After luncheon another triumph awaited Patty.
Gertrude Lyons and Maude Carleton came up to her, and each taking her by one arm, walked her over to the bay-window, where they might talk uninterruptedly.
“We want you to be in our set,” said Gertrude; “we have the nicest girls in school in our set, and I know you’ll like it best of any.”
“And we have the best times,” put in Maude; “none of the sets can do the things we do.”
Patty did not altogether like this sudden change of attitude on the part of these girls. And, too, they seemed to her a little condescending in their manner. She liked better Hilda Henderson’s proposition, which, though less flattering, seemed to promise better results.
And she had not forgotten Gertrude’s real rudeness the week before.
“Thank you ever so much,” she said, “but I’m not sure that I want to join your set. Last week you didn’t want me, and turn about is fair play.” Patty’s pleasant smile, as she said this, robbed the words of all harshness and made it impossible for the girls to feel offended.
“I suppose I was hateful,” said Gertrude, “and I take it all back. But, you see, everybody said you were Lorraine Hamilton’s chum and that you were just like her. Now, you’re not a bit like her, and I don’t believe you’re such a great chum of hers. Are you?”
“I don’t know how to answer that,” said Patty, smiling; “I’m a friend of Lorraine’s, and always shall be, I hope; but I’m not such a chum of hers that I can’t be friends with anybody else.”
“That’s what I said,” put in Maude; “and so there’s no reason why you can’t belong to our set, even if Lorraine doesn’t.”