As this brighter outlook had greatly decreased Marian’s aspect of hopeless gloom, the girls all began to wax more merry, and soon they were all joking and laughing in true Tea Club style.
Each one had brought a parting gift for Patty and the presentations were made with jesting speeches.
Elsie Morris brought a well-filled court-plaster case, for, as she explained, Patty was sure to be knocked down and run over every day by automobiles and trolley cars, and the healing strips would prove beneficial.
Laura Russell brought her a tiny fern growing in a flower pot, in order that she might have some green thing to remind her of the country.
“Oho,” said Ethel Holmes, “I’m going to give you a dozen green things to remind you of the country,” and Ethel produced her gift, which was nothing more nor less than a humorous sketch of the twelve girls of the Tea Club. Ethel was clever at drawing, and the group was well caricatured. Instead of drawing the faces, she had pasted in tiny photographs of the girls’ features, and, moreover, had realistically bedecked their hats with tiny feathers and microscopic bows of real ribbon. Neckties and hair-ribbons were also pasted into place, until the whole affair was a most comical representation of the Club members.
Patty was delighted and declared she would have this work of art framed and conspicuously hung in her new home.
CHAPTER III
A NEW HOME
On Saturday morning the Fairfields and Grandma Elliott started for their New York home. Uncle Charlie went to town on the same train, and the rest of the Elliott family escorted the party to the station.
Marian had determined not to cry when Patty went away, but it required such a desperate effort to carry out her resolution that she made a most pathetic picture.
“Chirk up, sis,” said Frank; “the world isn’t coming to an end. I’ll be a Patty to you.”