As Patty stepped out of her room into the hall the next morning, at eight o’clock, she found Hal Ferris already tiptoeing down the stairs. He put his finger to his lip with a great show of secrecy, which made Patty laugh.

“Why must we be so careful?” she whispered. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”

“No; but it’s so much more fun to pretend we are. Let’s pretend we’re on a mysterious mission, and if we are discovered we’re lost!”

So they crept downstairs silently, and reached the breakfast-room, without seeing any one except one or two of the maids, who were dusting about.

Patty had on a trim, short skirt of white cloth and a blouse of soft white silk. Over this she wore a scarlet coat, and her golden curls were tucked into a little scarlet skating cap with a saucy, wagging tassel. 159

But in the warm, cheery breakfast-room she threw off her coat and sat down at the table.

“I didn’t intend to eat anything,” she said; “but the coffee smells so good, I think I’ll have a cup of it, with a roll.” She smiled at the waitress, who stood ready to attend to her wishes, and Hal took a seat beside her, saying he would have some coffee also.

“We won’t eat our breakfast now, you know,” he went on; “but we’ll come back with raging appetites and eat anything we can find. I say, this is jolly cosy, having coffee here together like this! I s’pose you won’t come down every morning?”

“No, indeed,” and Patty laughed. “I don’t mind admitting I hate to get up early. I usually breakfast in my room and dawdle around until all hours.”

“Just like a girl!” said Hal, sniffing a little.

“Well, I am a girl,” retorted Patty.

“You sure are! Some girl, I should say! Well, now, Girl, if you’re ready, let’s start.”

He held Patty’s scarlet coat for her while she slipped in her arms.

Then he disappeared for a moment, and returned wearing a dark red sweater, which was 160 very becoming to his athletic figure and broad shoulders.

“Come on, Girl,” he said, gathering up their skates, and off they started.

“It’s nearly half a mile to the lake. Are you good for that much walk?” Ferris asked, as they swung along at a brisk pace.

“Oh, yes, indeed, I like to walk; and I like to skate, but I like best of all to dance.”

“I should think you would,—you’re a ripping dancer. You know, to-night we’ll have ‘Sir Roger de Coverley’ and old-fashioned dances like that. You like them?”

“Yes, for a change; but I like the new ones best. Are we going to have any dressing up to-night? I do love dressing up.”

“Glad rags, do you mean?”

“No; I mean fancy costumes.”

“Oh, that. Well, old Jim’s going to be Santa Claus. I don’t think anybody else will wear uncivilised clothes.”

“But I want to. Can’t you and I rig up in something, just for fun?”

“Oh, I say! that would be fun. What can we be? Romeo and Juliet, or Jack and Jill?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that. Something more 161 like Christmas, you know. Well, I’ll think it over through the day, and we’ll fix it up.”

Skating on the lake so early in the morning proved to be glorious exercise. The ice was perfect, and the crisp, clear air filled them with exhilaration.

Both were good skaters, and though they did not attempt fancy figures, they spent nearly an hour skating around the lake.

“That’s the best skate I ever had!” declared Hal, when they concluded to return home.

“It certainly was fine,” declared Patty, “and by the time we’ve walked back to the house, I shall be quite ready for some eggs and bacon.”

“And toast and marmalade,” supplemented Ferris.

“I wonder if Daisy will be down. Does she come down to breakfast usually?”

“Sometimes and sometimes not,” answered Ferris, carelessly. “She’s a law unto herself, is Daisy Dow.”

“You’ve known her a long time, haven’t you?”

“Just about all our lives. Used to go to school together, and we were always scrapping. Daisy’s a nice girl, and a pretty girl, but she sure has got a temper.” 162

“And a good thing to have sometimes. I often wish I had more.”

“Nonsense! you’re perfect just as you are.”

“Oh, what a pretty speech! If you’re going to talk like that, I shall take the longest way home.”

“I’d willingly agree to that, but I don’t believe you’re in need of further exercise just now. Come, own up you’re a little bit tired.”

“Hardly enough to call it tired, but if there is a short cut home let’s take it.”

“And what about the pretty speeches I’m to make to you?”

“Leave those till after breakfast. Or leave them till this evening and give them to me for a Christmas gift.”

“Under the mistletoe?” and Ferris looked mischievous.

“Certainly not,” said Patty, with great dignity. “I’m too grown-up for such foolishness as that!”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Ferris.

The appearance of the two runaways in the breakfast-room was greeted with shouts of surprise.

Adèle knew they had gone skating, but no one 163 else did, and it was supposed they hadn’t yet come downstairs.

Patty’s glowing cheeks were almost as scarlet as her coat and cap, while Ferris was grinning with boyish enthusiasm.

“Top o’ the morning to you all,” he cried. “Me and Miss Fairfield, we’ve been skating for an hour.”

“On the lake?” cried Daisy, in surprise. “Why, you must have started before sunrise.”

“Oh, no, not that,” declared Patty, as, throwing off her wraps, she took a seat next to Adèle; “but long enough to get up a ravenous appetite. I hope the Kenerley larder is well stocked.”

“Why didn’t you let us all in on this game?” asked the host. “I think a morning skating party would be just about right.”

“All right,” said Patty. “We’ll have one any morning you say. I shall be here for a fortnight, and I’ll go any morning you like.”

“I won’t go,” declared Mona. “I hate skating, and I hate getting up early, so count me out.”

“I doubt if any one goes very soon,” said Adèle, “for I think there’s a storm coming. It looks bright out of doors, but it feels like snow in the air.” 164

“It does,” agreed her brother; “and I hope it will snow. I’d like a real good, old-fashioned snowstorm for Christmas.”

“Well, I hope it won’t begin before night,” said Adèle. “We’ve a lot to do to-day. I want you all to help me decorate the tree and fix the presents.”

“Of course we will,” said Patty. “But, if I may, I want to skip over to the village on an errand. Can some one take me over, Adèle, or must I walk?”

“I’ll go with you,” said Daisy, who was of no mind to be left out of Patty’s escapades, if she could help it.

“All right, Daisy, but you mustn’t tell what I buy, because it’s a secret.”

“Everything’s a secret at Christmas time,” said Mr. Kenerley; “but, Patty, you can have the small motor, and go over to the village any time you like.”

As there was room for them all, Daisy and Mona both accompanied Patty on her trip to the village, and Hal Ferris volunteered to drive the car. But when they reached the country shop, Patty laughingly refused to let any of the party go inside with her, saying that her purchases would be a Christmas secret. 165

She bought a great many yards of the material known as Turkey red, and also a whole piece of white illusion. Some gilt paper completed her list, and she ran back to the car, the shopkeeper following with her bundles. They attended to some errands for Adèle, and then whizzed back to the house just in time to see the Christmas tree being put into place.

“We’re going to have the tree at five o’clock,” said Adèle, “on account of baby May. It’s really for her, you know, and so I have it before dinner.”

“Fine!” declared Patty. “And where do we put our presents?”

“On these tables,” and Adèle pointed to several small stands already well heaped with tissue-papered parcels.

“Very well, I’ll get mine,” and Patty went flying up to her room. Mona followed, and the two girls returned laden with their bundles.

“What fascinating looking parcels,” said Adèle, as she helped to place them where they belonged. “Now, Patty, about the tree; would you have bayberry candles on it, or only the electric lights?”

“Oh, ............