Big Bill walked slowly toward her.
"Patty!" he murmured, almost beneath his breath. "Apple Blossom! I want you so!"
A lovelier pink rose to Patty"s cheeks, for it was impossible to mistake the earnestness in Bill"s voice. She smiled at him, gently for a moment, and then roguishly, and her dimples flashed into view, as she danced lightly away from him, calling back over her shoulder, "Catch me first!"
"You"ll say that once too often yet, my lady!" declared Farnsworth, as he stood with folded arms looking after her, but not following her dancing footsteps.
At the hall doorway, Patty turned and looked back, down the long room.
Farnsworth stood where she had left him, and his majestic pose, as he held his gilded trident, suited well his stalwart, magnificent physique.
"Come back here," he said, and his voice was not dictatorial, but quietly compelling.
Slowly Patty danced down the room, swaying, as if in rhythm with unheard music. As she came to a pause in front of Farnsworth, she made him a sweeping, mocking courtesy.
"Father Neptune, G.o.d of the Sea!" she said, as if offering homage.
Farnsworth raised his hand, dramatically.
"Spirit of the Sea," he said, "Nymph of the silver-crested waves, kneel before me!"
Catching his mood, Patty sank gracefully on one knee, bowing her fair head before the majestic sea-G.o.d.
"I crown thee," Neptune went on, "fairest of all nymphs, loveliest of all G.o.ddesses. Spirit of the Sea, but also, maiden of the apple blossoms."
Patty felt a light touch on her bowed head, but did not move, until a moment later, Neptune held out his hand.
"Rise, Spirit of the Sea, crowned by Neptune, G.o.d of the Ocean!"
Patty rose, and in a nearby mirror saw her crown. It was a slender wreath of wonderfully fine workmanship. Leaves of fairy-like silver filigree, and tiny apple blossoms, of pink and white enamel. Light in weight, soft, yet sparkling in effect, it rested on her fair head, in no way interfering with the silver star that flashed above it. Indeed, it seemed the last touch needed to perfect the beauty of Patty"s costume, and her face was more than ever like an apple blossom as she turned to thank Farnsworth for his gift.
But before she could do so, several people sprang in from the hall, where they had been watching the coronation ceremony.
"Hooray for you two!" cried Roger. "You show true dramatic genius!
Patty, you"re a peach to-night! Bill, you"re a hummer!"
Only Daisy was unsmiling. A pang of jealousy thrilled her heart, as she saw the exquisite picture Patty made, and saw, too, the lovely gift Farnsworth had given her. Daisy"s costume was beautiful and exceedingly artistic, but the grey, misty garb seemed tame beside Patty"s clear coloured draperies and bright, sea-weed tangled hair.
"Patty, you"re wonderful!" Mona exclaimed. "If I weren"t so weighted down with this dragging train, I"d hug you!"
Mona looked regal in her Cleopatra costume. She had chosen a rich white and gold brocaded satin, and the gold lace on the train which hung from her shoulders, made it heavy indeed. She was loaded with jewels, both real and paste, and her Egyptian headdress was both gorgeous and becoming. Mona had never looked so well, and Roger, who was Father Nile, expressed his admiration frankly.
"I say, Mona," he declared, "if the real Cleo Pat looked like you, I don"t blame old Mark for flirting with her. Maybe I"ll flirt with you before the evening is over."
"Ha! Minion! Methinks thou art presumptuous!" said Mona, marching about theatrically. But she smiled at Roger, for the two had become good friends.
Adele and Jim Kenerley were Dutch young people, and in blue and white cotton costumes, looked as if they had just alighted from an old Delft platter.
Laurence Cromer took no costume part, as he had to direct the posing of the characters and the scenic details of the parade.
Mrs. Parsons was enchanted with the gorgeousness of her party of young people, and when Patty gave her a sprig of seaweed to tuck in her bodice, she felt as if she belonged to the water carnival.
Motors carried the laughing crowd to the Sayres" house, from where the floats were to start.
Of course Old Ocean"s Float led the parade. Though not very realistic, it was a theatrical representation of the sea, and the great billows, made of green muslin crested with cotton batting and stretched over somewhat wabbly framework, tossed and swayed almost like the Atlantic breakers. At the back end of the float was a great canopied throne, on which sat the gold-crowned Neptune holding his firmly planted trident.
Before him seemed to dance the Spirit of the Sea, for Patty, now in one pose and now in another, was outlined against the dark billows with charming effect. A bright electric light streaming from a point above the throne, illuminated both characters and threw into relief the sh.e.l.ls and seaweed that decorated the sides of the float.
The other floats were equally well done,--some even better in artistic conception. Each received uproarious applause as it rolled slowly along the line of march. Hotels and cottages were all illuminated, and the whole population of Spring Beach was out admiring the Pageant.
"Aren"t you tired, Patty?" asked Farnsworth, gently, as she changed her pose.
"Yes, I am," she confessed; "but it isn"t the posing,--it"s the jolting. I had no idea the ocean was so rickety!"
"Poor little girlie! I wish I could do something for you. But we have to go a couple of miles further yet. Can you stand it!"
"Yes; but I"d rather SIT it!"
"Do! Come and sit on this throne beside me. There"s plenty of room."
"Oh, nonsense, I couldn"t. What would the people think?"
"Do you want to KNOW what they"d think?" returned Farnsworth, promptly.
"They"d think that you were old Neptune"s Queen, and that you meant to sit beside him all the rest of your life. Let them think that, Patty,--and, let it be true! Will you, my apple blossom girl?"
"No, Bill," said Patty, quietly, and changed her pose so that she did not face him. His words had startled her. Above the rumbling of the float, she had heard him clearly, though, of course, they could not be overheard by the laughing, chattering bystanders.
His earnest tones had left no room for doubt of his meaning, and after Patty"s first shock of surprise, she felt a deep regret that he should have spoken thus. But in an instant her quick wit told her that she must not think about it now. She must turn a laughing, careless face to the pa.s.sing audience.
"Nay, nay, Neptune," she said, facing him again, "I must play my own part. If a life on the ocean wave is not as easy as I had hoped, yet must I brave it out to the end."
Farnsworth took his cue. He knew he ought not to have spoken so seriously at this time, but it was really involuntary. He had fallen deeply in love with the Eastern girl, and his Western whole-heartedness made it difficult for him to conceal his feelings. He flashed a warm, sunny smile at her and said heartily:
"All right, Sea Sprite! I know your pluck and perseverance. You"ll get there, with bells on! Take the easiest pose you can, and hang on to that foam-crested wave near you. It sways a bit, but it"s firmly anch.o.r.ed. I looked out for that, before I trusted you to this ramshackle old hay wagon!"
Patty smiled back, really helped by his hearty sympathy and strong, ringing voice.
"I HATE to be so,--so unable to stand things!" she exclaimed, pouting a little.
"You"re no Sandow girl," he replied; "but--one can"t expect an apple blossom to be as strong as a--a cabbage!"
"Nor as strong as a great big Westerner," she returned, looking admiringly at the stalwart Neptune, and thereby pleasing him greatly, for Big Bill was honestly proud of his pounds and inches.
At last they reached the Country Club, which was their destination, and the parade was over; though as the carnival was to conclude with a supper and a dance for the partic.i.p.ators, the best part of the fun was yet to come. Aunt Adelaide, who had reached the clubhouse a little earlier, was waiting for her charges, and Bill promptly escorted Patty to her.
"Look after this little girl, won"t you, Mrs. Parsons?" he said.
"She"ll be O. K. after a few moments" rest, but a seafaring life is a hard one, and this little craft is glad to get into port."
Patty gave him a grateful glance, and said:
"Nonsense, Aunt Adelaide, I"m not really tired, but I just want to sit down a while. My feet have a headache!"