The fury of the elements had increased. The wind was a raging northern blast, and the snow was already piled in drifts. It was, in fact, a blizzard in a small way, and was rapidly growing. "But never mind the weather, so long as we're together," sang Patty with a little trill, as she danced about the room. Then she seated herself at the old, square piano, and began to sing snatches of gay songs. "My land! How pretty you do sing," said Miss Winthrop, who was leaning on the end of the piano, listening delightedly. "Oh, sing more, won't you? I don't know when I've had such a treat." So Patty sang several of her prettiest songs, and the two old ladies were enchanted. Moreover, Eliza, the maid-of-all-work, and 'Kiah, the hired man, appeared in the doorway of the sitting-room and listened too. "Come on, Philip; let's give them a duet," and Patty broke into some rollicking college songs, in which Philip joined. Glad to be able to please their kind entertainers, they kept on singing for an hour or more. "Well, that was great!" exclaimed Mrs. Fay, as Patty rose at last from the piano stool. "I used to sing some, and he used to sing bass. My, but we had nice times singing together there at that same piano. You two just made me think of it all over again. I think it's awful nice for two to sing together." "Yes, we're awfully fond of singing together," said Philip, with a glance at Patty, half mischievous, half tender, whereat Patty blushed. "You needn't tell me," said Mrs. Fay, nodding her head. "I see just how it is with you two. You can't hide it, you know, so you needn't to try." "Oh, I don't want to hide anything, I'm sure," said Philip. But Patty said, "Don't be foolish, Philip; there's nothing to hide! You're mistaken, Mrs. Fay, if you think we're anything more than friends." "Oh, land, child, I know what that means! Maybe you ain't ready to say yes yet, but you will soon. Well, it ain't none of my business, but I'm free to confess you are as proper-lookin' a young couple as I'd want to meet; and mighty well suited to each other." "That's what I think," began Philip, but Patty turned the subject and went back to the weather, which was always a safe ground for conversation, if not safe to go out into. "Well," she said, going to the window for the fourteenth time; "it's perfectly hopeless to think of starting. And it's after four now, and it's blowing great guns and snowing like all possessed! Mrs. Fay, we'll simply have to accept your hospitality for the night. Now I think I'll telephone Adele that we're stormbound." But though Patty called and called, she could get no answer from the telephone Central. "Guess the wires must be down," said Miss Winthrop. "They broke down last winter with a snow that came sudden, just like this, and 'twas a week before we got it fixed." "Let me try," and Philip took the receiver from Patty's hand. But it made no difference who tried, they could get no answer of any kind.