So the girls told each other of their interviews, and compared notes regarding Miss Oliphant’s attitude on those memorable occasions.
“And to think,” exclaimed Patty, “she knew Hilda was ’way ahead of us all the time, and never told us! I don’t wonder she was amused.”
“Well,” said Lorraine, “I’m glad there was one thing in the world that could amuse her. I never saw her come so near smiling before.”
“Nor I,” said Patty.
CHAPTER XXI
THE CINDERELLA PARTY
On Christmas Eve Clementine was to give a party. It was to be of the kind known as a “Cinderella party,” that is, the guests were to depart exactly at twelve o’clock.
With the exception of the hops at the seashore hotel, Patty had never been to a regular evening party, and she looked forward to the event with great delight.
Ruth Fleming had come down from Boston to spend Christmas week with Patty, so of course she, too, was invited to the party.
Ruth’s visit had come about in this way: Patty had thought she would ask Marian to visit her on Christmas, but Aunt Alice had insisted that the Fairfields and Grandma Elliott should spend Christmas with them in Vernondale. Then Patty thought of asking Ethelyn St. Clair, but concluded that after all it would be nicer to have Ruth.
“For,” said Patty, to her father, “Ethelyn has lots of good times, while Ruth leads an awfully hum-drum life. To be sure, she’s a hum-drum girl, the very hum-drummiest one I ever saw. But that’s all the more reason to chirk her up, and when I get her here I’ll make her have fun, whether she wants to or not. Besides, I had Ethelyn and Bumble Barlow both to visit me last summer, and I’ve never had Ruth.”