That surely would be awkward, she thought.

Patricia's dress was a light gray silk, tastefully made, and had she
been content to wear it as it had been sent to her from New York, she
would have looked well-dressed, and no one would have made comments upon
her appearance.

The soft red girdle gave a touch of color, but not nearly enough to
please Patricia.

At the village store she had purchased ribbons of many colors, from
which she had made bows or rosettes of every hue, and these she had
tacked upon her slippers. Her hair was tied with a bright blue ribbon,
and over the shoulders of her blouse she had sewed pink and yellow
ribbons. Narrow green edged her red girdle.

Blue and buff, rose and orange, straw-color and lavender, surely not a
tint was missing, and the result was absolutely comical! One would have
thought that a lunatic had designed the costume.

And when she believed that her dress had been seen from all angles,
Patricia left the reception-room, passing to a larger room beyond, where
she seated herself, and at once assumed a bored expression. Not the
least interest in other pupils had she. She had come to the little
social to be gazed at, and as soon as she believed that all must have
seen her, the party held no further interest for her.

She heard the buzz of whispered conversation in the room that she had
left, and she wished that she might know what they were saying. It was
well that she could not.