CHAPTER III
THE RETURN OF “PATTY”
The lights from Greycliff parlors shone out over the campus. Here and there, in the rooms above, a light would flash out, as the occupant of a room entered it and turned on her electricity. In the larger reception room, Hilary was at the piano, while Eloise, Lilian and some of the other girls were singing. The sounds of the music and happy conservation floated out and reached the ears of a young woman who had just alighted from a taxi. She paid the chauffeur, hurried up the steps and entered the entrance hall,—so far, alone, but only for a few moments, for exclamations of “It’s Patty, girls!” or “Oh, here’s Patty!” began to be heard. Soon the newcomer was the center of a welcoming group of girls. One took her traveling bag, another her pocketbook, and since the hat with its veil seemed to be in the way, she unpinned the stylish little affair and handed it to another of the girls.
“Oh, Miss West,—I mean Mrs. Norris, it is so grand to have you back!”
“Yes, indeed. Miss Carver is crosser than ever since the——”
“Hush! Don’t say anything about the war; Patty can’t stand it!”
“Oh, are you really married?”
“Yes, girls, I’m really married, and it is wonderful to have you glad to see me, like this,—I’m going to need—lots of company!” Patty put her face for a moment on Pauline’s comfortable shoulder, but lifted it bravely, smiling as she finished, “—he belongs to me anyhow, and he sent his warmest greetings to you all.”
“Who in the world is she?” asked one of the “new girls,” “and who is the ‘he’ she is talking about?”
“It is Mrs. Norris, who was Miss West and has been a teacher here for several years. Dr. Norris came here to teach, too, and they were engaged all last year. Then he was in camp and couldn’t get away to be married, I guess. Anyway, they were just married recently, and I suppose she has seen him off to France.”
Betty, Cathalina and Pauline saw their “Patty” to her room, put away her things for her, and hovered around till Miss Randolph, hearing of the arrival, came up herself to greet the bride. Mrs. Norris hastened to say that her next act was to have been a visit to Miss Randolph, after the dust of travel was removed, but Miss Randolph replied that she was only too glad to come to her. The girls immediately withdrew and went out to join the other interested girls, who wanted to hear all about the romantic wedding.