Mechanically she took the milk that Nan brought, and nibbled at a biscuit.
“It’s this, people,” she said, at length, “you might as well know, first as last. Billee has thrown me over.”
Helen stared, aghast, but Nan laughed.
“Oh, Patty!” she cried, “all that fuss for a simple little lovers’ quarrel! Well I suppose you are a simple little lover, and I daresay Bill has no notion of it all. What’s your fancied grievance? And, I must admit I’m relieved! I feared it was something serious.”
“And it is!” flashed Patty; “I guess you’ll think so when you know. I sent him a val—valentine——”
“And that upset the apple-cart? Why, why; was it a ‘comic’?”
“Don’t tease, Nan, it’s fearful. You saw the valentine, didn’t you, Bumble?”
“Yes, but I don’t remember anything about it. What was it?”
“Here it is!” and Patty drew from beneath a pillow a moist, bedraggled paper, that had once been a gay, crisp sheet.
Nan took it and smoothed it out. She saw a blurred picture of two rustic lovers and with some difficulty she read the absurd lines beneath.