"Now go and tidy yourself up," Patty said to Bill, "and I will too, and see who can get down to the drawing-room first."
"Huh, I haven't to arrange a lot of furbelows. I'll beat you all to pieces."
But he little knew Patty's powers of haste in emergency, and when fifteen minutes later he descended to the drawing-room, where the guests were already arriving, Patty was there before him.
She was in a soft, frilly white frock, with knots of pale blue ribbon here and there, the knots holding sprays of tiny pink rosebuds. A blue ribbon banded her head, and save for an extra moist curliness in the soft rings of hair on her temples, no one could have guessed that the serene looking girl had worked hard and steadily for three hours in a kitchen.
"I surrender," whispered Bill; "you're the swiftest little piece of property I ever saw!"
"Please address me in less undignified language," said Patty, slowly waving a feather fan.
Bill bent a trifle lower, and murmured close to her ear, "Mademoiselle
Apple Blossom, you are the sweetest thing in the world."
CHAPTER XIX
A FORCED MARCH
After luncheon they all strolled out on the verandas or through the gardens, and Patty and Mona slipped away to hold a council of war by themselves.