“I know your Flag,—but who’s your girl?”
“You are.”
“Nixy!” Patty laughed in her gay, sweet fashion. Secure in her single-hearted devotion to Bill, she felt no fear of Philip, and treated him with a serene un-self-consciousness, that went far to convince him of the hopelessness of his suit.
“Oh, yes, you’re my girl, even if you aren’t My Girl!”
“You mean even if I’m not your only girl. Would you be surprised, Philip, my child, to learn that I know more about Your Girl than you do?”
“Meaning you know more about yourself than I can possibly know about you?”
“No; that isn’t what I mean a little bit! But I won’t tell you now, only some time, I will tell you the meaning of my cryptic utterance!”
“Glad to be informed, at your convenience, ma’am.”
And then Helen came into the room, and leaving her to entertain Van Reypen, Patty ran away to look after some of her own affairs.
It was that same afternoon that Lieutenant Herron called.