y of Assoc

Rico to spend two weeks with her father and the Atlantic Fleet. Patty, lonely and abandoned,

ish some spring shopping. Patty and Rosalie each needed new hats-besides such minor matters as gloves and shoes and petticoats-and Mae was to have a fitting fo

bile accident on his way to the performance, and that he was too damaged to appear; money would be refunded at the box offi

herself knew that she had no strength of character; and she conscientiously strove to overcome

h all the firmness she could assume, and herself picked out a drama entitled "The Wizard

pherd's Hotel. She wore long, clinging robes of chiffon and gold cut in the style of Cleopatra along Parisian lines. Her rose-tinted ears were enhanced by drooping earrings, and her eyes were cunningly lengt

y fascinated. They thrilled over the scenery and music and costumes all the way back in the train. Cairo, to their dazzled eyes, op

and English officers, she was suddenly startled wide awake by feeling two hands rise from the darkness and clutch her shou

instantly cove

iet! Haven't y

is wide open, and L

right of the bed, and M

want?" asked

tly splendid idea,"

iety," echoed

owled Patty. "I wa

spitality, but drawing their bath robes closer about them, settled down to talk. Patty, being co

reation with Rosalie. "And it's going to be really secret this time. I'm not going to let in th

Society of Associated Sirens

t?" deman

the sonorous syll

ated Shi-rens," Patty mumbled s

in public. The name's a secre

's it

not to tell?" Ma

ourse I w

and Conny when

them members

e only ones who really ought to be members, because we saw the play. But anyhow; you m

promise. Wha

spered impressively. "We're going to be

patra," sa

urselves on M

at for?" inquired Pa

g our hearts and des

hasn't bee

on't know any men, but you will know them some day, and then y

prepare for war,

ladylike to be a siren?

y but a lady could possibly be one. Did you

nfessed. "I don'

," put in Rosalie. "I'

y agreed. "What a

fascinating, with a fatal charm tha

?" There was some do

ak your face in oatmeal and almond-oil and honey, and let your hair hang in t

milk," interrupted Mae. "Cleopatra had; b

and have some one song like the 'Lorelei!' that yo

Rosalie were the partners she would naturally have chosen in any enterprise, but circumstances had thrown them together that day, an

utes more, until they heard the murmur of Miss

y. "I think you'd better to go to bed.

Rosalie, with a shi

ught really to do it at midnight-but maybe half-past ten will

ands and whis

this society; and if I break this oath, may I become freckled a

ese seemed perplexingly at variance. The hair, for example, was to be exposed to air and sunlight, but the face was not. They cleverly circumvented this difficulty however. The week's allowance wen

turned to the safe confines of the playground with frightened shrieks. Dark rumors began to float about the school

s of strained honey in the storeroom; but the windows were barred, and the key was in the bottom of Nora's pocket. Confronted by the immediate necessity of becoming beautiful, they could not placidly sit down for five days, and

pply a glass of milk and a piece of bread and butter, while Patty perched on a corner of the carving-table and settled herself for conversation. The girls were not supposed to visit the kitchen, but the law was never rigidly enforced. Nora was a social soul and she welcomed callers. Patty praised the apple dum

ys to the meal, and unobtrusively transferr

middle of the rug. At the same instant, Miss Lord bore down upon her from the end of the corridor. Patty was a young person of resource; the emergency of the moment rar

k up the entire hall?" was Miss

over, Patty satisfactorily cleaned up the mess. The other two girls were

would be more accurate to say that the poultice stuck to them. In sp

t Patty Wyatt in the hall one morning. She took her by the ch

hat is the matter

actly. It seems so

t did! What have

ls," said Patty, reliev

," diagnosed Miss Sallie. "What you need is a

it, really. I'm sure I'll be all right." She had tried bonese

ed the disease to spread to the school girls. That afternoon she superintended an infusion of boneset, of gigantic proportions, and at bedtime a reluctant school formed in line and filed past Miss Sallie, who, ladle in hand, presided over the punch bowl. E

sure enough, the scales disappeared. (The Associated Sirens had discarde

e had been sent for. Someone in Mae's family was conveniently ill a great deal of the time.) She brought with her three bracel

said Patty, with grateful ap

ed. "To represent Cleopatra. She was the Serpen

rom time to time, its raison d'être remained a mystery. The school really commenced to believe that the society had a secret. Miss Lo

he meaning of S. A

et society,"

suppose the name is a deep mystery." She lowered

she was amused by the vagaries of her little pupils. She did not possess Miss Sallie's happ

said Patty. "If that got out, it

of this famous society?

is, I mustn't te

seraphic gaze that always warned those who kne

" she added confidentially. "We're to-well-to s

of friendly understanding. "Then S. A

oud," Patty lowered her voice and thr

dy for worlds," Miss L

tty. "It would be dr

provingly. "But you ought not to keep it all to yourselve

ty sweetly. "If you care to belo

she met them shortly in the gymnasium. The account of the interview was re

s," Patty explained. "It amuses Lordy to think she's helping

book with dogged perseverance,-the subject lay along the line of their natural ambitions-but Patty felt other matters calling. Spring field sports had commenced, and the nearness of the annua

tesy only, but Patty had failed to inform the Dowager that the title was not his by natural right. She knew well what the result

d the city contingent, Rosalie Patton was waiting the arrival on the por

ful thing ha

Patty

S. All is d

!" cried Pa

Come i

o the empty cloak-ro

the name-and everything?"

would have if it hadn't been f

incredulity mixed with Patty

at kind of a chaperone Waddy makes." Patty nodded impatiently. "Anybody could fool her

y hotly. "How p

lly. She was just trying to put the pri

st have picked ou

mind. The poor young man just couldn't help himself. He was so embarrassed that he didn't know what he was doing. He gave Hester Pringle half chocolate and half sarsaparilla, and she says it was a perfectl

Patty bre

gstore to get some potash for Harriet Gladden

Sallie do?" Pat

ld the Dowager, and they called up Mae Mertelle

ty impatiently.

o Mae's father to come and take her away. And she asked Mae if she had anything to say for herself, and Mae said it wasn't her fault. That you

!" sai

not to tell, but you know the way the Dowager looks when she's angry. Even a sphinx

ng herself for the shock. "Wha

a very admirable institution, and that she was a member herself! She said it was a branch of the Sunshine Society, and that Mae had never meant to flirt with the young man. She had just meant to sm

her," Pat

says that he's a horrid little thing with a turn-up nose, and that she'll n

going to le

or a week, and learn Thanatopsis by heart. And she can't ever go shopping in the village any more. When

e Dowager goin

dn't been for Lordy, we'd al

l? You simply can't keep enemies. Just as you think people are perfectly h

Mertelle," s

Patty agree

o leave her

toward the mirror. "And I'm not f

ed; she had for the moment forgo

ld Uncle

y! How co

e," she confessed, "I thought myself that it would be sort

did

hook he

then he noticed my bracelet and wanted to know what S.

did he

really very impressive-sort of like Sunday School, you know. And he took the brace

it will be?" asked R

t won't b

er desk in geometry class. Buried in jeweler's cotton she found a gold linked bracelet that fasten

it locked until the chap

turning into French and privately

d it with senti

ne with the key

Patty, "he's got

fully r

the suggestion of a sigh. "But it isn't really.