CHAPTER XI
THE FIRST ARRIVALS
“Mona,” said Patty, severely, as they drove along, “you ought to knowbetter than to talk to a strange man in that familiar way! He wasn’t anice man at all.”
“Well, he helped us out of our difficulty.”
“Yes, and he’ll be paid for it. But there was no occasion to talk to himas you would to an acquaintance.”
“Oh, I’m not so awful stuck-up as all that!”
“It isn’t a question of stuck-upness! Or, if you do call it that, it wasjust the time to be stuck-up. Proper civility is all very well, but youneedn’t be chummy with a stranger. And I give you fair warning, Mona,that, if you want to be friends with me, you must never do that sort ofthing again.”
“I do want to be friends with you, Patty, and I think I see what youmean now, but I didn’t think I was doing any harm. I’m glad to have youscold me, Patty, for I do want to do what’s right. You see, I never hadmuch bringing-up. My mother died when I was a little girl, and sincethen father has indulged me in everything I wanted, but I’ve really hadnone of what you may call social training.”
Patty was amazed at the sudden humility of the girl whom she hadconsidered arrogant and self-satisfied. She began to think that shemight do a good work in teaching Mona some things of which she seemed tohave no idea, but which came to Patty by instinct.
“My mother died when I was very little, too,” she said; “but I think myfather brought me up as well as any woman could have done. And, then, Ihave the dearest stepmother. She’s just the perfection of all that’ssweet and gentle and refined.”
“You’re a lucky girl, Patty, and I envy you.”
“Now, that’s silly! You’re a lucky girl to have such an indulgentfather, and oceans of money, and freedom to do exactly as you choose.Why, you have all sorts of possibilities, Mona. You could make yourselfanything you want to.”
“Will you help me, Patty?”
“Why, yes, as far as I can.” Though Patty felt kindly disposed towardthe girl, and wanted to help her, she didn’t care to take the entireresponsibility of shaping her future, and she knew Mona’s pushing spiritwould demand this, if given a chance. So she dropped the subject for thepresent, and they chatted gaily of all sorts of things. And, when atlast Patty set Mona down at her own door, she had not mentioned thesubject of her birthday, or said that she was expecting a house party ofyoung people to visit her.
On reaching her own home, Patty related to her father and Nan theexperience she had had.
“You did exactly right, Patty, girl,” said her father, “and I will sendthe man a cheque for the tube, and a letter of thanks for his kindnessto my daughter, just as you told him I would do. I’m surprised that Monashould have acted as she did, for I supposed any young girl of thepresent day would know better than to speak familiarly to a stranger.”
“It wasn’t so much what she said, father, as her gay and easy manner,and the way she smiled at him. She showed no reserve or dignity.”
“Yes, I understand, and I am glad you reproved her. You may do her somegood, Patty, by your influence and example.”
Patty sighed a little. “I’m willing to help her, but I don’t want totake the whole burden of her social education on my shoulders.”
“Patty,” laughed Nan, “don’t take it so seriously. You’re not employedas nursery governess at ‘Red Chimneys’ yet, and the few occasions whenyou have opportunity to drop a good seed on Mona Galbraith’s thornysoil, it won’t hurt you a bit to do it.”
“Hurray for Nan!” cried Patty; “she always hits the nail on the head andrings the bull’s-eye! Well, anyway, I didn’t tell Mona about mybirthday, or that I expect company.”
“It wasn’t really necessary,” said Nan, drily; “she’ll probably be overhere a good deal of the time, anyway.”
“Not if I see her first!” retorted Patty, though she knew in her heart,if Mona chose to come, she couldn’t help herself.
“Well,” said her father, “now that we’ve all denounced Monasufficiently, I’ll express my opinion of Miss Patricia Fairfield. Anylittle girl who pretends to keep her motor accessories in order, andthen blithely rides away with an old burst tube in her repair kit, is,to my mind, as I’ve had occasion to tell her before, a feather-headedbutterfly!”
“Oh, don’t call me such dreadful names!” pleaded Patty, wringing herhands in mock despair. “Do let me down more easily than that! I’ve neverdone such a thing before, and I’m perfectly certain I never shallagain!”
“I don’t believe you ever will,” returned her father, kindly, and hesaid no more about what was really somewhat culpable carelessness.
* * * * *
The next day the guests arrived. It was Wednesday, and the birthday wason Thursday.
Elise and Roger were due at three o’clock. Mr. Hepworth was to bringChristine down a little later, and they were expected at five; whileKenneth and Mr. Van Reypen could not reach Spring Beach until seven.
So, a little before three, Patty started in her car to go to the stationto meet the Farringtons. As Elise and Roger stepped off the train, theysaw her sitting smiling at them, and they made a rush for the Stanhope.
“What a ducky little motor!” cried Elise. “Oh, Patty, it’s the prettiestone I ever saw! and it’s so becoming to you! Shall I get in?”
“Yes,” answered Patty, as she gaily greeted them both. “I’ll take youover to the house, Elise, but I can’t take you both. Roger, if you don’tmind, will you go in that stage vehicle, and I’ll give you a ride in mycar some other time.”
“Yes, of course, Patty; and I’ll look after the luggage. You two girlsgo on, and I’ll see you later. Where do I go to, Patty?”
“Oh, just tell the driver to take you to Mr. Fairfield’s house. He knowswhere it is. We call it ‘The Pebbles,’ but he may not know it by thatname. But you’ll get there, somehow.”
“Oh, I’ll get there!” declared Roger, and, with laughing good-byes, thetwo girls drove away.
“Don’t you love your car, Patty?” asked Elise, as they went swiftlyalong.
“Yes, I do, Elise. I love it almost as I would a human being. I’ve nevertold any one this, because it seems sort of silly. But sometimes, whenI’m out alone in it, I talk to it just as I would to a person, and sheseems to understand. I’ve named her the Swift Camilla, and somehowCamilla seems to understand everything I say to her, and she almosttalks back. Then, when I take other people with me, Camilla likes ordislikes them. If she dislikes them, she shows it by not running quiteso smoothly. She jumps and balks and shies, for no reason at all, exceptpetulance. Isn’t that so, Camilla?” and Patty patted the side of the carwith a caressing gesture.
“Does she like me?” asked Elise, anxiously.
“Yes, indeed! Don’t you see she’s flying along like a bird! She knowsyou understand her, Elise, and you don’t think she’s merely an inanimateobject.”
“Inanimate object! No, indeed! With her pulses thrilling and hersensitive nature alive to every passing incident, she’s far frominanimate!”
Patty looked at Elise in surprise. “Why, girlie,” she said, “I didn’tknow you had so much imagination in your make-up.”
“I’ve always felt that way about motor cars, Patty. Our great big car islumberly and fat, and a little bit stolid of disposition; but father hasa little runabout that’s the nervousest thing you ever saw. But thisStanhope! Well, I’ve simply got to have one like it, that’s all!Father’ll give it to me in a minute, if I only could persuade mother tolet me run it alone. But I’m ’most sure she never will.”
“This car of mine seems to sell others for the company,” said Patty,laughing. “There’s a girl down here, next door to me, who says she’sgoing to get one, too. And I know the boys will all fall in love withthis little beauty!”
“Meaning the car or the girl next door?” asked Elise, smiling.
“Oh, the car! The girl next door isn’t a little beauty! Well, that is, Isuppose she is good-looking in her own way, but——”
“But you don’t like her, isn’t that it?” and Elise smiled at her ownintuition.
“No, I don’t like her,” declared Patty, honestly; “but I’m trying to.I’ll tell you all about it some other time, and, anyway, you’ll probablysee her for yourself while you’re here. This is her home we’re passingnow.”
“Gorgeous place,” said Elise, as she looked at the imposing “RedChimneys.” “But I like this next place better. This big white house islovely.”
“Good for you, Elise! This is ‘The Pebbles,’ and your own destination.”
Patty turned into the drive, and stopped at the broad steps of the frontveranda. Nan was there to welcome them, and the two girls sprang out asMiller appeared to take the car away.
“Roger will be here soon!” exclaimed Patty, while Nan greeted Elisewarmly. “He’s coming over in the stage, and he’ll bring the luggage.Come on, Elise, I’ll show you your room.”
The two girls went off, and Patty took Elise to one of the pretty guestrooms. They stayed there chatting until Elise’s trunk came, and thenPatty declared she must run down and entertain Roger, while Eliseunpacked her things.
She found the boy still on the front veranda talking to Nan, with whomhe was a great favourite. Indeed, all Patty’s boy friends werefavourites with Nan, and she was so charming and attractive herself thatthey all liked to chat with her.
Kenneth Harper she looked upon as her especial protégé, for he was alonein the city; and Mr. Hepworth, of course, was one of her old friends.
As for Philip Van Reypen, Nan had liked him from the first, and they hadestablished a very chummy acquaintance. So, on the whole, the houseparty bade fair to be a great success, and Nan expected to enjoy its funalmost as much as Patty herself.
“You’re getting brown, Patty,” said Roger, looking admiringly at thetanned face.
“Yes, it’s outdoorsiness as does it! I swim and walk, and play tennisand go motoring all day long, and I sleep on a veranda at night.”
“So you get tanned by the moon as well as by the sun,” said Roger.“Well, it’s very becoming, and you look a whole lot healthier than youdid in the city.”
“Yes, I am. Come on out and see my car, Roger, and I’ll give you alittle spin, if you like. Elise is unpacking her finery and won’t missus.”
Like every one else, Roger was enthusiastic in his praise of thewonderful car, and gladly accepted Patty’s invitation to go for a shortride. He complimented Patty on her skilful driving, and they went forsome distance along the coast road.
“Let me drive back,” said Roger, as they turned homeward, and so theychanged seats for the return trip.
“Beautiful car!” he repeated; “and perfect mechanism. Patty, Icongratulate you on winning the thing, and it’s wonderful to think youdid win it all yourself!”
“Oh, I had a lot of help, you know!”
“Well, it was your own enterprise, and you worked pretty hard yourself.”
“Yes, I did;” and Patty smiled at the recollection. “I sat up nightswith those hundred questions, and lots of times I thought I shouldfail.”
“But still you persevered. That’s where you’re such a brick, Patty. Ifyou set your heart on anything, you never give up.”
“Well, I’m glad I persevered this time, anyway, for this car is aperfect joy to me. I suppose father would have given me one, if I hadasked for it, but somehow it never occurred to me that I wanted one. Ihad no idea I’d love it as I do.”
“Oh, they’re great things, and I’m jolly glad you’ve got this one.You’ll enjoy it more every day you own it. Now here we are at ‘ThePebbles.’ Do you want to turn in?”
“Yes; and I’m going to turn you out. Then I’m going to take the car andgo back to the station to meet Christine. She’s coming down with Mr.Hepworth.”
“Let me go over with you, then I can give Christine my place, and I’lltote old Hepworth over here.”
“All right; but I must see Elise before I go, and tell her where I’mgoing.”
To Patty’s surprise, Elise seemed a little annoyed to learn that she wasgoing to the train for Christine. Patty had almost forgotten the foolishjealousy that Elise had of her own friendship with Christine. But, asalways, she thought the best way to treat it was to ignore it; shesimply repeated her statement. “Yes, Elise,” she said, “I’m going overto the station to bring Christine home with me. Mr. Hepworth will comeover in the stage. He’s going to stay at the hotel, anyway; we haven’troom for him here. But, of course, he’ll be over here most of the time.Roger is going over with me, and then he’ll get out, and give Christinehis place, and he’ll come back with Mr. Hepworth. What will you do whileI’m gone? Will you dress for dinner, or will you take a little rest?”
They were in Elise’s room, and her pretty gowns and other finery werelying about, as she had unpacked them.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter about me,” she said, ungraciously; “you go on andmeet your friend Christine, and I’ll look after myself.”
“Elise, stop being a goose!” cried Patty, grasping her by the shouldersand kissing her on both cheeks. “If you talk like that, you’ll spoil mywhole house party and my birthday and everything! Now, you’re my friend,and Christine is my friend, and you two girls have simply got to befriends with each other; so make your mind up to that! If you sayanother snippy word on the subject, I’ll go and lock myself in my ownroom, and stay there until you go home!”
Elise laughed, for she was always a little ashamed of herself after anexhibition of her petty jealousy, and Patty knew that she wouldn’trepeat the offence, for the present at least.
“You ring for Louise,” Patty went on, “to help you put away these prettyfrocks and things, and then you make yourself at home, and do just whatyou want to until I come back with Christine. And then, milady, you willbe just as sweet and charming to Christine as you can possibly be! Catchon?”
“Yes,” said Elise, smiling, and Patty kissed her again and ran away.
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