"No, sir; not alone. Father would ask his sister, my Aunt
Adelaide, to stay with us, as chaperon. She's a lovely lady, and
she'd be glad to come."

"Well, I don't know,--I don't know," said Mr. Fairfield. "I'm not
sure I could go off and leave Patty with strangers."

"But I'm not a stranger," said Mona, "and Aunt Adelaide won't be,
as soon as you know her. I haven't seen her myself for some years,
but she's a lovely, sweet character,--everybody says so. And then,
you see, we wouldn't have to close up our house, and Patty
wouldn't have to leave Spring Beach,--and, oh, we could have
lovely times!"

"How long will your father be gone?"

"Two months. August and September. He would rather take me with
him, but he said if you all agreed to my plan, he would do so,
too."

"Well, it's a surprise," said Mr. Fairfield, "and we'll have to
think it over, and talk it over. How does it strike you, Patty?"

Patty considered. It was her habit to decide quickly, but this was
a case with several sides to be looked at. Yet, of course, it must
be decided at once, for Mr. Galbraith must have time to make his
preparations.

Patty's heart jumped with joy at the thought of staying at Spring