CHAPTER XVI
BELLE HARCOURT
As quickly as possible the answer came back.
It was a rainy day, and Adele sent the chauffeur to Maple Bank after it.
The three gathered in Patty's room to hear it read, and were notsurprised that it ran after this manner:
"BELLE:
How could you know the dearest way to sign yourself? Any other wordwould have spoiled it! But Belle! My beautiful one! I MUST see you! Thepicture is just what I anticipated, only more sweet and soulful. Youare an angel, and I must see you or die. Do not make me wait. May I flyto Maple Bank at once? Meet me somewhere. No one will know it,--but Imust look once into those dear eyes!
Your own
CHRISTOPHER."
"Oh, Kit, Kit!" exclaimed Patty, wiping tears of laughter from hereyes; "I didn't know you COULD be such an idiot! Adele, we must havehim come up here."
"Oh, of course. How shall we arrange a meeting?"
"I'll tell you," said Daisy, "write him that Belle will meet him infront of the Maple Bank post-office. Then let Patty meet him, you know,and we'll sit in the car and see the fun."
"All right," Patty agreed. "WON'T he be mad when he sees ME!"
So they wrote:
"MY CHRISTOPHER:
I knew we were made for each other. I, too, feel that I must see you.But our meeting must be secret. I cannot risk my people knowing aboutit. So, will you meet me in front of the Maple Bank post-office at fouro'clock on Thursday afternoon? I would like a more secluded place, butI dare not. The post-office is on a beautiful maple-shaded street andwe can meet casually, as if we were ordinary passersby. You must onlyspeak with me a few moments, and let me look once deep in your eyes,and then you must pass on,--out of my life forever! But I shall have atleast one moment of blissful rapture! You will know me, because I shallwear white, with pink roses in my hat, and a pink parasol. I can hardlywait for Thursday! Come soon to
Your
BELLE."
"I rather guess that'll fetch him," observed Patty, complacently, asshe sealed the envelope. "I knew Kit was a romantic goose, but I didn'tsuppose he'd be up to these tricks."
"Of course we'll bring him home with us, Patty," said Adele.
"Yes, he'll come fast enough."
"If he isn't too mad at you," put in Daisy.
"Oh, he won't be mad," returned Patty; "he'll be terribly cut up atfirst, to think I tricked him so, but he'll get over it. And I warnyou, Adele, if he comes here he'll play some fearful joke on us to geteven."
"I don't mind," said Adele, "I like a joke once in awhile as well asanybody else. Now if he comes Thursday, Patty, will he stay overSaturday? That's May-day, you know, and I'd like to have him here forthe celebration."
"He'll be here if you ask him; even if he has to go back to the cityFriday and come up again for Saturday. Phil and Roger come Saturday,you know."
Van Reypen had gone back to town for a few days, and Hal Ferris wasalso away on business, which was one reason why the girls had plungedso interestedly into their merry scheme.
Thursday afternoon they started for Maple Bank in time to be at thepost-office before four o'clock, and witness the arrival of Mr. Cameron.
Patty looked her dainty best, in a white linen, with a broad-brimmedhat wreathed with pink roses. Her pink parasol was flounced withchiffon and adorned with a bunch of pink roses, and two rose bloomswere tucked in her belt.
"Rather summery garb, for the last of April," said Patty, gazing atherself in Adele's long mirror; "but I said I'd wear white before Ithought. However, it's a lovely day, and with my motor coat I'll bewarm enough going over."
They started off in high spirits, and reached the post-office atquarter before four. Kit was already there, walking calmly up and downthe maple-shaded village street, and apparently waiting with properlyconcealed impatience.
In accordance with directions, the chauffeur drove right past thepost-office and around a corner, where the three conspirators mightindulge in a burst of laughter.
"I shan't appear until a few minutes after four," said Patty; "it isn'tfeminine to keep an appointment on time."
So they went up and down some other streets until just the right time,and then Patty got out of the car, as she intended to walk to the tryst.
The car, with Adele and Daisy, whizzed away and took up a positionexactly opposite the post-office, stopping there to watch the show.
Of course Cameron paid no attention to this car, and continued topatrol the sidewalk with slow, even steps.
At last, as he walked along, he saw a girl in white coming toward him.Her pink parasol completely concealed her face, but Cameron knew it washis "Belle."
He walked on slowly, and Patty did too, until they met and bothstopped. Gently he raised the intruding parasol and turned it to oneside.
But even then, he could not see Patty's face, for she had arranged herbroad-brimmed hat to droop over it, and she hung her head as if inextreme shyness. But she put out her hand and Cameron clasped it in hisown.
"Belle," he murmured, "MY Belle! Look at me, please!"
Suddenly Patty lifted her head, and smiled into Kit Cameron's face.
He took a step backward, and staggered almost as if he would fall.
"Patty Fairfield!" he exclaimed, "what does this mean? Why are youhere? I expected--oh, I beg your pardon--I--I'm aw-awfully glad to seeyou."
Adele and Daisy, watching them, were convulsed at Cameron's baffledsurprise. They could almost hear what he said. They could see how hetried to pull himself together, and they could see Patty speechlesswith laughter, as she enjoyed the joke on Kit.
"What are YOU doing in Maple Bank?" she said, as soon as she couldspeak for laughing.
Kit looked at her gravely. "I came expressly to meet a girl in a whitefrock and pink roses. I don't see any other around, so--it might aswell be you!"
"You needn't try to turn it off so carelessly," said Patty. "Own upthat you're caught! What was your girl's name?"
"Belle--My Belle--" And Cameron rolled his eyes in such soulful manner,that Patty went off in another paroxysm.
"Oh, you Joke King, you! Nobody can trick you, can they? Do you own up?"
"Own up what? that I'd rather see you than any other belle? Certainly,I'll own that. But my time is up. You know we were only to gaze onceinto each other's eyes and then part forever!" And Kit gazed into hereyes as if it were indeed the last time.
"That'll do," said Patty, laughing again. "The farce is over. Now comeand be real. Your own beautiful real self. Come and meet my friends."
"Who?" said Kit, as he accompanied Patty across the street.
"Here he is," sang out Patty, as they reached the car. "Mrs.Kenerley,--Miss Dow,--may I present Mr. Cameron, the celebrated violinvirtuoso."
Adele greeted him warmly, and Daisy smiled on him, and Cameron's owndelightful manner soon made them all friends.
"Jump in and go home with us, Mr. Cameron," said Adele, turning down aside seat in the car.
"But my stay in Maple Bank is limited," said Kit. "I'm due to take thenext train back to New York."
"Come back with us to tea, anyway," said Adele.
"You can stay to dinner, too," said Patty, "and take a late train downfrom Fern Falls."
"But you see, though I dressed with particular care to meet a verycharming young lady, I didn't expect to dine with her."
"Oh, no matter," said Adele; "we won't be formal to-night. But if youwill, Mr. Cameron, we'd like to have you come back on Saturday for ourMay-day celebration."
"Will I!" said Kit; "you're awfully good to ask me, Mrs. Kenerley,after you've discovered what a wicked young man I am, thus to follow upinvitations from strange ladies. But you see the photograph that cameto me was so charming that the temptation was irresistible."
"If you'd known it was only me, you wouldn't have come, would you?"asked Patty.
Kit regarded her solemnly. Then he waved his hand, as if dismissing aquestion of no moment. "It doesn't matter,"
he said, "all young ladiesin pink and white look alike to me."
"Then I'm glad I'm not in pink and white," said Daisy, who was lookingvery pretty in a blue linen frock, with wide black ribbons.
"So am I," and Kit smiled at her approvingly. "You look so different,it's a pleasure to observe you."
Cameron had a charming way of talking nonsense, and before they reachedhome both Daisy and Adele had taken a decided liking to the gay youngman.
They had tea on the glass-paned veranda, and it was not until they wereall comfortably seated, with their teacups in hand, that Cameron said,casually: "Oh, by the way, Patty, I have a note for you from Mrs.Fairfield, and a parcel."
He took from his pocket a letter and a little box.
"Oh, thank you," said Patty, taking them "May I?" she added, as sheopened the note.
As Patty read, her face grew longer and her eyes grew bigger. As shefinished, she looked at Cameron, who was gazing at her with his eyesfull of laughter.
"You Kit!" she exclaimed; "oh, you Kit Cameron! Can nobody EVER getahead of you? Girls, listen to this! It's a note from Nan, and shesays: 'Dear Patty: Mr. Cameron says he's going to see you to-morrow.Has Adele invited him to Fern Falls? How nice for you all. He won'ttell me how she happened to do so, but I suppose it was through you.I'm sending you by him your pearl pin, which you forgot. Oceans oflove, from Nan.' Now, how in the name of common sense, did you happento tell Nan that you were coming to see me?"
"Why, I was there last night, and I knew I was coming up here to-day;so I told her, and she asked me to bring your pin. And I said I would.That's all."
"But how did you know you were coming here?" persisted Patty.
"I didn't know I was coming here, and I didn't tell Mrs. Fairfield Iwas. I only told her I should see you. I can't help what sheassumed,--and I have delivered the pin in safety."
"But how did you know you were going to see me?"
"My dear child, do you suppose for one minute that I fell for thatBelle Harcourt business? Didn't you know that I would know that thatvery first letter was written by your fairy fingers?"
"Why, Mr. Cameron!" exclaimed Adele, "weren't you really fooled?"
"You WERE!" exclaimed Daisy. "You were at first, anyway."
"Not for a minute, Miss Dow," and Kit smiled lazily at her. "I'm notover-modest about my wonderful musical genius, but somehow I couldn'tbelieve that a stranger appreciated me so highly. I just COULDN'Tbelieve it, and something told me that it wasn't quite all it sounded.Then, says I to myself, if it isn't a real Belle Harcourt it's mostprobably Patty Fairfield. I had no idea you were away, but I telephonedthe house, and some of your menials told me you were at Fern Falls. Ihad never heard of Fern Falls, but it was me for the atlas, and aftermuch study, I unearthed Fern Falls and found it to be very decidedlyadjacent to Maple Bank. So I put away my atlas, got down my arithmetic,and by its artful aid I managed to put two and two together. If I hadfound any one else but Patty Fairfield under that pink parasol, Ishould have been the most surprised man under the Stars and Stripes!"
"I think you're perfectly horrid!" cried Patty; "just per-fect-lyhor-rid!"
"You don't really, you know," and Kit smiled at her, calmly, "you'rejust as ready to admit yourself tricked, as I was."
Patty went off into a peal of laughter at the thought of how she hadinsisted that Kit should own up to being tricked, when they met; butshe felt a little chagrined that her joke had fallen through.
"I'm glad of it," declared Adele, "for I may as well confess, Mr.Cameron, it had prejudiced me against you to think you would writethose letters to a stranger."
"Oh, I wouldn't, Mrs. Kenerley," said Kit, with exaggeratedearnestness. "Honest and truly, I wouldn't! I NEVER write letters tostrangers, unless I'm SURE the strangers are Patty Fairfield. And I'msure I shouldn't dare to write a letter to the young lady of thephotograph that came to me. She looked like an angel in the last stagesof nervous prostration."
"That's exactly what she did look like," said Adele, laughing. "I musttell Hester that! She's a school-girl cousin of mine, Mr. Cameron, andif she were here, she'd enjoy this two-story joke as well as any of us."
Cameron stayed to dinner, as he said, to make his peace with Mr.Kenerley when he came home, but really because he wanted to remain withthe pleasant house party.
Hal Ferris came home at dinner time, too, and was greatly diverted bythe whole story of the Belle Harcourt joke.
After dinner, it was warm enough to sit out on the veranda till timefor Kit to go to the train.
At last the chauffeur brought the little runabout to the door, and Kittook leave of the merry group.
"Be sure to come back on Saturday morning," said Adele, as she shookhands with him.
"Trust me for that, Mrs. Kenerley. I'm so delighted with theinvitation, I'm afraid I'll get here too soon."
"Come up on the noon train. The May party's at four o'clock. And nowyou must fly or you'll lose your train."
"Parting is SUCH sweet sorrow," said Kit, as he took Patty's hand, tosay good-bye to her last.
Patty followed him down the steps of the veranda, and he was about tostep into the car, when he said, "Come on down to the station with me."
"I will," said Patty, impulsively, and as there was no time to discussthe matter, she sprang into the car. Kit jumped in after her, andslammed the door and they were off.
"We've eloped," Cameron called back, as they whizzed away.
"All right," Adele called after them; "send Patty back by thechauffeur. There are extra wraps under the seat."
"What a duck you are to come!" said Kit, as they swung out through thegate.
"I didn't mean to; but I jumped in before I thought."
"Always jump in before you think,--that is, if I'm around. If there'sany danger of drowning, I'll pull you out."
"Oh, I can swim. Kit, I don't see how you knew I wrote that letter."
"Patty, it was plain as day on the face of it. Why, it sounded justlike you from start to finish. Of course, if you had been in New York,I should have tried to suspect somebody else, but when I found you werestaying only about six miles from Maple Bank, I knew it was you."
"Never mind, some day I'll play a joke on you."
"Thought you didn't approve of them."
"I don't, for other people. But you're so fond of them I feel as if Iought to do all I can for you."
"All right, joke away, little girl. I don't mind. I say, Poppycheek,what's this May-day business? An old-fashioned picnic?"
"Not exactly. It's a new-fashioned picnic. But they crown a May-queen,and all that sort of foolishness." "And who is to be queen?"
"Belle Harcourt."
"MY Belle! Oh, I'm glad of that. And so Princess Poppycheek is going tobe made a queen! Well, so long as you're my Belle, you may be anybody'squeen you like."
"I like an awful lot of people."
"Mostly men."
"No, sir! The men mostly like me. I like mostly girls. Don't you thinkDaisy Dow's charming and pretty?"
"Yes, she is a very pretty girl. You're fond of her?"
"I am now. I didn't like her at first, but I think it was because Ididn't understand her. But now we're awfully good chums."
"And so you don't like the men?"
"Nonsense! Of course I do. I adore them. But not as much as I do mygirl friends. And sometimes I think I like my married friends best ofall. Aren't the Kenerleys just dear?"
"Then you'd like me better if I were married?"
"Yes, indeed. Will you get married, to please me?"
"Oh, anything to oblige. Will you pick out the lady?"
"Why, yes, if you want me to. There's Daisy Dow."
"Yes, there's Daisy Dow. But here's Patty Fairfield. I'd ever so muchrather marry her! How about it, Poppycheek?"
"Nonsense, Kit, don't be silly."
"It isn't silly. You said you wanted me to be married and I'm awfullyanxious to please you."
"Oh, do you want to marry me just to please me?"
&n
bsp; "Well, I'm interested in the scheme on my own account, too."
"Well, don't bother me about it, now. I hate to answer questions in aspeeding motor-car."
"Shall I tell him to slow down?" And Kit leaned forward toward thechauffeur.
"Mercy, no! you'll hardly catch your train now. A little faster,Jacques."
"Yes, Miss," and the chauffeur threw on a little more speed.
"Poppycheek, you rascal, I intended to miss that train."
"Well, you don't do it! see? We've enough to do to-morrow, without youbothering around. You can come up Saturday, but to-morrow we're goingto be awfully busy."
"Van Reypen coming?"
"Of course. A party isn't a party without Phil."
"Huh! I'm not afraid of him. I can cut Van Reypen out any day in theweek!"
"Not Saturdays. That's his great day." And Patty laughed tantalisingly.
"Just you wait and see! I'm not afraid! Bye-bye, Poppycheek."
They had reached the station just as the train was drawing out. Kitsprang from the car, slammed the door after him, and striding acrossthe platform, swung on to the moving steps. He waved his hand at Pattyand was gone.
"Home, Jacques," she said.
Patty's Suitors Page 16
