She's perfectly lovely. She's a
grown-up young lady, compared to Bumble and me--she's about twenty-two, I
think--and I know Kenneth will lose his heart to her. He'll have no more
use for schoolgirls."
"Probably not," said Kenneth; "but I'm afraid the adorable young lady
will have no use for me. She won't if Hepworth's around, and he usually
is. He's always cutting me out."
"Nothing of the sort," said Patty staunchly. "Mr. Hepworth is very nice,
but he's papa's friend,"
"And whose friend am I?" said young Harper.
"You're everybody's friend," said Patty, smiling at him. "You're just
'Our Ken.'"
Miss Nan Allen was delighted to accept an invitation to Boxley Hall, and
it was arranged that she and the Barlow twins should spend August there.
"A month is quite a long visit, Pattikins," said her father.
"Yes, but you see, papa, I stayed there three months. Now, if three of
them stay here one month, it will be the same proportion. And,
besides, I like them, and I want them to stay a good while. I shan't
get tired of them."
"I don't believe you will, but you may get tired of the care of
housekeeping, with guests for so long a time. But if you do, I shall pick
up the whole tribe of you and bundle off for a trip of some sort."
"Oh, papa, I wish you would do that. I'd be perfectly delighted. I'll do
my best to get tired, just so you'll take us."
"But if I remember your reports of your Barlow cousins, it seems to me
they would not make the most desirable travelling companions.
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