Selfishness is
not your besetting sin, Miss Patty Fairfield, and I can't allow you to
libel yourself."
"I quite agree with you, Ken," said Mr. Fairfield. "My small daughter may
not be absolutely perfect, but selfishness is not one of her faults. At
least, that's the conclusion I've come to, after observing her pretty
carefully through her long and checkered career."
"Well, if I'm not selfish, I will certainly become vain if so many
compliments are heaped upon me," said Patty, laughing; "and I'm sure I
value very highly the opinions of two such wise men."
"Oh, say a man and a boy," said young Harper modestly.
"All right, I will," said Patty, "but I'm not sure which is which.
Sometimes I think papa more of a boy than you are, Ken."
"Now you've succeeded in complimenting us both at once," said Mr.
Fairfield, "which proves you clever as well as unselfish."
"Well, never mind me for the present," said Patty; "I want to talk about
some other people, and they are some more of my cousins."
"A commodity with which you seem to be well supplied," said Kenneth.
"Indeed I am; I have a large stock yet in reserve, and I think, papa,
that I'll ask Bob and Bumble to visit me for a few weeks."
"Do," said Mr. Fairfield, "if you would enjoy having them, but not
otherwise. You've just been through a siege of entertaining cousins, and
I think you deserve a vacation."
"Oh, but these are so different," said Patty. "Bob and Bumble are nothing
like the St.
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