CHAPTER XV
A MORNING SWIM
“Now,” said Nan, “we must lay our plans. We’re going to celebratePatty’s birthday, all day long; but there isn’t very much time in a day,after all, so you must all choose what you think would be the most funto do. We’re going to the Country Club for luncheon, which is a motortrip of about twenty miles. Then we’ll come back, and this evening therewill be a little dinner dance, which is, of course, the real birthdayparty. Now you’ve about two hours before we start this morning. What doyou want to do?”
“I’m for a dip in the ocean,” declared Philip Van Reypen. “Does that hitanybody else?”
“Me!” exclaimed Roger, and, “Me, too,” declared Elise.
“I’d love to bathe,” said Christine, “if it isn’t too cold. Is the waterchilly, now, Patty?”
“It is a little,” admitted Patty; “at least, it was day beforeyesterday. I haven’t been in since. But to-day is a whole lot warmer. Idon’t believe it will be too cold, Christine.”
“Let’s all go in,” proposed Elise, “and then, if it is too chilly, wecan turn around and come right out again.”
This plan suited, and the girls ran away for their bathing suits.
Patty’s was white, trimmed with light blue, and was exceedinglybecoming. Her gold curls were tied up in a light-blue silk handkerchief,from which a few ringlets persisted in escaping, though she kept tuckingthem back.
“Let them hang down, Patty,” said Roger; “the salt water won’t take thecurl out!”
“No,” said Patty, laughing, “it makes it curl tighter than ever!”
“I envy you that,” said Christine. “I always wanted curly hair.”
“You needn’t,” said Patty. “Your soft, sleek bands are much bettersuited to your face than my corkscrews would be.”
Mr. Hepworth laughed at this, for Patty’s curls when wet turned intoveritable corkscrews, which hung from her temples like those of anold-fashioned belle.
Christine’s rather plain bathing suit was of navy blue, trimmed withwhite braid, but Elise was gorgeous in a suit of scarlet and black, withher hair tied up in a red bandanna.
Nan’s suit was entirely of black, and was both pretty and becoming; and,as Mr. Van Reypen surveyed the group, he said: “Well, you _are_ a bunchof naiads! You look like one of Sorolla’s pictures, except that wehaven’t any of his pumpkin-coloured light and purply-green shadows.”
“H’m!” commented Hepworth; “much you know about Sorolla’s work, if youexpress it in those terms.”
“Well, you see I’m not an artist,” said Van Reypen, for Mr. Hepworth’stone was so good-natured he couldn’t feel annoyed.
“Who can swim?” Philip went on. “I’m for a long dash out to thatfarthest buoy.”
“I can swim,” returned Patty, “but I won’t go as far out as that buoy.I’ll swim part way.”
“Come on, then;” and the two splashed into the breakers. Patty was agood swimmer, and there was not much surf that morning, so she had notrouble in keeping up with Philip for a fairly good distance. Then shesaid: “Now I’m going to turn back, Mr. Van Reypen. I’ve learned byexperience that it is better to turn back while we can.”
Van Reypen looked at her reproachfully as they swam slowly side by side.“You called me Philip, last night,” he said.
“I know it;” and Patty smiled roguishly; “but, you see, that was understress of a great emergency. I scarcely realised what I was doing,—andI hope you’ll forgive me.”
“I’ll forgive you only on condition that you never call me Mr. VanReypen again, and that you give me permission to call you Patty.”
“Aren’t you demanding a great deal?”
“Yes, I am, indeed; but you are so generous-minded that I have a hope ofyour consent.”
“I’ll race you to shore for it,” said Patty. “If you win, first namesgo; if I win, we shall continue with the more formal names.”
“All right; it’s an unfair advantage, but I’m going to take it. Ofcourse, I can beat you swimming to shore, but I’ll lag behind a little,and let you think you’re winning, and then pass you with a grandfinish.”
“Oh, I don’t know!” said Patty, teasingly, and then they both headedtoward shore and swam rapidly.
As he had proposed, Philip kept a few lengths behind her, meanwhilegasping and shouting that he was almost exhausted, and that he feared hecould never reach land.
Patty knew this was merely joking, and that soon, with a few strongstrokes, he would pass her and come in a long distance ahead. But shehad no intention of being beaten so easily. When nearly halfway to land,she saw Kenneth swimming toward her. As they met, she said, “Turn roundand swim with me, Ken; quick!”
He did so, and Patty went on, talking rapidly: “I want you to dosomething for me, Ken. Let me go on, and you turn and delay Mr. VanReypen. I don’t care what you do,—talk to him, duck him, or tease himin any way,—but somehow or other keep him back until I reach shore, anddon’t let him know you’re doing it purposely.”
“All right, count on me;” and Kenneth turned, and circled leisurelyaround, until he came face to face with Philip Van Reypen. “Hello!” hesaid. “You’re a ripping good swimmer! I want to show you a new stunt Ilearned lately. Mighty few could appreciate it, as I know you can.”
“Some other time, Harper,” hastily spoke Mr. Van Reypen. “I want tospeak to Miss Fairfield just now.”
“Oh, she won’t mind,” said Kenneth, taking care to keep directly in VanReypen’s way. “You see, you start sideways and then——”
“Oh, I say, Harper, wait till some other time! Let me pass, please. I’llbe back in ten minutes, and glad to learn your new trick.”
“Well, you needn’t be stuffy about it!”
“Oh, I’m not stuffy, my boy, only——”
“Then I’ll show you now. You see, you swim on one side;” and, before VanReypen realised what was happening to him, Kenneth had grasped his armand gently but steadily pushed him around until he was headed out to seaagain.
At this moment Patty reached the beach, as Kenneth saw out of the cornerof his eye, and, suddenly changing his tone, he said: “By George! VanReypen, I believe you were in earnest! In that case, I’m sorry Iinsisted. Of course, I’ll teach you the trick some other time! Go ahead,if you want to speak to Miss Fairfield. She’s right over there.”
Thus disarmed, Philip couldn’t answer Kenneth angrily, and, suppressinghis chagrin, he said: “All right, old chap, and thank you. We’ll go fora swim together, to-morrow morning, and then I’ll be glad to learn yournew stunt.”
Kenneth felt a little ashamed of his subterfuge, for he was of a frank,honest nature. But he had done it for Patty, and he felt sure that thewhole thing was some merry jest.
Freed from his tormentor, Van Reypen struck out swiftly for the shore,and the next moment, throwing himself on to a big breaker, he was washedup on the beach at Patty’s side.
“How do you do, Mr. Van Reypen?” said that mischievous damsel, smilingat him under her corkscrew curls.
“It wasn’t fair!” growled Philip; “I was delayed. Harper stopped me, andI couldn’t get away from him!”
“Oh, that’s a pretty excuse,” chaffed Patty. “I heard you say that youwere almost exhausted and out of breath, and you _were_ puffing like awhale!”
“Oh, that was mere foolery! I didn’t mean a word of it! I’m not a bitblown. I could swim for miles!”
“That all sounds very well, but I think you’ll have to admit that I wonthe race.”
“The race is not always to the swift,—but I admit gracefully that youdid reach the beach first, and I herewith relinquish all hope of everbeing allowed the privilege I had requested.”
“Oh, don’t give up too easily!” said Patty, though she well knew thathis speech was not made in earnest.
“Come along, Patty!” cried Nan. “Unless you want to go motoring in a wetbathing suit, you must scamper
into some dry clothes. Come along withus, we’re all going now.”
The crowd of bathers dispersed, and, as there was need for expedition,in less than a half an hour they reassembled, clad in civilian’s garband all ready for the picnic.
The girls’ light frocks were covered with voluminous motor-coats, andthey all wore pretty motor-hoods or bonnets of soft-coloured silks.
Three cars were necessary to accommodate the luncheon party, and it wasquite a gala procession that started from “The Pebbles.”
First was Mr. Fairfield’s own big car, driven by Miller, and containingMr. Fairfield and Nan, Christine and Mr. Hepworth.
This was followed by a runabout, which Mr. Fairfield had engaged for theoccasion, and which was driven by Roger.
This car held two in front, with a small rear seat for another. PhilipVan Reypen sat next to Roger, and Elise sat alone in the small backseat, saying she had always wanted to try such a position, but had neverbefore had opportunity.
“Hang on, then, Sis,” warned Roger, as they started, “for I don’t wantto stop and run back to pick you up all the time.”
“No danger,” said Elise, merrily; “but it is fun! I feel like anenthroned princess.”
“You look like one, too,” said Van Reypen, getting in beside Roger; “andwe are your two Gold-sticks in Waiting.”
The Swift Camilla brought up the rear of the procession, and in it werePatty and Kenneth. Kenneth had begged for this arrangement, as he saidhe had not yet had a ride in Patty’s new car.
“Neither have I,” declared Mr. Hepworth, and, after a moment’sconsideration, Patty said that she would take Kenneth half the way andthen exchange him for Mr. Hepworth.
“And nothing could be fairer nor that,” declared Kenneth, as he acceptedhis fate.
It was a perfect day for motoring—bright, clear, and not too cool.Spring flowers were in bloom in the gardens, and palms and shrubbery,carefully kept, made the lawns picturesque.
“Ideal place to spend a summer,” said Kenneth to Patty, as they flewalong, “and great roads for motoring.”
“Yes, it is,” agreed Patty. “The others want to go to the mountains inAugust, but I’m just crazy to stay here all summer. Perhaps I canpersuade them to go off by themselves, and leave me here. I could havesome one to chaperon me.”
“Of course you could; that would be gay. I expect Aunt Rachel wouldcome, if you wanted her.”
“She’s a dear old thing,—nobody I’d like better! But I haven’t daredbroach the subject yet. Don’t say anything about it.”
“All right, I won’t. But I say, Patty, what was that deal you had onwith Van Reypen? He was awful mad when I held him up out in the water.”
“Oh, it was nothing but foolishness!” said Patty, laughing at therecollection. “I promised him that, if he beat me to the shore, we’dcall each other by our first names,—otherwise not.”
“That was a _nice_ wager!” exclaimed Kenneth, in disgruntled tones.“Why, Patty, you don’t know that chap well enough to call him by hisfirst name!”
“Nonsense, Ken; I’m not grown-up and formal.”
“Well, he is!”
Patty laughed mischievously. “He is grown-up, but he isn’t a bitformal.”
“I should say not! I can tell you I didn’t like the way he carted youoff last night!”
“Oh, Kenneth, what a goose you are! You know the whole story of thatperformance. He couldn’t help the strap breaking, and, if my fatherdidn’t bother about it, I don’t think you need to!”
“That’s the same as telling me it’s none of my business.”
“Well, I didn’t mean it exactly that way, but, all the same, it isn’t!Don’t you like Mr. Van Reypen?”
“Yes, I do; he’s a rattling good chap. But I don’t want him coming downhere and monopolising you for motoring and swimming and everything else.I s’pose you’ll give him every other dance, to-night.”
Patty drew down the corners of her lips and made a sobbing sound in herthroat, as if she were on the verge of bursting into tears.
“D-don’t sco-o-ld me, K-kenneth!” she pleaded, in a voice which shemeant to sound tearful, but which was choking with laughter, and didn’tfool Kenneth a bit.
“You’re a little coquette, that’s what you are, Patty; and I won’t standit! I knew you long before Van Reypen did, and he’s not going to cut meout, I can tell you!”
“Good gracious, Kenneth! I should say he wasn’t! Why, he’s only anacquaintance, and you’re one of my oldest friends!”
“Of course I am;” and Patty’s hearty tone made Kenneth feel a littleashamed of his flash of jealousy.
“Well, then, don’t let me hear any more such foolish talk! Here I amtaking you ridy-by in my dear little car, and, instead of appreciatingit, you scold me all to pieces!”
“Forgive me, Patty; I am a brute. But somehow Van Reypen has such a waywith him. He acts as if he owned you and this car——”
“And ‘The Pebbles’ and father and Nan,” supplemented Patty, going offinto a peal of laughter. “Well, Ken, I can’t see any way for you to geteven with him but to act as if you owned us all yourself.”
“I can’t do it,” said Kenneth; “I haven’t that arrogance of nature.”
“What a pity!” said Patty, looking at him, with laughing eyes.
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