Patty's Suitors

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER VIII

  A HOUSE PARTY

  Somehow or other Mr. Cameron immediately became a prominent factor inthe Fairfield household. He appeared frequently, and even morefrequently he telephoned or he wrote notes or he sent flowers ormessages, until Patty declared he was everlastingly under foot!

  But he was so gay and good-natured, so full of pranks and foolery, thatit was impossible to snub him or to be annoyed with him.

  He was a civil engineer, having already built up a good-sized business.But he seemed to be both able and willing to leave his office at anyhour of the day or night for any occasion where Patty was concerned.

  But he apparently fulfilled her wishes as to being her friend and chumand comrade, without falling in love with her.

  "He's a thoroughly nice chap," Mr. Fairfield often said; "good-naturedand right-minded, as well as clever and talented."

  So, as he was also a favourite with Nan, he dropped in at the Fairfieldhouse very often, and Patty grew to like him very much.

  The opera party had duly taken place and had been a pleasant success.The musical entertainment was being planned for some weeks hence, as itwas not easy to find a near-by date which suited all concerned.

  One morning, as Patty was fluttering around her boudoir and lookingover her mail, the telephone rang and the familiar "Hello, Princess,"sounded in her ear.

  "Hello, most noble Knight," she responded, "what would'st thou of me?"

  "A boon so great that I fear to ask it! Won't you promise it inadvance?"

  "What I promise in advance, I never fulfil."

  "Don't do it, then! I'll ask you first. You see, it's this way. Myangelic and altogether delightful sister Lora lives in Eastchester withher stalwart husband and a blossom-bud of a kiddy. Now it seems thatthere's a wonderful country-club ball up there, and she thinks it willbe nice if you and I should attend that same."

  "And what do YOU think about it?"

  "Oh, I don't have any thoughts concerning it, until I know what YOUthink. And then, of course, that's precisely what _I_ think."

  "When is it?"

  "To-morrow night."

  "Mercy me! So soon! Well, I haven't anything on for to-morrow night;but the next night Mr. Van Reypen is making a theatre party for me thatI wouldn't miss for anything."

  "H'm! how LOVELY! Well, Princess, what say you to my humble plea?"

  "What are your plans? How do I get there?"

  "Why, thusly; my sister will invite you to her home, and incidentallyto the ball. She will also ask my cousin Marie and Mr. Harper, who isnot at all averse, it seems to me, to playing Marie's little lamb!"

  "Have you noticed that? So have I. Well, go on."

  "Well, then, I thought it would be nice if we four should motor out toEastchester to-morrow afternoon, go straight to sister's, do up theball business and motor back the next day. There's the whole case in anutshell. Now pronounce my doom!"

  "It seems to me just the nicest sort of a racket, and if your sisterinvites me, I shall most certainly accept."

  "Oh, bless you for ever! Princess Poppycheek. I shall telephone Lora atonce, and she will write you an invitation on her best stationery, andshe will also telephone you, and if you wish it she will come and callon you."

  "No, don't bother her to do that. I've met her, you know, and if sheeither writes or telephones, it will be all right. What time do westart?"

  "About three, so as to make it easily by tea-time."

  "I'll be ready. Count on me. Good-bye."

  Patty hung up the telephone suddenly, as she always did. She often saidit was her opinion that more time was wasted in this world by peoplewho didn't know how to say good-bye, than from any other cause. And herminutes were too precious to be spent on a telephone, after the mainsubject of conversation had been finished.

  She danced downstairs to tell Nan all about it.

  "Very nice party," Nan approved; "I've met Mrs. Perry, you know, andshe's charming. You'll be home Thursday, of course. You know you've atheatre party that night."

  "Yes, I know; I'll be home," said Patty, abstractedly. "What would youtake for the ball, Nan? My pink chiffon or my yellow satin?"

  "They're both so pretty, it's hard to choose. The yellow satin, Ithink; it's a dream of a frock."

  Mrs. Perry wrote a most cordial invitation and also telephoned, sayinghow glad she would be to welcome Patty to her home.

  And so, the next afternoon, the young people started on their motortrip.

  It was easily accomplished in two hours, and then Patty found herself avery much honoured guest in Mrs. Perry's pleasant home.

  "It's dear of you to come," said the vivacious little hostess, as shetook Patty and Marie to their rooms upon their arrival.

  "It's dear of you to ask me." returned Patty; "I love to go to parties,and I love to go into new people's houses,--I mean people's newhouses,--oh, well, you know what I mean; I mean HERE!"

  "The house IS new," said Mrs. Perry, laughing, "but we're getting to beold people, and we want you young folks to liven us up."

  "Old people!" and Patty smiled at the pretty young matron.

  "Yes, wait till you see my baby. She's almost three years old! Fancy mygoing to balls, with a big girl like that."

  "You're just fishing," said Patty, laughingly, "and I shan't humouryou. I know you young mothers! You go to a party, and you're thebelles, and leave all us wall-flowers green with envy!"

  Mrs. Perry's eyes twinkled, and she looked so roguish that Pattyexclaimed, "You're exactly like Mr. Cameron! I can well believe you'rehis sister."

  "Who's he? Oh, you mean Kit! I don't think I ever heard him called Mr.Cameron before, and it does sound so funny! Can't we persuade you tosay Kit?"

  "I don't mind, if he doesn't," said Patty, carelessly. "What a darlingroom this is!"

  "Yes; this is one of my pet rooms. I always give it to my favouriteguests."

  "I don't wonder," and Patty looked round admiringly at the daintydraperies and pretty appointments of the chamber.

  "Marie always has it when she's here; but, of course, she was glad togive it up to you, and I put her in the blue room just across the hall.Come now, powder your nose, we must run down to tea. Don't change yourfrock."

  Patty had worn a little silk house gown under her motor coat, so aftera brief adjustment of her tumbled curls she was ready to go down.

  The Perrys' was a modern house of an elaborate type. There were manyrooms, on varying levels, so that one was continually going up or downa few broad steps. Often the rooms were separated only by columns or byrailings, which made the whole interior diversified and picturesque.

  "Such a gem of a house!" exclaimed Patty, as she entered the tea-room."So many cosy, snuggly places,--and so warm and balmy."

  She dropped into a lot of silken cushions that were piled in the cornerof an inglenook, and placed her feet daintily on a footstool in frontof the blazing fire.

  "Awful dinky!" said Kit, as he pushed aside some cushions and sat downbeside Patty, "but a jolly good house to visit in."

  "Yes, it is," said Marie, who was nestled in an easy-chair the otherside of the great fireplace. "And it's so light and pleasant. We neverget any sunlight, home."

  "Nonsense, Marie," said Kit, "our apartments are unusually light ones."

  "Well, it's a different kind of light," protested Marie. "It only comesfrom across the street, and here the light comes clear from thehorizon."

  "It does," agreed Mrs. Perry, "but we're getting the very last raysnow. Ring for lights, Kit."

  "No, sister, let's just have the firelight. It's more becoming, anyway."

  So Mrs. Perry merely turned on one pink-shaded light near the tea tableand let her guests enjoy the twilight and firelight.

  "Country life is 'way ahead of city existence," remarked Kenneth, as hemade himself useful in passing the teacups. "The whole atmosphere isdifferent. When I marry and settle down, I shall be a countrygentleman."

  "How interesting!" cried Patty. "I should l
ove to see you, Ken,superintending your gardener and showing him how to plant cabbages!"

  "Dead easy," retorted Kenneth; "I'd have a gardener show me first, andwhen the next gardener came I could show him."

  "Well, I don't want to live in the country," said Kit; "it's great tovisit here, that's what sisters' houses are for; but I couldn't live sofar away from the busy mart. Back to the stones for mine."

  When their host, Dick Perry, arrived he came in with a genial, breezymanner and warmly welcomed the guests.

  "Well, well!" he exclaimed, "this IS a treat! To come home at night andfind a lot of gay and festive young people gathered around! Lora, whydon't we do this oftener? Nothing like a lot of young people to make ahome merry. How are you, Marie? Glad to see you again, Miss Fairfield."

  Mr. Perry bustled around, flung off his coat, accepted a cup of teafrom his wife, and then, coming over toward Patty, he ordered KitCameron to vacate, and he took his place.

  "You're not to be monopolised by that brother-in-law of mine, MissFairfield," he said, as he sat down beside her. "He's a clever youngchap, I admit, but he can't always get ahead of me."

  Patty responded laughingly to this gay banter, and the tea hour passedall too quickly, and it was time to dress for dinner.

  "We'll put on our party frocks before dinner," said Mrs. Perry, as shewent upstairs with the girls; "and then we won't have to dress twice.I'll send you a maid, Miss Fairfield."

  "Thank you," said Patty, "but I can look after myself fairlywell,--until it comes to hooking up. I always do my own hair."

  "It can't be much trouble," said Mrs. Perry, looking admiringly at thegolden curls, "for it looks lovely whatever way you do it."

  Patty slipped on a kimono and brushed out her shining mass of curls. AsMrs. Perry had rightly said, Patty's coiffure was not troublesome, forhowever she bunched up the gleaming mass it looked exactly right. Shetwisted it up with care, however, and added a marvellous ornament of abandeau, which circled halfway round her head, and above which a giltbutterfly was tremblingly poised. It was too early to get into herfrock, so Patty flung herself into a big chair before the cracklingfire, and gave herself up to daydreams. She dearly loved to idle thisway and she fell to thinking, naturally, of the home she was visitingand the people who lived there.

  Patty still sat dreaming these idle fancies, when there was a tap atthe door and, in response to her permission, a maid entered.

  "I'm Babette," she said, "and I have come to help you with your gown."

  "Thank you," said Patty, jumping up; "it's later than I thought. Wemust make haste."

  With experienced deftness, the French maid arrayed Patty in thebeautiful evening gown of yellow satin, veiled with a shimmering yellowgauze.

  Although unusual for a blonde, yellow was exceedingly becoming toPatty, and she looked like an exquisite spring blossom in the soft,sheath-like jonquil-coloured gown.

  Her dainty satin slippers and silk stockings were of the same paleyellow, as was also the filmy scarf, which she knew how to wear sogracefully.

  Her only ornament was a string of pearls, which had been her mother's.

  When she was all ready she went slowly down the winding staircase,looking about her at the interesting house. A broad landing halfwaydown showed an attractive window-seat, and Patty sat down there for amoment.

  There seemed to be no one in the hall below, and Patty concluded thatshe was early after all, though she had feared she would be late.

  In a moment Kit came down and spied her.

  "Hello, Princess!" he cried. "You're a yellow poppy to-night,--and agay little blossom, too."

  "Not yellow poppyCHEEK!" cried Patty, rubbing her pink cheeks in mockdismay.

  "Well, no; only one who is colour-blind could call those pink cheeksyellow. May I pose beside you, here, and make a beautiful tableau?"

  He sat beside Patty on the window-seat, and they wondered why the restwere so late.

  "Prinking, I suppose," said Kit. "How did you manage to get ready sosoon?"

  "Why, just because I thought I was late, and so I hurried."

  "Didn't know a girl COULD hurry,--accept my compliments." And Kit roseand made an exaggerated bow.

  "What's going on?" said Dick Perry, gaily, as he came downstairs andpaused on the landing.

  "Only homage at the shrine of Beauty," returned Kit.

  "Let me homage, too," said Mr. Perry, and they both bowed and scraped,until Patty went off in a gale of laughter and said: "You ridiculousboys, you look like popinjays! But here comes Marie; now more homage isdue."

  Marie came down the steps slowly and gracefully, looking very pretty inpale green, with tiny pink rosebuds for trimming.

  "Good for you, Marie!" exclaimed her cousin. "Your dress gees with MissFairfield's first-rate. You'll do!"

  And then the others came, and the merry group went out to dinner.

  After dinner they started at once for the country-club ball. It was tobe a very large affair, and, as Patty knew no one except their ownhouse party, she declared that she knew she'd be a wall-flower.

  "Wall-flower, indeed!" said Kit. "Poppies don't grow on walls. Theygrow right in the middle of the field, and sway and dance in thebreeze."

  "I always said you were a poet," returned Patty, "and you do have theprettiest fancies."

  "I fancy YOU, if that's what you mean," Kit replied, and Patty gave hima haughty glance for his impertinence.

  Then Babette put on Patty's coat, which was a really gorgeous affair.It was what is known as a Mandarin coat, of white silk, heavilyembroidered with gold, and very quaint she looked in it.

  "That thing must weigh a ton," commented Kit. "Why do you girls want towear Chinese togs?"

  "It's a beautiful coat," said Mrs. Perry, admiringly. "Have you been toChina, Miss Fairfield?"

  "No; I never have. This was a Christmas present, and I'm awfully fondof it. I'm afraid I'm barbaric in my love of bright, glittering things."

  "A very civilised little barbarian," said Mr. Perry, and then they allwent off to the ball.

  "How many may I have?" said Kit, as he took Patty's programme from herhand after they were in the ballroom.

  "As I don't know any one else, I shall have to dance them all with youand Ken," returned Patty, demurely.

  "Never mind Harper; give them all to me."

  Patty looked at him calmly. "I'll tell you what," she said: "you putdown your initials for every dance; then, if I do find any partners Ilike better, I'll give them dances; and, if not, you see I'll have youto depend on."

  Cameron stared at her, but Patty looked at him with an innocent smile,as if she were not asking anything extraordinary.

  "Well, you've got a nerve!" the young man exclaimed.

  "Why, it was your own proposition that you have all the dances;" andPatty looked almost offended.

  "Poppycheek, you shall have it your own way! You shall have anythingyou want, that _I_ can give you." And Cameron scribbled his initialsagainst every one of the twenty dances on the programme.

  "You might have put K. C. to the first and then ditto after that," saidPatty, as she watched him.

  "Nay, nay, Pauline!" and Kit gave her a shrewd glance. "Think whatwould happen then. You'd give a dance to some other man, maybe, andhe'd set down his initials, and all the rest of the dittos would referto him!"

  "Poor man! I never thought of that! But it isn't likely there'll be anyothers except Ken."

  "Oh, don't you worry! Everybody will want an introduction to you, afterthey see you dance."

  "I don't think much of that for a compliment! I'd rather be loved formy sweet self alone."

  "Have you never been?"

  "Many, many times!" and Patty sighed in mock despair. "But my loveaffairs always end tragically."

  "Your suitors drown themselves, I suppose?"

  "Do you mean if I encourage them?"

  "Do you know what a silly you are?"

  "Do you know what a goose YOU are?"

  "Children, stop quarre
lling," and Mrs. Perry smiled at the chatteringpair. "Miss Fairfield, several amiable young men of my acquaintancedesire to be presented to you. May I?"

  Patty smilingly acquiesced, and in a moment half a dozen would-bepartners were asking for dances.

  They looked rather taken aback at sight of Patty's card, but she calmlyexplained to them the true condition of things, and they accepted thesituation with smiles of admiration for a girl who could command suchan arrangement. Patty would not give more than one dance to each, asshe wanted to find out which ones she liked best.

  Mr. Perry brought up some of his acquaintances, too, and shortlyPatty's programme showed an astonishing lot of hieroglyphics scribbledover Kit's initials.

  "Here are twelve dances you may have for your other friends," saidPatty, to Mr. Cameron. "Take the numbers as I call them off: one, two,three----"

  "Oh, wait a minute! Have you given them all away?"

  "No; only the first twelve, so far. But cheer up! I may be able todispose of the others."

  "You're a naughty, bad, mean little princess; and I don't love you anymore."

  Kit looked reproachfully at Patty, with his eyes so full ofdisappointment that she relented.

  "I didn't give away the first one, really," she said, softly. "I savedthat for you."

  "You blessed, dear, sweet little Princess you! Now, don't give away anymore, will you? I know you'll have thousands of requests."

  "I'll see about it," was all Patty would promise, and then the musicbegan and they stepped out on to the dancing floor.