Patty—Bride

BY
CAROLYN WELLS

Author of
The TWO LITTLE WOMEN Series
The MARJORIE Books
etc.

GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers
NEW YORK

Copyright, 1918
By Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc.

PRINTED IN THE U. S. A.

TO
ONE OF THE DEAREST LITTLE GIRLS
IN THE WORLD,
BARBARA BUEHLER,
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I Philip’s Chance 9

II Bumble Arrives 25

III Captain Bill 42

IV The Boys in Khaki 59

V A Fire-Eater 73

VI A Sleighride 89

VII A Queer Chaperon 105

VIII In the Tea-Room 121

IX Letters 137

X A Valentine 153

XI Patty in Tears 170

XII Lena and Bill 186

XIII An Important Document 202

XIV Helen’s Adventure 220

XV A Desperate Situation 236

XVI The Flag and the Girl Back Home 252

XVII Patty and Bill 269

XVIII Patty’s Wedding 286

Patty-Bride

CHAPTER I
PHILIP’S CHANCE

“I can’t stand it, Patty, I simply can’t stand it!”

“But you’ll have to, Phil, dear. I’m engaged to Little Billee, and some day I’m going to marry him. And that’s all there is about it.”

“Oh, no, Patty, that isn’t all about it. I’m not going to give you up so easily. You don’t know how I care for you. You’ve no idea what a determined chap I can be,——”

“Now, stop, Phil. You know you promised that we should be friends and nothing more. You promised not to ask for more than my friendship—didn’t you, now?”

“I did but that was only so you’d stay friendly with me, and I thought,—forgive the egotism,—I thought I could yet win your love. Patty, you don’t care such a lot for Farnsworth, do you, now?”

“Indeed I do, Phil. Why, do you suppose I’d be engaged to him if I didn’t love him more than anybody in all the world? Of course I wouldn’t!”

“I know you think so, Patty,” Phil’s handsome face was grave and kind, “but you may be mistaken.”

“I’m not mistaken, Philip, and unless you change your subject of conversation, I’ll have to ask you to go away. I should think you’d scorn to talk like that to a girl who’s engaged to another man!”

“I should think I would, too, Patty. But I can’t help it. Oh, my girl, my little love, I can’t give you up. I can’t tamely stand aside and make no effort to win you back! I’m not asking anything wrong, Patty, only don’t send me away; let me try once again for you,——”

“It’s too late, Phil,” and Patty looked a little frightened at his vehemence.

“It’s never too late, until you’re actually married to him. When will that be?”

“Oh, I don’t know. We’ve only been engaged a fortnight,——”

“And I only learned of it today,——”

“I know, I tried to get you on the telephone,——”

“Yes, I’ve been down in Washington for a week or more. But, Patty, dearest, think how surprised and stunned I was to hear of it. I came right over, to learn from you, yourself, if it could be true.”

“Yes, Philip, it is true, and I’m glad and happy about it. I’m sorry you’ve been disappointed, but—there are others——”

“Hush!” and Van Reypen fairly glared at her, “never imply that there’s any one else in the world for me! Oh, Patty, my little Patty, I can’t bear it.”

His great, dark eyes were full of despair, his face was drawn with sorrow, and Patty forgave him, even while she resented his attitude.

“You mustn’t, Philip,” she said, gently; “it isn’t right for you to talk to me like that. I feel disloyal, even to listen to it.”

“I don’t care!” Van Reypen burst out. “You’re mine! You promised Aunty Van you’d marry me! You promised!”

Philip grasped her hand in both his own, and gazed at her so wildly that Patty was