CHAPTER XI
THE FIRST ARRIVALS
“Mona,” said Patty, severely, as they drove along, “you ought to know better than to talk to a strange man in that familiar way! He wasn’t a nice 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 him as 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 was just the time to be stuck-up. Proper civility is all very well, but you needn’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 of thing again.”
“I do want to be friends with you, Patty, and I think I see what you mean now, but I didn’t think I was doing any harm. I’m glad to have you scold me, Patty, for I do want to do what’s right. You see, I never had much bringing-up. My mother died when I was a little girl, and since then father has indulged me in everything I wanted, but I’ve really had none of what you may call social training.”
Patty was amazed at the sudden humility of the girl whom she had considered arrogant and self-satisfied. She began to think that she might do a good work in teaching Mona some things of which she seemed to have no idea, but which came to Patty by instinct.
“My mother died when I was very little, too,” she said; “but I think my father brought me up as well as any woman could have done. And, then, I have the dearest stepmother. She’s just the perfection of all that’s sweet 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 indulgent father, and oceans of money, and freedom to do exactly as you choose. Why, you have all sorts of possibilities, Mona. You could make yourself anything you want to.”
“Will you help me, Patty?”
“Why, yes, as far as I can.” Though Patty felt kindly disposed toward the girl, and wanted to help her, she didn’t care to take the entire responsibility of shaping her future, and she knew Mona’s pushing spirit would demand this, if given a chance. So she dropped the subject for the present, and they chatted gaily of all sorts of things. And, when at last Patty set Mona down at her own door, she had not mentioned the subject of her birthday, or said that she was expecting a house party of young people to visit her.
On reaching her own home, Patty related to her father and Nan the experience she had had.
“You did exactly right, Patty, girl,” said her father, “and I will send the man a cheque for the tube, and a letter of thanks for his kindness to my daughter, just as you told him I would do. I’m surprised that Mona should have acted as she did, for I supposed any young girl of the present 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 some good, Patty, by your influence and example.”
Patty sighed a little. “I’m willing to help her, but I don’t want to take the whole burden of her social education on my shoulders.”
“Patty,” laughed Nan, “don’t take it so seriously. You’re not employed as nursery governess at ‘Red Chimneys’ yet, and the few occasions when you have opportunity to drop a good seed on Mona Galbraith’s thorny soil, it won’t hurt you a bit to do it.”
“Hurray for Nan!” cried Patty; “she always hits the nail on the head and rings the bull’s-eye! Well, anyway, I didn’t tell Mona about my birthday, or that I expect company.”
“It wasn’t really necessary,” said Nan, drily; “she’ll probably be over here 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 Mona sufficiently, I’ll express my opinion of Miss Patricia Fairfield. Any little girl who pretends to keep her motor accessories in order, and then 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-headed butterfly!”
“Oh, don’t call me such dreadful names!” pleaded Patty, wringing her hands in mock despair. “Do let me down more easily than that! I’ve never done such a thing before, and I’m perfectly certain I never shall again!”
“I don’t believe you ever will,” returned her father, kindly, and he said no more about what was really somewhat culpable carelessness.
The next day the guests arrived. It was Wednesday, and the birthday was on Thursday.
Elise and Roger were due at three o’clock. Mr. Hepworth was to bring Christine down a little later, and they were expected at five; while Kenneth 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 station to meet the Farringtons. As Elise and Roger stepped off the train, they saw 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 prettiest one 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 you over to the house, Elise, but I can’t take you both. Roger, if you don’t mind, will you go in that stage vehicle, and I’ll give you a ride in my car some other time.”
“Yes, of course, Patty; and I’ll look after the luggage. You two girls go 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 knows where it is. We call it ‘The Pebbles,’ but he may not know it by that name. But you’ll get there, somehow.”
“Oh, I’ll get there!” declared Roger, and, with laughing good-byes, the two girls drove away.
“Don’t you love your car, Patty?” asked Elise, as they went swiftly along.
“Yes, I do, Elise. I love it almost as I would a human being. I’ve never told any one this, because it seems sort of silly. But sometimes, when I’m out alone in it, I talk to it just as I would to a person, and she seems to understand. I’ve named her the Swift Camilla, and somehow Camilla seems to understand everything I say to her, and she almost talks back. Then, when I take other people with me, Camilla likes or dislikes them. If she dislikes them, she shows it by not running quite so smoothly. She jumps and balks and shies, for no reason at all, except petulance. Isn’t that so, Camilla?” and Patty patted the side of the car with a caressing gesture.
“Does she like me?” asked Elise, anxiously.
“Yes, indeed! Don’t you see she’s flying along like a bird! She knows you understand her, Elise, and you don’t think she’s merely an inanimate object.”
“Inanimate object! No, indeed! With her pulses thrilling and her sensitive nature alive to every passing incident, she’s far from inanimate!”
Patty looked at Elise in surprise. “Why, girlie,” she said, “I didn’t know you had so much imagination in your make-up.”
“I’ve always felt that way about motor cars, Patty. Our great big car is lumberly and fat, and a little bit stolid of disposition; but father has a little runabout that’s the nervousest thing you ever saw. But this Stanhope! 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 to let 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’s going to get one, too. And I know the boys will all fall in love with this 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, I suppose she is good-looking in her own way, but——”
“But you don’t like her, isn’t that it?” and Elise smiled at her own intuition.
“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 probably see her for yourself while you’re here. This is her home we’re passing now.”
“Gorgeous place,” said Elise, as she looked at the imposing “Red Chimneys.” “But I like this next place better. This big white house is lovely.”
“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 front veranda. Nan was there to welcome them, and the two girls sprang out as Miller appeared to take the car away.
“Roger will be here soon!” exclaimed Patty, while Nan greeted Elise warmly. “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 guest rooms. They stayed there chatting until Elise’s trunk came, and then Patty declared she must run down and entertain Roger, while Elise unpacked her things.
She found the boy still on the front veranda talking to Nan, with whom he was a great favourite. Indeed, all Patty’s boy friends were favourites with Nan, and she was so charming and attractive herself that they all liked to chat with her.
Kenneth Harper she looked upon as her especial protégé, for he was alone in 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 had established a very chummy acquaintance. So, on the whole, the house party bade fair to be a great success, and Nan expected to enjoy its fun almost as much as Patty herself.
“You’re getting brown, Patty,” said Roger, looking admiringly at the tanned face.
“Yes, it’s outdoorsiness as does it! I swim and walk, and play tennis and 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 you did in the city.”
“Yes, I am. Come on out and see my car, Roger, and I’ll give you a little spin, if you like. Elise is unpacking her finery and won’t miss us.”
Like every one else, Roger was enthusiastic in his praise of the wonderful car, and gladly accepted Patty’s invitation to go for a short ride. He complimented Patty on her skilful driving, and they went for some distance along the coast road.
“Let me drive back,” said Roger, as they turned homeward, and so they changed seats for the return trip.
“Beautiful car!” he repeated; “and perfect mechanism. Patty, I congratulate you on winning the thing, and it’s wonderful to think you did 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 nights with those hundred questions, and lots of times I thought I should fail.”
“But still you persevered. That’s where you’re such a brick, Patty. If you set your heart on anything, you never give up.”
“Well, I’m glad I persevered this time, anyway, for this car is a perfect joy to me. I suppose father would have given me one, if I had asked for it, but somehow it never occurred to me that I wanted one. I had 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 ‘The Pebbles.’ Do you want to turn in?”
“Yes; and I’m going to turn you out. Then I’m going to take the car and go 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’ll tote old Hepworth over here.”
“All right; but I must see Elise before I go, and tell her where I’m going.”
To Patty’s surprise, Elise seemed a little annoyed to learn that she was going to the train for Christine. Patty had almost forgotten the foolish jealousy that Elise had of her own friendship with Christine. But, as always, she thought the best way to treat it was to ignore it; she simply repeated her statement. “Yes, Elise,” she said, “I’m going over to the station to bring Christine home with me. Mr. Hepworth will come over in the stage. He’s going to stay at the hotel, anyway; we haven’t room 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 Christine his place, and he’ll come back with Mr. Hepworth. What will you do while I’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 were lying about, as she had unpacked them.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter about me,” she said, ungraciously; “you go on and meet your friend Christine, and I’ll look after myself.”
“Elise, stop being a goose!” cried Patty, grasping her by the shoulders and kissing her on both cheeks. “If you talk like that, you’ll spoil my whole 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 be friends with each other; so make your mind up to that! If you say another snippy word on the subject, I’ll go and lock myself in my own room, and stay there until you go home!”
Elise laughed, for she was always a little ashamed of herself after an exhibition of her petty jealousy, and Patty knew that she wouldn’t repeat the offence, for the present at least.
“You ring for Louise,” Patty went on, “to help you put away these pretty frocks and things, and then you make yourself at home, and do just what you want to until I come back with Christine. And then, milady, you will be just as sweet and charming to Christine as you can possibly be! Catch on?”
“Yes,” said Elise, smiling, and Patty kissed her again and ran away.