“You don’t really, you know,” and Kit smiled at her, calmly, “you’re just as ready to admit yourself tricked, as I was.”

Patty went off into a peal of laughter at the thought of how she had insisted that Kit should own up to being tricked, when they met; but she felt a little chagrined that her joke had fallen through.

“I’m glad of it,” declared Adele, “for I may as well confess, Mr. Cameron, it had prejudiced me against you to think you would write those letters to a stranger.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t, Mrs. Kenerley,” said Kit, with exaggerated earnestness.  “Honest and truly, I wouldn’t!  I never write letters to strangers, unless I’m sure the strangers are Patty Fairfield.  And I’m sure I shouldn’t dare to write a letter to the young lady of the photograph that came to me.  She looked like an angel in the last stages of nervous prostration.”

“That’s exactly what she did look like,” said Adele, laughing.  “I must tell Hester that!  She’s a school-girl cousin of mine, Mr. Cameron, and if she were here, she’d enjoy this two-story joke as well as any of us.”

Cameron stayed to dinner, as he said, to make his peace with Mr. Kenerley when he came home, but really because he wanted to remain with the pleasant house party.

Hal Ferris came home at dinner time, too, and was greatly diverted by the whole story of the Belle Harcourt joke.

After dinner, it was warm enough to sit out on the veranda till time for Kit to go to the train.

At last the chauffeur brought the little runabout to the door, and Kit took leave of the merry group.

“Be sure to come back on Saturday morning,” said Adele, as she shook hands with him.

“Trust me for that, Mrs. Kenerley.  I’m so delighted with the invitation, I’m afraid I’ll get here too soon.”

“Come up on the noon train.  The May party’s at four o’clock.  And now you must fly or you’ll lose your train.”

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” said Kit, as he took Patty’s hand, to say good-bye to her last.

Patty followed him down the steps of the veranda, and he was about to step into the car, when he said, “Come on down to the station with me.”

“I will,” said Patty, impulsively, and as there was no time to discuss the matter, she sprang into the car.  Kit jumped in after her, and slammed the door and they were off.

“We’ve eloped,” Cameron called back, as they whizzed away.

“All right,” Adele called after them; “send Patty back by the chauffeur.  There are extra wraps under the seat.”

“What a duck you are to come!” said Kit, as they swung out through the gate.

“I didn’t mean to; but I jumped in before I thought.”

“Always jump in before you think,—­that is, if I’m around.  If there’s any danger of drowning, I’ll pull you out.”

“Oh, I can swim.  Kit, I don’t see how you knew I wrote that letter.”