“Why, it was as easy as anything,” she said; “I just took a big bronze vase—a flat one, you know, that papa got in Rome or Florence or somewhere—and then I took an antique bronze lamp, Egyptian, I think it is, and I turned the lamp upside down on top of the vase. And then I got a piece of lead pipe, and of course we had to have a plumber to connect it with the water-pipe. But the bathroom is just the other side of the partition, and so that was easy. Then I put palms and plants and things all around it and so it makes a lovely fountain. Would you like to see it? Can’t you come up to our rooms now?”
“I’d like to ever so much,” said Patty, and after a word to Grandma the four girls went off together.
The Harts’ apartment was very similar to the Fairfields’, but on the floor above them. It was furnished with a queer jumble of tastes. The main furniture, of course, was that which belonged to the hotel, but the individual touches were eccentric and rather picturesque.
The fountain was really surprising, and Patty thought Adelaide’s description had by no means done it justice. The classic-shaped bronzes were exceedingly ornamental, the palms were tall and luxurious, and the soft tinkle of the continually falling water made a delightful sound. In the lower basin were several goldfish, and Patty could scarcely believe that Adelaide had planned and executed the whole affair herself.
“Why, it was nothing to do,” said the modest architect; “I love to build things. I’ve made shirt-waist boxes for all of us; I’ll make you one if you want it.”
“Oh, thank you,” cried Patty, quite overcome by this delightful change in Adelaide’s attitude toward her; “I suppose you’ll think me very ignorant, but really I don’t know what a shirt-waist box is.”
“Oh, that’s just the name of them,” explained Editha; “you don’t have to keep shirt-waists in them. They’re just big boxes, with covers like a trunk, and Adelaide does make them beautifully. She covers them with a kind of Chinese matting, and she even puts on brass corners and hinges. Come into my room with me and I will show you one.”
They all followed Editha to her pretty bedroom, and Patty saw and admired not only the shirt-waist box, but many of Editha’s other treasures. Among them was a box of chocolates, and soon the girls were nibbling away at the candy, and, as is usual in such circumstances, growing very friendly and well acquainted.
But though the Hart girls were so pleasant to Patty, they were not so amiable with one another. Editha patronised Adelaide and treated her as if she were very young and ignorant. Adelaide resented this, but she in turn domineered over Jeannette, and there were frequent sharp bickerings back and forth which made Patty feel decidedly uncomfortable.
However, the Harts had a strong sense of humour, and more often than not their squabbles ended with a joke and a merry peal of laughter.