"Didn't know a girl COULD hurry,—accept my compliments." And Kit rose and made an exaggerated bow.
"What's going on?" said Dick Perry, gaily, as he came downstairs and paused on the landing.
"Only homage at the shrine of Beauty," returned Kit.
"Let me homage, too," said Mr. Perry, and they both bowed and scraped, until Patty went off in a gale of laughter and said: "You ridiculous boys, you look like popinjays! But here comes Marie; now more homage is due."
Marie came down the steps slowly and gracefully, looking very pretty in pale green, with tiny pink rosebuds for trimming.
"Good for you, Marie!" exclaimed her cousin. "Your dress gees with Miss
Fairfield's first-rate. You'll do!"
And then the others came, and the merry group went out to dinner.
After dinner they started at once for the country-club ball. It was to be a very large affair, and, as Patty knew no one except their own house party, she declared that she knew she'd be a wall-flower.
"Wall-flower, indeed!" said Kit. "Poppies don't grow on walls. They grow right in the middle of the field, and sway and dance in the breeze."
"I always said you were a poet," returned Patty, "and you do have the prettiest fancies."