the time for their exhibition came the score of merry young people sat breathlessly awaiting the fun.

in the doorway appeared elise, in the costume of a brittany peasant. she carried a huge white basket ornamented with orange blossoms and fluttering white ribbons.

"laces, lady?" she said, approaching mona. "nice, pretty laces.

handiwork of the humble peasants for the grand lady. accept,—please."

with bows and curtseys, elise opened the basket and placed it at mona's feet.

delightedly, mona examined the contents, and at each gift a chorus of exclamations went up from all the admiring throng.

patty's offering was a tablecloth of filet antique and venetian embroidery, and was among the most beautiful in the lot.

elise gave a berthe of rose point, and nan a duchesse lace fan. but most of the gifts were of a simpler nature, and dainty boudoir pillows, table scarfs, bags, caps, and handkerchiefs made up the filmy shower and delighted the heart of the recipient.

mona was radiant with joy. although a pampered favourite of fortune, she was especially fond of receiving gifts, and she loved every individual lace confection and warmly thanked the donors.

"the things are heavenly, girls," she cried; "perfectly darling, every one of them! i can't thank you enough, but my heart is just overflowing with honest-to-goodness gratitude. oh, i do love 'em so!" and gathering the whole lot in her arms, she rocked back and forth in ecstasy. "how did you ever come to think of a lace shower, patty? i love lace more than anything on earth—except roger,—and i shall furnish my house with these beauty things. oh, you are all so good to me!"

tea was served in the dining-room, and mona graced the head of the table, with her bridal attendants on either side of her. the place cards and favours were all suggestive of the wedding occasion, and, for a centrepiece, two white doves perched on a basket of white roses.

mona was in highest spirits and her eyes glistened with pleasure as the girls assured her of their friendship and love, and wished her all sorts of future joy and happiness.

patty looked at her a little curiously, and then she realised that the girl had lived a loveless life, and that the sudden change to the atmosphere of love and friendship had well-nigh turned her head.

the guests departed, all but mona and elise, who were to stay for dinner, and the three chums went up to patty's room to chat.

"i can't believe these things are really mine," said mona, as she collected and arranged her laces, preparatory to having them sent home. "why is everybody so good to me?"

"oh, come now, mona," said elise, laughing, "it isn't such wonderful goodness. people always give things to brides. patty, if you don't give me a shower like this, i won't get married at all."

"didn't know you thought of it," returned patty. "but i'll promise the shower all right. when shall i invite the girls, elise?"

"oh, i haven't picked out the bridegroom yet, so there's no hurry. i've got to get used to having my brother married, before i think of it myself. mona, we'll soon be sisters. think of that!"

"i've often thought of it, elise. i've never had a sister, and i shan't know just how to act at first. but i hope——"

"there now, don't get sentimental! not but what i feel that way, too, but you'll get weepy in a minute,—and then it's all up with you!"

"you're so emotional, mona," said patty, smiling at her, "and so capable, and so generally all-round efficient, you're just the one to get married. now, when it comes my turn, i don't want all this hullabaloo,—i think i shall get a good old rope ladder and elope."

"what! and not have any showers and music and reception and everything?"

"oh, well, i don't know. we'll see when the time comes. but just now, we must put this affair of yours through. i'm glad there are only a few more days. i couldn't stand this excitement very long. come on, girls, get ready for dinner. the boys will come soon. there's the bell now. if it's roger, let mona go down and see him alone. i'm a fine gooseberry, don't you think so?"

"it is roger," patty announced, a moment later, as she leaned over the banister to see, "skip along, mona, we'll be down in ten minutes."

"isn't she funny?" said elise, as patty returned to her room. "i never saw anybody so crazy."

"she's so excited, she doesn't know whether she's on her head or her heels," agreed patty. "her nature is volatile, and she has no sense of moderation. she wants everything and all there is of it. that's all."

"she's a good one for roger. he's inclined to take things lazily.

mona will be a sort of spur to him."

"they're all right," agreed patty. "it's an ideal match. come on,

elise, we've given them enough time alone."

the girls went down, and then van reypen and kit cameron appeared.

dinner was a gay feast, and the elder fairfields were as much interested in the chatter as the young people.

"assert yourself, roger," said mr. fairfield. "don't let these girls monopolize the conversation, with their feminine fripperies and millinery muddles."

"models, dad, not muddles," laughed patty. "but we don't talk about those much now, they're all finished. oh, mona, genevieve's skirt had to be all made over——"

"oh, no," said her father, "you don't talk about them much! only all the time, that's all!"

"let 'em," said roger, magnanimously; "i've learned in the last few days, that the hang of genevieve's skirt is a matter of enormous magnitude."

"good!" cried patty, "mona has begun training you already. when is your bachelor dinner, roger?"

"not till wednesday night. i put it off so farnsworth could get here."

"oh, is he coming? i didn't know he was east."

"he wasn't. he's coming on on purpose for the event. i wanted him especially. at least, mona did."

"all the same," said mona. "oh, yes, of course i wanted big bill here.

we've been friends for years, and he must dance at my wedding."

it was the first time patty had seen van reypen since her return from lakewood, and, during the evening, he drew her away from the others and leading her to the semi-privacy of a big davenport in the library, he announced he was going to talk to her.

"talk away," said patty, "but i warn you, i've no time or attention for anything not connected with wedding bells."

"but this is connected with wedding bells," and philip's dark eyes smiled into her own, "only, not mona's chimes. our own."

"don't, phil," said patty, gently, noting his serious look and tone. "i've got four days yet till the fifteenth, and,—oh, pshaw, i might as well tell you now, that i'm not going to be engaged to you."

"patty!" and van reypen's face went white. "you don't mean that."

"yes, i do. i've had so much wedding doings for mona, i'm sick and tired of it. i don't want to be engaged myself, or hear of anybody else being engaged, until i forget all about all this fuss and feathers."

"there does seem to be an awful lot of fussy feathers, or whatever you call it, about the affair, doesn't there?"

"yes; and i'm glad to do all i can for mona. i'm enjoying it, too, but

i don't want any wedding of my own for years and years and years."

"by that time you'll be a pretty old bird. you ticked off a goodly number of years just then. but, seriously, patty, i don't want to bother you——"

"well, you do bother me. why, phil, every single chance you get, you talk about——"

"about my love for you? i mean to, patty, but you don't give me a chance. when i try to tell you of my love and devotion, you break loose about not wanting to be engaged——"

"well, of course i do. a girl doesn't want to hear of love and devotion from a man she isn't engaged to, does she?"

"i don't know. i hope so, in this case. that is, i hope i'm the man you're going to be engaged to, and soon, so i can tell you of my love and devotion. they're deep, patty, deep and true, and——"

"then why did you treat me so horridly down at lakewood, just because i enjoyed having to do with people who had some brains and weren't of the silly, addle-pated type we meet mostly in our own class of society?"

"but, patty, dearest, those blaneys aren't the real things. they haven't education and genius,—they only pretend they have."

"phil, i think you're horrid. they have so. why, sam blaney wrote a poem that's the most beautiful thing i ever read!"

"let me see it."

"i can't. i promised i wouldn't. it's—it's sort of sacred——"

"a sacred poem! blaney?"

"no, i don't mean religious. but it's sacred to me,—it's—it's a real poem, you see."

"well, he isn't a real poet, by a long chalk! i did think, patty, that when you came home from lakewood you'd forget all that rubbish bunch."

"how you do love to call them names! i don't think it's nice of you, one bit. they're going to be at the wedding, and i hope you'll be decent to them then, as they're my friends."

"oh, i'll be decent to them, but i shan't have any time to waste on them. i've a matter of my own on hand for that night. a girl i wot of has promised to give me her answer to a question i asked, and, when the time comes, i can't help thinking that that girl is going to be kind to me."

"i dunno," said patty.