CHAPTER VI
A SOCIETY CIRCUS
"Of course I could do it," Patty agreed, "and I will, if you say so,Elise. I don't care a lot about it, but if everybody is going in forthe game, I am, too."
"Yes, do, Patty; it's just in your line, and you can do it a whole lotbetter than that girl did last year,--you know whom I mean, Ethel."
"Yes, Ray Rose----"
"Ray Rose," said Patty, "what a pretty name!"
"Pretty girl, too," said Ethel Merritt, who was calling at Pine Laurel."Also, she isn't going to like it any too well to have Miss Fairfieldtake her part."
"Oh, is it her part?" asked Patty; "then I won't take it."
"Yes, you will. It's all right. Nobody wants her and everybody wantsyou."
The subject under discussion was a "Society Circus" to be performed bythe young people of Lakewood, and of great interest to all concerned.
It was a few days after the Spring Beach trip. Mona had gone back homeand Philip also, and Roger was in New York. Elise was greatlyenthusiastic over the circus plan, and was managing committees, andarranging details in her usual capable fashion. The affair was acharity benefit under the auspices of a philanthropic society that gavesome such entertainment every winter. Patty, always ready for anygaiety, was preparing to take part, though the scheme was a new one toher. She had never been in a society circus, and wanted the matterthoroughly explained.
"It isn't much to explain, Miss Fairfield," Ethel said; "you see,everybody is an animal or a clown or a bareback rider, or somethingthat belongs to a circus. Bob Riggs is ringmaster, and they all obeyhim. He's awfully funny, and whatever he has to do with, is sure to bea success."
"Tell me more about my part," said Patty; "how do I dress?"
"Well, you see, you're Mlle. Hooperino, and you do fancy dancing andjump through paper hoops----"
"What! Oh, I can't do that!"
"Yes, you can; Bob will show you how. Why, anybody who dances as youdo, can do anything of that sort. And your costume is anything youlike, in the way of tulle skirts, lots of 'em, and a satin bodice,laced up, you know, and a dinky little cap, and,--oh, anything youthink fetching and attractive."
"It sounds fun," Patty agreed, "but what about Miss Rose? I don't wantto disappoint her; will she feel annoyed?"
"She sure will! But never mind that. As soon as Bob saw you dance theother night, he said you were the one for the part. You must do it."
"And Ray Rose hasn't been asked this year," put in Elise. "She can'tresent your taking what she never had."
"She will, though," declared Ethel. "She looks upon that part as hers,and she won't like Miss Fairfield's having it one bit. But thatdoesn't matter. What Bob says, goes; and that's all there is aboutthat!"
They talked over the costumes and dances until every question wassettled, and Ethel went away with Patty's promise to do what wasrequested of her.
"But I don't like it," Patty demurred, "on account of that Rose girl.What is she like, Elise?"
"Oh, she's the jolliest thing in the world. She won't get mad atyou,--she isn't that sort. But I know what she will do. She'll try to'get even,' you know,--do something to pay you out for stealing herglory."
"What'll she do?"
"Oh, I don't know. Some practical joke, like as not. She's a sort ofkid, although she's nineteen years old."
"All right, if she's that sort, I'm not afraid of her. I thought shewas haughty and sarcastic."
"Oh, no, nothing like that. She's full of mischief and awfullygood-natured. But she'll resent Bob's putting you in her place. Don'tthink of it, Patty. It's all a trifle. She'll have some other part,just as good."
"Very well, I'll turn me thinks toward me frock. What say to pale bluetulle, with silver lace by way of trimmin's?"
"Fine! And after you get yours all planned will you help me with mine?"
"Will I! I live but for that! You, my Elise, must wear corn colour,or, say, maize colour, and poppies."
"Yes, now that you speak of it, that's just what I want. Shall us askPhilip down, Patty?"
"No; I'd like to have one time of my life without his revered presence."
"Look here, Patty, between you and me and the circus, aren't youexpecting to be the eventual Mrs. Philip?"
"Oh, Elise, don't bother me about such far-away eventualities."
"All right, I won't, 'cause I know all about that. You're trying himout, and if he passes his exams, you're going to say yes, pretty soon,now."
"Good gracious! I believe my loving friends know more about my affairsthan I do myself!"
"If we didn't we wouldn't know much! You are the most wabbly-heartedperson I ever knew! Say, Pats, what did you do to big Bill Farnsworthto send him flying off out West again?"
"I?" and Patty opened her blue eyes wide at Elise.
"Yes, you, you saucer-eyed doll! One day, he was shining brightly allover the place, and the next, he was like a thunder cloud, and departedstraightway for the wild and woolly."
"Oh, well, Elise, I can't feel sure that it's precisely your affair;but, as you show a polite interest, I don't mind telling you that wequarrelled."
"About Philip Van Reypen."
"Clairvoyant! Well, if you will have it so,--yes."
"Oh, Patty, then you do like Phil better than Mr. Farnsworth!"
"Do I?"
"You must! or you never would have sent one away because of the other.And, Patty, you did just right. Phil Van Reypen is worth a dozen ofthat Western giant. He's nice, Mr. Farnsworth is, but Philip is somuch more--oh,--aristocratic and--and smart-looking, you know."
"Bill is smart enough," said Patty, thoughtfully.
"I don't mean smart in the sense of clever, but----"
"I know; you mean well-dressed and fashionable."
"Yes, and correct-mannered, and generally all round a gentleman."
"Bill Farnsworth is a gentleman."
"Of course. But not the polished type Philip is. He's an aristocrat."
"Oh, fiddlestrings. I'm sick and tired of hearing that Phil Van Reypenis an aristocrat! If I were an aristocrat, I'd try to hide it!Anyway, I wouldn't advertise it all the time!"
"Patty! you ought to be ashamed of yourself! Phil doesn't advertiseit!"
"Well, he doesn't employ you to do it for him, either, so you may aswell stop it. I know all about Phil's aristocracy. And it's allright. I never said it wasn't. But a man has got to be something morethan an aristocrat before I can fall desperately in love with him. AndI must be desperately in love with the man I promise to marry."
Patty spoke seriously, and her blue eyes took on a violet light as shelooked out of the window and far away to the sky beyond the pine trees.
"Of course, you must, Patty. Every girl feels that way. But when Philadores you so, how can you resist him?"
"Now, now, Elise, don't ask leading questions. And, also, let's turnthe tables. When a certain nice young man that I wot of, so adoresyou, how can you resist him?"
"I don't know that I shall," replied Elise, blushing.
"Oho! Bad as that, eh? Now I see why you're so interested in myaffairs of the heart. Misery loves company."
"But I'm not miserable."
"No, of course not. Howsumever, if you insist on asking Philip Vandown to the circus, I shall advise asking one Mr. Kit Cameron."
"You're a day behind the fair! I've asked him and he can't come."
"Too bad. But, just for that, I won't have Phil, either. Then we canboth be heart-whole and fancy free."
"All right. Bob Riggs has taken a large and elegant notion to you, andI am engaged in the pleasant pastime of subjugating Hal Merritt, so weshan't want for rustic swains."
"As if we ever had! But as for me, this circus business seems a pieceof work, and I must apply myself to it, or rejoice in a failure at theeventful moment."
"You're right. Let's go over to Mme. Beauvais' and see about hermaking our costumes."
"Come on,
we'll go now."
The next few days the girls devoted all their time to their costumesand to rehearsals for the circus. It was a more elaborate affair thanPatty had anticipated, and the men who were to represent animals hadmarvellous suits of fur that closely imitated the real thing in wildbeasts.
A bear, who was ordinarily Jack Fenn, captivated Patty from the first,and when she proposed to dance with him, Bob Riggs caught at the idea.
"Capital!" he cried, "just the thing, Miss Fairfield. Hit of theevening, I assure you. Come, begin your rehearsal at once."
It was not easy, for the bear costume made its wearer clumsy and heawkwardly tripped and nearly upset Patty. But she good-naturedly triedthe steps over and over until they began to do better.
"It'll right itself after a few more rehearsals," she said,encouragingly. "Come over to the Farringtons' mornings, and we'll geta little extra practice."
Fenn did so, and, as they perfected the dance, all who saw itprophesied it would be the hit of the whole affair.
And everybody was pleased save and except Ray Rose. She had takenquietly enough the substitution of Patty for herself as _premieredanseuse_, and had even said she preferred the part that had beenassigned her. But when the Bear dance began to be talked about withsuch enthusiasm, she commenced to find fault.
"How did you happen to worm yourself into my place, Miss Fairfield?"she said at a rehearsal. "Did you make up this Bear foolery?"
"I'm afraid I did, Miss Rose," returned Patty, smiling. "You've nocriticism to make, have you?"
"None, except that I wanted that part that Mr. Riggs saw fit to giveyou, and I'm madder'n hops 'cause I haven't got it."
"Why, I'll give it to you," and Patty smiled at the pouting girl.
"Oh, you can't do that now, it's too late."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner that you wanted it?"
"Never s'posed you'd give it up, or I would have. But I'll get evenwith you!"
"Now, don't talk like that, for it wasn't my fault that Mr. Riggsselected me for the part."
"Well, it was your fault that you took it, and it will be my fault if Idon't make you pay for it!"
"Is this a threat?"
"It most certainly is. What are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing at all,--unless it is carried out. Then I shall defend myselfto the best of my ability. I'm good-natured,--and I am told youare,--but I've no intention of being annoyed unjustly, and you'll findthat out, Miss Ray Rose! By the way, what a pretty name you have."
"Do you like it? It's really Ramona, but I've always been called Ray.I like you a lot, Miss Fairfield, and I'd be sorry to annoy you,but,--well, perhaps because I do like you so much,--I warn you, I'mgoing to get ahead of you on this circus program, if I can."
"You're a little goose," said Patty, laughing outright at thedetermined face and snapping black eyes of Ray Rose. "I do believe youwant to cut up some trick on me, because I stole your part, or it seemsto you I did, and yet, you rather like me, and hate to do it, afterall."
"How did you know?" cried Ray Rose, astonished. "That's exactly whatwas in my mind! Well, honest, if I can conquer my desire to get evenwith you, I'll let you alone. But I feel pretty sure I shall do youract myself."
"You are the queerest girl I ever saw!" and Patty looked herastonishment. "Your frankness and your slyness together are thefunniest combination! Just for your queer cleverness, I give youpermission to get my place from me if you can! But don't forget Ioffered it to you."
"That's nothing. Bob Riggs wouldn't let me take it. But if I get itin some way that he can't help himself, remember that you told me Imight."
Patty was greatly amused at this conversation, but as other and moreimportant matters quickly demanded her attention, she promptly forgotthe whole matter.
The circus proper was to be an evening entertainment, but in theafternoon of the same day, the entire cast of characters marched up anddown the streets as an advertisement, hoping to attract attention androuse curiosity to such an extent that the attendance at the eveningperformance would be large.
The animals presented a fearsome sight. Lions, bears, tigers, monkeys,a giraffe and a donkey, were followed by clowns, acrobats, trapezeperformers, and jugglers.
Patty, as _premiere danseuse_, rode in a gilded chariot drawn by fourgaily caparisoned white horses. She sat enthroned on a high seat, andwaved smiling greetings as she passed.
Ray Rose, in Pierrette costume, was gay and good-natured, and chummedup with Patty, in evident forgetfulness of any ill-feeling.
"She's all right," Patty said to Elise, as they went home after theparade, and prepared to rest up a little before the evening performance.
Patty had no sooner reached her room than she was called to thetelephone. The speaker was Ray Rose.
"Excuse me, Miss Fairfield, but I do want to speak to you a minute. Ithink my Pierrette act would be a whole lot prettier, if I had a fewHighland Fling steps in it, don't you?"
"I do," Patty replied, after a moment's consideration. "Put them inafter the one-step movement."
"Yes, that's what I meant. May I run over to your house a minute, andwill you show me about the Fling? It won't take a jiffy."
"Yes, of course. Will you come right away?"
"I will. But, oh, pshaw,--I'm all dressed in my Pierrette rig;wouldn't you,--couldn't you come here instead? I'll send the car, itwon't take any time at all."
"Why, yes, I can come over, and I will, if you want me to so much."Patty ran to tell Elise she was going, but Elise was not in her room,so Patty went downstairs to look for her. Before she saw Elise, orindeed any one else, the Rose car came, a little runabout, with onlythe chauffeur.
Flinging a motor coat from the hall-rack around her, Patty ran out thedoor and jumped into the car.
In a moment she was at Ray Rose's house, and the girl herself stoodsmiling in the doorway.
"Good for you!" she cried, "you're a duck! Come right up to my room."
Patty followed Ray, who ran lightly up stairs, and threw open the doorof her bedroom.
"What a lovely room!" Patty exclaimed, as she entered a dainty nest allpink and white.
"Yes, isn't it?" agreed Ray, and they stepped inside. "Sit down aminute," she went on, "I want to get another scarf. I'll be rightback."
Patty threw herself into a low wicker chair, and, gently closing thedoor behind her, Ray disappeared.
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