“And aside from your intentional dispensing of happiness,” went on Hepworth, ignoring her confession of ill-temper, “your unconscious influence is that of pure joy. You radiate happiness, and no one can be near you without feeling its influence. I did not intend, Patty, to say this quite so baldly, but it is not meant as idle compliment or flattery, only as an honest recognition of your charm.”
Patty accepted what Mr. Hepworth said quite simply, and looked at him with clear, unembarrassed eyes.
“Thank you, Mr. Hepworth,” she said; “I know you would not say those things unless you meant them. I’m truly glad that you think my influence, be it ever so small, is toward happiness. For I am always happy; somehow I can’t help it, and I want the whole world to be so, too.”
“It is that dear wish in your heart that makes you what you are,” said Mr. Hepworth, and then, with what seemed to be a sudden effort, he stopped their serious conversation and exclaimed: “Will you look at that clown. Isn’t he quite the funniest one you ever saw?”
Patty laughed at the ridiculous fellow, and then the wonders of the aerial bicyclists, and the even more marvellous autobolide, claimed their attention.
But long after she had forgotten the amusing scenes of the circus Patty remembered what Mr. Hepworth had said.
CHAPTER XIX
THEMES
On Friday afternoons the girls of the Oliphant school were required to read original papers which they had written through the week, and which were technically known as “Themes.”
These Themes were Patty’s special delight. Her more prosaic lessons she learned from a sense of duty, and also because of her ambition to achieve the prize which was to be given at Christmas to the pupil with the best general average of marks.
Patty knew she stood high on the list, but Clementine, Adelaide, Hilda, and even Lorraine were also far above most of the other pupils.