These arrangements made, Patty’s day wasn’t all that bad after all. The girls helped her with her studies, and that was positive. Patty got a lot of stares and many looks and comments from many of her old friends, but they dared not touch her or her clothing, which reduced the agony considerably. Her new friends also warned her when, because she was not quite used to looking after them, her petticoats showed too much, or she was just not quite ladylike in her manners (It was rumored that some of the teachers actually reported back to Gram any indiscretions).
Mary and Mille were very close friends and, after a day with Patty in her predicament, got to know her and rather like her, and invited her over to Mary’s house after school the next day.