In her rude way, which Angeline considered pretty frankness, she made Pat understand, too, that she was "simply amazed" to find that Pat lived in such a plain old house!
"Of course it's nice and roomy and all that--and a long time ago it must have been fashionable, but you just ought to see Brenda Chisholm's father's new house on the Drive--why, it's like a palace!" She enlarged, then, upon its grandeur until Pat felt deep chagrin that her father had preferred to live on in the old homestead rather than to move into a newer part of the city.
Pat knew that she loved the old library with its deep fireplace and the rows of book shelves reaching to the ceiling and the long, deep windows overlooking the slope of lawn between her house and Sheila's, the old paintings on the walls and the softly colored rugs; she knew that her own room, over the library, held all her memories of nursery days; that she loved the way the morning sun, streaming in through the little conservatory where the birds sang among the flowers, turned to gold the dark oak panels of the dining-room. However, it must seem shabby to Angeline after she had visited Brenda's new home! She looked at the more modern houses they were passing, great piles of stone and marble surrounded by well-kept lawns, and resolved to urge her Daddy to move immediately!
One morning, a week after Angelina's arrival, the girls found themselves with nothing to do. Aunt Pen had taken Renée out for a walk in the Park. The sun was shining warmly, buds were appearing on the lilac bushes, everywhere was the hint of spring. Aunt Pen had declared she had heard an oriole, she and Renée had started in search of the songster's nest. Pat had watched them depart with a little longing in her heart and a hurt that they had not even asked her and Angeline to go with them! Yet she knew how Angeline would have scoffed at the suggestion of a walk in the Park!
Angeline now was arranging and rearranging her hair before the mirror. Pat was crossly wishing she'd stop--she'd been fussing there for ages! "What'll we do?" she asked, as Renée's and Aunt Pen's figures disappeared up the street.
"Oh, let's go out somewhere for lunch. Then we can shop. You know, I think it's a shame your aunt doesn't buy you some decent things! If I were you I'd just go and get them myself! My goodness, you're too old to be dressed like a little kid. How the girls at school will laugh when I tell them!"
Pat's face flushed crimson. Angeline went on in her persuasive voice; "If you don't just show your independence sometime they'll go on treating you like a child! Of course it's none of my business, but you're my dearest friend and I do feel sorry for you! And I can help you pick out--oh, just a few things!"
Pat gave her head a little toss! "Shall we walk or ride?" she asked, mutely yielding to Angeline's tempting.
"Oh, dear me, ride, of course! I couldn't walk a block in those heels!" and Angeline extended one of the bargain pumps for a loving inspection.
It was necessary, before they started forth, for Pat to open her treasure box in the Eyrie and take from it the crisp six dollar bills which she had ready for her Victory pledge, due on April first. This, with her week's allowance, seemed a great deal of money and would surely meet the expenses of their outing.