"No, I know it," returned Jack, coolly, and they both laughed.

But Patty knew she had already gained one friend for Mona, for
heretofore, Jack Pennington had ignored the girl's existence.

"What are you doing to-morrow, Patty?" asked Dorothy Dennison, as
she and Guy Martin came up to the corner where Patty and Jack were
sitting. It was a pleasant nook, a sort of balcony built out from
the main veranda, and draped with a few clustering vines. The
veranda was lighted with Japanese lanterns, whose gayer glow was
looked down upon by the silvery full moon.

"We're going to the Sayres' garden party,--Mona and I," said
Patty.

"Oh, good gracious!" rejoined Dorothy. "I suppose Mona will have
to be asked everywhere, now you're staying with her!"

"Not to YOUR parties, Dorothy, for I'm sure neither of us would
care to come!"

It was rarely that Patty spoke crossly to any one, and still more
rarely that she flung out such a bitter speech as that; but she
was getting tired of combating the prevalent attitude of the young
people toward Mona, and though she had determined to overcome it,
she began to think it meant real warfare. Dorothy looked perfectly
amazed. She had never heard gentle, merry Patty speak like that
before.