the house sale was in full swing. it had been well advertised, and the object was a popular one, and throngs of willing buyers crowded the fairfield house.

the family belongings had, many of them, been carried to the upper floors, and the first and second stories given over to the bazaar.

the beds had been removed and the bedrooms were veritable stores of all sorts of light and dainty apparel and feminine trinkets. the rooms downstairs were filled with fine wares and were crowded with purchasers. the girls, dressed to suit their calling, were brisk and busy salesladies, and everywhere was laughter and merry chat.

daisy, in a stunning new sports suit, looked with satisfaction on her stacks of golf accoutrements, skates, tennis sets, and side lines of bright caps and sweaters for both sexes. and her wares simply melted away. she laughingly put up her prices, but so attractive were the goods that they sold quickly.

elise, too, did a rushing business in the library. she had several assistants, and they were all kept at work by the kind patrons. many worthwhile books had been given the girls, and there were beside, library furnishings, and a few autographed books and letters that commanded large prices. a set of riley's works was on sale, and these farnsworth bought, requesting that they remain in their place until his further directions.

"whatever are you going to do with them, bill?" asked elise, who looked like a pretty portia in her cap and gown.

"why not peruse them myself?" he returned.

"but i chance to know that you have a set of riley."

"well, maybe, i'll give them to somebody as a gift. if i can't find anybody to accept them, i'll turn them over to your girls' library."

"oh, i dare say you can give them away. a beautiful set like that!

why, they're russia bound!"

"why, so they are!"

"as if he didn't know that!" exclaimed one of the girls to elise, as

farnsworth sauntered away. "why, he gave that set to the sale!"

"he did! and then bought them back again!"

"yes, that's just what he has done."

"oh, well, then, he does mean to give them to somebody,—somebody in particular."

and farnsworth certainly did mean to give them to somebody in particular. he designed them as a gift for patty. he knew she would enjoy the poems, and he chose the edition with great care. then, to enhance the value, he made it a present to the club sale, and promptly bought it back.

the big westerner made his way through the crowds, stopping here and there to buy a flower or a trinket from the beguiling vendors. he looked in at the dining-room, and saw the long table set with marvelous confections, each to be sold with its dish of fine china or crystal. also, on side tables were center-pieces, doilies, and napkins of all varieties of embroidery and decoration. a large back veranda had been arranged as a refreshment room, and here farnsworth discovered nan and mr. fairfield eating ice cream.

"join us," they begged, but a smiling headshake was the negative reply.

"i'm on a still hunt for patty. i'm told she's upstairs."

"yes, in her own rooms," said nan. "but you can't get in, the place is jammed. wait till she has sold off a lot of stuff, then there'll be at least standing room. i've just come down from there and i never saw such a crowd."

"i'm fairly good at stemming crowds,—i think i'll go up."

farnsworth squared his broad shoulders and started up the stairway.

by tactful manoeuvring, rather than by muscular strength, he gained his goal, and stood in the doorway of patty's boudoir.

she was showing off a boudoir set to a prospective purchaser. it was of pale blue brocaded satin, edged with swansdown. there was a fetching lace cap with blue bows and little yellow rosebuds; also dainty blue slippers with rosebuds on them. gaily, patty donned the lovely garments, over her fluffy white frock, and pirouetted before her own cheval glass.

"you see," she said, in wheedling, saleslady tones, "it is a work of art! ma foi! but it is chic! n'est-ce pas? excuse my fearful french, but i can't sell this parisian rig in english!"

"it is just darling!" declared the lady who was looking at it. "of course i'll take it. i never saw one i liked so well."

farnsworth stood watching the scene, thinking how much patty's winning personality added to the charm of the robe, and wondering if she would accept the books he had bought for her.

the sale concluded, patty thanked her patron, and in a moment was called upon to repeat the performance, as indeed she had been doing most of the evening. this time it was not so willing a buyer.

a gaunt, elderly spinster, with elaborately coiffed white hair and ostentatious costume, demanded a kimono that should be just her style and of embroidered crêpe de chine.

"here is a lovely one in heliotrope," said patty, smiling as she brought one of the prettiest ones she had.

"heliotrope!" the lady almost screamed. "do i then look so old? am i in the sere and yellow? why do you offer me heliotrope?"

"oh, don't you care for it?" said patty, pleasantly; "it's one of my favourite colours. what colour do you like best?"

"i like amber, but, of course, you wouldn't have that. green, now?"

"no, we don't seem to have those. we've mostly pink and blue."

"old-fashioned! why don't you have amber or russet?"

"i wish we had. i'd love to give you what you want. how about white?"

"namby pamby! but show me what you have. i'm determined to get something."

"if you only cared for blue," and patty sighed. "here's a new box yet unopened, but it says on the end, 'light blue.' so that wouldn't do."

"oh, well, let me see it."

patty opened the japanese looking box, and out from the tissue papers fell a dream of a kimono. of palest blue silk, it was covered with embroidered apple blossoms, not in a set design, but powdered over it, as if wafted there by a summer breeze. the conventional japanese flowers are cherry blooms, but these were true apple blossoms, softly pink and white, the very loveliest gown patty had ever seen.

farnsworth was looking on, and he, too, caught sight of the exquisite design. he looked quickly at patty, and, in dumb show, begged her not to sell the garment. nor had she any intention of doing so. the moment she saw it, she wanted it for herself, and began hastily to fold it back in its box.

"wait! stop!" cried the lady; "i think i want that."

"it's already sold," said big bill, stepping forward. "isn't that the one i ordered, miss fairfield?"

"is it?" said patty, helplessly, wanting to laugh at the way the lady looked daggers at bill, yet not knowing quite what to say.

"it is. kindly lay it aside for me. mark it farnsworth."

"do nothing of the sort!" snapped the lady. "you said that was an unopened box. it can't belong to any one then. i will take it. how much is it?"

patty thought quickly. she had received a green kimono for christmas, which she had not worn, and didn't care for. it had been sent her by a distant cousin, who would never know or care what she did with it.

"all right," she said, "take it if you like. you have the first right to it."

farnsworth looked disturbed, but did not combat patty's decision.

"but," patty went on, "i think i have a green one, after all. i've just remembered it. you can take your choice."

stepping aside to her own wardrobe, patty brought out a box and shook out a very pretty green gown. she put it on, and, draping it gracefully, stood, with her head on one side, observing the effect. she then looked doubtfully at the lady, and said, "i dare say you like the blue one better, after all. this is a very pale green."

"it's a lovely green! just the shade i like best. if you're willing,

i'll take the green one, by all means."

"whichever you choose," and patty swished the green folds around to catch the light. very becoming it was, and on pretty patty it looked a dream of loveliness.

"it's just bewitching," declared the gratified purchaser, and she paid for it and left her address to have it sent home.

"good work!" said farnsworth, laughing, as the lady passed on to look at other tempting wares. "you hypnotised her into taking the green one. i say, patty, i want to make you a present of that apple-blossom wrap; mayn't i?"

"it isn't a wrap," said patty, disdainfully, "it's a kimono, and the very prettiest one i ever saw."

"all right. i don't care what the dinky thing's name is. it's the most exquisite colouring, and it suits you down to the ground."

"it fits me down to the ground, too," laughed patty, flinging the robe on again, and gathering up its lustrous folds. it was too long for her, but that, of course, could be remedied.

"yes, you'll have to take a reef in it. will you accept it, little

apple blossom?"

"it's very expensive," patty demurred, looking over her shoulder at the graceful lines of the garment.

"that doesn't matter," and farnsworth pulled out a roll of bills from his pocket.

patty gave him a scornful look. "don't be so ostentatious!" she flouted. "i didn't mean you couldn't afford it. i mean, i don't care to accept a gift of such value. i know,—we all know—you have the wealth of the indies!"

farnsworth looked at her in sheer amazement, a deep red flush stealing over his face. then, for a moment, he held her eyes with his own, looking steadily at her.

"very well," he said, gently, returning his money to his pocket. "i won't give it to you, if you don't want me to."

"oh, gracious to goodness! what a kimono!" cried daisy dow, who came flying into the room, "i never saw such a beauty! i want it! is it yours, patty? no? oh, you're just trying it on."

"i'm considering its purchase," said farnsworth, "if i can find somebody to give it to. do you like it, daisy?"

"do i like it! it's the loveliest thing in the whole sale! by the way, just look at the presents i've had!"

sure enough, daisy was adorned with two or three gay-coloured sport sashes, over her arm were two silk sweaters, and she carried a basket, in which was a collection of gloves, ties, handkerchiefs, scarfs, and various odds and ends of sport apparel.

"what are you doing up here, anyway?" demanded patty. "who's looking after your room?"

"all sold out! not a mite of anything left to sell. i came near disposing of your own pictures that still hang on the wall, and your tables and chairs. are you really looking for somebody to buy that for, bill? well, it might as well be me!"

daisy laughed gaily, and held out her hands for the kimono.

but patty drew the blue folds around her and shook her yellow curls. "possession is nine points of the law," she laughingly said. "i'm going to buy this thing myself."

"you can't," said farnsworth, looking amused at the situation. "first come, first served. i asked for it before you thought of buying it. now, i claim my purchase, and i shall give it to one or other of you two girls. i offered it to patty first, so it is for her to say. if she refuses, i offer it to daisy."

so gay was his manner, so light his tone, that patty couldn't resent his words, but a twinkle in his eye made her realise that he knew he was cornering her. he knew how she admired the kimono. it would be difficult if not impossible to duplicate it. she must accept it from him or see daisy triumphantly walk off with it.

the latter alternative was surely unthinkable! so patty said, with exaggerated meekness, "thank you, little billee, i accept it with pleasure. you are very kind."

farnsworth burst out laughing at the mild tone and the shy, downcast eyes, whereupon patty favoured him with an innocent stare, saying, "what is the matter?"

"a whole lot is the matter!" daisy answered for him. "i wanted that robe, and now you've gone and got it, patty fairfield! you're the girl who gets everything! all right, bill, just for that, you've got to give me the set of books you bought from elise, and had saved for you. will you?"

"if you say i've got to,—why ask me will i?" he returned, good-naturedly. "i am as wax in the hands of you two. certainly, daisy, i'll be honoured if you'll accept the books."

"what are they?" asked patty, carelessly, as she still bent her attention to the embroideries of her new acquisition.

"oh, it's a set of riley. a wonderful set,—bound in russia leather."

patty looked up, quickly. she felt a conviction that farnsworth had bought these books for her. to be sure she wouldn't want to accept two handsome presents from him, yet the idea of his so easily passing them over to daisy annoyed her.

"riley!" she exclaimed, involuntarily. "why didn't you give those to me, instead of this gown?"

"the books are better suited to daisy," he returned, "and the gown suits nobody but you."

"oh, because daisy is more intellectual, i suppose, and i'm——"

"yes, and you're just a little piece of vanity, who cares only for dress and finery."

farnsworth was having his innings now. patty had hurt his feelings, and she knew it; and so, he was teasing her in return.

daisy laughed at patty's unmistakable chagrin, and ran away downstairs to claim her books.

it so chanced that there was no one else in patty's boudoir at that moment. everybody had flocked to the next room to see a new consignment of treasures displayed, and farnsworth and patty were alone.

"yes," he said, looking straight at her, "i did buy the riley set for you. but as you're so averse to accepting my ostentatious offerings, i thought better to give it to daisy. and i had another reason, too."

"i'm glad you did," said patty, coldly; "and i wish you had given her this also."

she began to draw off the kimono, but farnsworth took a step toward her, and with one big swoop, gathered her into his arms.

"apple blossom!" he whispered, "my little apple blossom girl!"

so impulsive and all-embracing was the action, so swift the kiss that fell on patty's pink cheek, and so quickly was she released, that she stood, gasping from breathlessness, and astonishment, as others began to return to the room.

van reypen was among them, and he called out to patty:

"we've come for you. if your things aren't all sold, let somebody else look after them. we're going to supper now, and we want all our crowd together."

gratefully, patty turned to him, her head still in a whirl from

farnsworth's audacity, and with philip she went downstairs.