“To me, then,” put in Van Reypen.  “I’ve not seen you, Elise, since I came back from Over There.  You’ve grown a lot, haven’t you?”

“Taller?”

“Mercy no!  I mean mentally.  You seem more—­more grown up like.”

“Everybody is, since the war work.  Yes, Phil, I have grown,—­I hope.”

“There, there,” warned Patty; “no serious talk just now, please,—­and no war talk.  For the moment, I claim your attention to my new house and its surroundings.”

“Some claim you’ve staked out,” and Chick grinned.  “I want to see it all.  And,—­moreover,—­I want to see the rest of the family!”

Patty beamed.  “You dear!” she cried; “do you really want to see my daughter?”

“My daughter,” Farnsworth added; “but I didn’t know you chaps would be interested in our infant prodigy.  I never cared about seeing other people’s babies.”

“I do,” stoutly insisted Channing.  “I’m a connoisseur on kiddies.  Let me see him.”

“He isn’t him,” laughed Patty, “he’s a she.”

“So much the better,” Chick avowed.  “I love girl babies.  Where is she?”

“You can’t see her now, she’s probably asleep.  To-morrow she’ll be on exhibition.  I hear a car!  It must be Mona!”

“I’ll go and fetch her,” said Farnsworth, springing up, and after a short time he returned with two newcomers, Mona Farrington and her husband, Roger.

Then there was more greeting and exclamation and laughter, as the latest guests admired the new home, and accepted Patty in her becoming role of hostess.

“To think of little Patty as the chatelaine of this palatial menage!” said Roger, “and actually acting as if it belonged to her!”

“It isn’t palatial,” corrected Patty, “but it does belong to me,—­that is, to me and my friend William.  He vows I claim the baby for all my own property,—­but I’ll accord him a share in the place.”

“It all belongs to me,” said Farnsworth, with a careless sweep of a big arm.  “The wistaria, Patty, the baby, and all!”

“That’s right,” agreed Roger, “keep up your air of authority as long as you can!  I tried it,—­but Mona soon usurped the position!”

“Nonsense!” and Mona smiled at her husband.  “Don’t you believe him, Patty.  We go fifty-fifty on everything,—­as to decisions, I mean.  He gives in to my superior judgment half the time, and I let him have his own foolish way the other half.  Follow my plan and you’ll live happily, my dear.”

“Are we your first company?” asked Elise.

“Yes,—­except Father and Nan,—­and a few calls from the neighbours.  This is my first house-party.  And I do want it to be a success, so I’m going to depend on you all to help me.  If I do what I ought not to do,—­or leave undone the things which I should ought to do,—­check me up,—­won’t you, please?”

“We sure will,” agreed Channing, “but something tells me you’re going to prove an ideal hostess.”