I want you to
have a good time at your first ball."
As Frank Elliott and Kenneth Harper and Mr. Hepworth came down to Spring
Lake to stay over Sunday, the party of friends at Marlborough House was
considerably augmented. When the young men arrived the girls were lazily
basking on the sand, and Nan was pretending to read a book to the other
two. Only pretending, however, for Patty kept interrupting her with
nonsensical remarks, and Marian teased her by slowly sifting sand through
her fingers onto the pages of the book.
"I might as well try to read to a tribe of wild Indians as to you two
girls," said Nan at last. "Don't you _want_ your minds improved?"
"Do you think our superior minds _can_ be improved by that trash you're
reading?" said Patty. "I really think some of your instructive
conversation would benefit us more greatly."
"You're an ungrateful pair," said Nan, "and you don't deserve that I
should waste my valuable conversation upon you. And you don't deserve,
either, that I should tell you to turn your heads around to see who's
coming--but I will."
Her hearers looked round quickly, and saw three familiar figures coming
along the board walk.
"Goody!" cried Patty, and scrambling to her feet, she ran with
outstretched hands to meet them.
She didn't look very grown up then, in her blue-serge beach dress and her
hair in a long thick braid down her back, and curling round her temples
in windblown locks; but to Mr.
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