“What are you doing in Maple Bank?” she said, as soon as she could speak for laughing.

Kit looked at her gravely.  “I came expressly to meet a girl in a white frock and pink roses.  I don’t see any other around, so—­it might as well be you!”

“You needn’t try to turn it off so carelessly,” said Patty.  “Own up that you’re caught!  What was your girl’s name?”

“Belle—­My Belle—­” And Cameron rolled his eyes in such soulful manner, that Patty went off in another paroxysm.

“Oh, you Joke King, you!  Nobody can trick you, can they?  Do you own up?”

“Own up what? that I’d rather see you than any other belle?  Certainly, I’ll own that.  But my time is up.  You know we were only to gaze once into each other’s eyes and then part forever!” And Kit gazed into her eyes as if it were indeed the last time.

“That’ll do,” said Patty, laughing again.  “The farce is over.  Now come and be real.  Your own beautiful real self.  Come and meet my friends.”

“Who?” said Kit, as he accompanied Patty across the street.

“Here he is,” sang out Patty, as they reached the car.  “Mrs. Kenerley,—­Miss Dow,—­may I present Mr. Cameron, the celebrated violin virtuoso.”

Adele greeted him warmly, and Daisy smiled on him, and Cameron’s own delightful manner soon made them all friends.

“Jump in and go home with us, Mr. Cameron,” said Adele, turning down a side seat in the car.

“But my stay in Maple Bank is limited,” said Kit.  “I’m due to take the next train back to New York.”

“Come back with us to tea, anyway,” said Adele.

“You can stay to dinner, too,” said Patty, “and take a late train down from Fern Falls.”

“But you see, though I dressed with particular care to meet a very charming young lady, I didn’t expect to dine with her.”

“Oh, no matter,” said Adele; “we won’t be formal to-night.  But if you will, Mr. Cameron, we’d like to have you come back on Saturday for our May-day celebration.”

“Will I!” said Kit; “you’re awfully good to ask me, Mrs. Kenerley, after you’ve discovered what a wicked young man I am, thus to follow up invitations from strange ladies.  But you see the photograph that came to me was so charming that the temptation was irresistible.”

“If you’d known it was only me, you wouldn’t have come, would you?” asked Patty.

Kit regarded her solemnly.  Then he waved his hand, as if dismissing a question of no moment.  “It doesn’t matter,” he said, “all young ladies in pink and white look alike to me.”

“Then I’m glad I’m not in pink and white,” said Daisy, who was looking very pretty in a blue linen frock, with wide black ribbons.

“So am I,” and Kit smiled at her approvingly.  “You look so different, it’s a pleasure to observe you.”

Cameron had a charming way of talking nonsense, and before they reached home both Daisy and Adele had taken a decided liking to the gay young man.