"Yes, next week. It"s a horrid nuisance,--the getting ready and clearing up afterward, I mean,--but we want to make money for the library of our working girls" club."
"Let me give you the money you"d make, and then don"t have the Bazaar thing."
"You"re awfully good, Phil, and I"d like to do that. But it wouldn"t work. The Club would just take your contribution and then go calmly on and have a Bazaar or something beside."
"But it would let _you_ out. You needn"t have it here."
"That would be selfish. I"m too selfish as it is. No, I"ll have the sale here. Of course, the committee will help, and all that, but well, you know what committees are."
"Yes, they let the chairman do everything and then they criticise. And I"ll bet you"re chairman, aren"t you?"
"Yes," Patty laughed. "How you do catch on! But I"m not shifting responsibility. Indeed, I"d rather do it all, if I could do it my own way. But they all tell me what to do, and then whatever"s wrong is my fault."
"I know. All committees are like that. Well, just do the best you can and let me help all I can. Is there much I can do?"
"Why, yes, I think so. At least there will be on the day of the Sale.
Come round then and we"ll set you to work."
"Glad to. What is to be sold? Can"t I buy some things?"
"Yes, indeed. It"s a novel sale, in this way: There are wares all over the house. In the library we"ll sell books, and in the dining-room, food, and, also, china and gla.s.s and fancy linens."
"And in the drawing-room here?"
"Oh, here we"ll have the bric-a-brac and pictures and small pieces of furniture,--all these things have been donated, you know. And up in the bedrooms we"re to have things to wear, and lace pillows and dresser scarfs and all such things; oh, and hats! And in my boudoir there"ll be wonderful kimonos and breakfast caps, and work-baskets and bags and really lovely things."
"I believe you"ll enjoy it all. You"re enthusiastic already. Let me give you some things for it. Wouldn"t you like a few curios and bronze bits from Aunty Van"s collections?"
"Oh, we would! But you oughtn"t to spare them."
"I"ve such quant.i.ties, a few will never be missed. Come over and pick them out yourself. Bring Elise or whoever is on the committee with you."
"Thank you, Phil, you"re awfully good. It will be an immense help.
It"s easy enough to get fancy things, and even dining-room things; and we"ve oceans of books and desk fittings and such things. But it"s hardest of all to get the very things you offer. And they"ll sell, splendidly."
"And you girls dress appropriately, I suppose."
"Yes, of course we never lose a chance of dressing up. Elise will be in cap and gown, in the library. Marie Homer, in full evening regalia, in here. Several as waitresses in the dining-room; flower-girls in the halls; oh, yes, we even use the kitchen. We have cooks there, and they"ll sell all sorts of aluminum cook dishes and laundry things.
It"s really very well planned and I s"pose it will be fun. In the little reception room we have all sorts of motor things,--robes, coats, lunch-baskets, cushions, all the best and newest motor accessories.
General Sports goods, too, I believe. Daisy"s running that."
"And where are you?"
"Up in my own boudoir. I"m to wear a gorgeous Chinese kimono and one fascinating cap after another, selling them off of my head to the eager throngs of purchasers!"
"Fine! You"ll do a rushing business. I"ll give you some wares to sell up there, too. Say, some Oriental couch cushions, and some Persian slippers, and things from Auntie"s wardrobe."
"Do you think you ought to?"
"Why, of course. All her things are mine, and there are such quant.i.ties of really valuable stuffs and trinkets I don"t know what to do with them. And as to Aunty Van"s own wishes, I know she would have been glad to have them used in this way,--especially for you."
Patty looked up at him, quickly. She well remembered Mrs. Van Reypen"s affection for her, and what form it took.
"Phil," she said, "I don"t want you to give these things for my sake----"
"Now, don"t you worry, Curlyhead, I give them solely and wholly for the good of the cause. Indeed, if you weren"t connected with the affair, I"d give twice as many!"
Philip"s smile contradicted this awful taradiddle, and Patty rejoiced at his nonsense. Much as she wanted his gifts for the Sale, she didn"t want to feel that it placed her under special obligations to him.
Just then the doorbell sounded, and in a moment Daisy Dow and Bill Farnsworth appeared. They were in gay spirits, having been to see a new comic opera, which proved such a bore that they left before it was over.
"Such rubbish!" Daisy exclaimed. "Old jokes, old music, old dances.
So I proposed we leave it to its fate and run up here. Glad to see us, Patty?"
"Yes, indeed! Just listen while I tell you of all the things I"ve wheedled out of Philip for our Sale."
"Gorgeous!" cried Daisy, after hearing the list. "Haven"t you some for my room, Mr. Van Reypen?"
"I"m sure I have. You can use anything sporty?"
"Anything."
"Then I"ll give you a first-cla.s.s tennis set. I"ll order it sent up from Ball and Bat"s, or you can pick it out there yourself."
Daisy noticed that Van Reypen did not give her any of his aunt"s heirlooms, but she gratefully accepted the offered gift.
"What shall I give you, Patty?" asked Bill. "What"s your specialty?"
"Negligees and boudoir caps," said Patty, demurely; "have you any?"
"Something just as good. Want some Indian moccasins and Navajo blankets----"
"Now, Bill," said Daisy, "you promised me the Navajo, for a motor robe."
"All right. I"ll give each good little girl one. Then Patty, how"d you like some real Hopi baskets?"
"Beautiful! You boys are awfully good to us. We"ll have a wonderful sale."
"If only people come to buy," demurred Daisy.
"Oh, they"ll come fast enough. We"ll make oceans of money! I"m just beginning to get into the notion of the thing."
"Will those queer friends of yours be here?"
"What queer friends?"
"Those soully ones. I"ve never seen them, but I"ve heard a lot about them."