"Oh, I don"t care," said Lora, "have them where you like."
Lora turned to speak to some people pa.s.sing, and then walked away with them.
"Now SHE"S mad!" commented Jack. "That"s the beautiful part of getting up a show; all the girls get mad, one after another."
"_I_"M going to get mad!" announced Patty, deliberately.
"You are!" exclaimed Lena Lockwood, in amazement. "I didn"t know you COULD get mad!"
"Patty gets about as mad as a small Angora kitten," said Jack.
"Yes," agreed Patty, "and I can tell you, kittens, like cats, get awful mad, if they want to. Now I"m going to get mad, if you people don"t tell me all about this show, NOW! I don"t want to wait for meetings and things."
"I"ll tell you now," said Guy, speaking very fast. "It"s to be a Pageant, a great and glittering Pageant, made up of floats with tableaux on "em, and bands of music playing, and banners streaming, and coloured fire firing, all over Spring Beach."
"That tells some, but not all," said Patty. "You tell me more, Lena."
"Well, the Floats will represent the Sea and different rivers and all sorts of things like that. And they are all under different committees, and every chairman has to look after her own people."
"And whose people are we?" demanded Patty.
"Mrs. Sayre has the general committee of floats under her charge."
"But the Sea Float is my especial care, Patty," broke in Guy Martin, "and I want you to promise to be Spirit of the Sea. Won"t you?"
"Not to-day, thank you. I have to think these matters over slowly. What do you want Mona Galbraith to be?"
A silence was the response to this question, and then Guy said:
"I hadn"t put her name down yet, but I daresay she"ll be asked to take some part."
"I daresay she WILL," returned Patty, "and a GOOD part, too! Why can"t she be Spirit of the Sea?"
"Nonsense, that part requires a sylph-like girl, such as--such as you or Lora. Mona Galbraith is too heavy for any self-respecting spirit."
"Well, never mind," said Patty, "there must be plenty of other good parts that require more substantial specimens of humanity. Arrange your meetings at our house, Guy, and we"ll fix it all up then."
They changed the subject then, for Mona and Captain Sayre came walking toward them.
"Get good fortunes?" asked Jack.
"Very much so," returned the captain. "Miss Galbraith is to become a d.u.c.h.ess later on, and I am to achieve the rank of a Rear-Admiral. What more could we ask?"
"Nothing!" exclaimed Patty. "You"ll make a gorgeous d.u.c.h.ess, Mona. I can see you now, prancing around with a jewelled coronet on your n.o.ble brow."
"Can"t you see me," said Captain Sayre, "prancing around in Admiral"s regalia?"
"But I"ve never seen you prance at all. I supposed you were too dignified."
"You did! Well, you never were more mistaken in your life. Watch me, now." The orchestra was playing in lively time, and Captain Sayre began to do a lively dance, which was something between a Sailor"s Hornpipe and a Double Shuffle.
He danced wonderfully well, and as Patty looked at him the spirit of the music inspired her, and throwing off her hat, she prettily caught up the sides of her frilled skirt, and danced, facing him. He smiled at her, changed his step to a more graceful fancy dance, and they danced an impromptu duet.
Others gathered about to watch the pretty sight, and Patty soon discovered that, though she was an accomplished dancer, the captain was far more familiar with the latest styles and steps. But he suited his mood to hers, and they advanced, retreated, and bowed, almost as if they had practised together for the purpose. Loud applause greeted them as the band ceased playing, and they were urged to repeat the dance.
"No," said Captain Sayre, laughing; "you forget it is a summer"s day, and that sort of prancing is better suited to a winter evening. I"m going to take Miss Fairfield away to the lemonade tent, before she faints from utter exhaustion."
"I"m not tired," protested Patty, but her cheeks were pink from the exercise, and she went gladly for the refreshing lemonade.
"You"re a wonderful dancer," said Captain Sayre. "Who taught you?"
Patty mentioned the name of the teacher she had had in New York. "But,"
she said, "I haven"t had any lessons of late, and I don"t know the new fancy dances."
"Some of them are beautiful; you really ought to know them. Mayn"t I call on you, and teach you a few new steps?"
"I"d love to have you do so. I"m staying with Miss Galbraith, you know.
But you"re not here for long, are you?"
"I"ll be here about a week, and I may return later for a short time. At any rate we can have a few dances. I never saw any one so quick to catch the spirit of the music. You love dancing, don"t you?"
"Yes, I do. But I love it more in cooler weather."
"Oh, this hot spell won"t last long. And it"s so cool mornings. Suppose I run over to see you to-morrow morning. May I?"
"Do," said Patty, cordially. "Mona and I will be glad to have you."
"But I"m coming to see YOU" said the captain, a little pointedly.
"You"re coming to see us both," said Patty, very decidedly.
CHAPTER VIII
THE HOUSE PARTY ARRIVES
"Red Chimneys" was in a turmoil. The house party had been invited, and the house party had accepted their invitations, and all would have been well had it not been for Aunt Adelaide. Somehow or other she managed to upset every plan, throw cold water on every pleasure, and acted as a general wet blanket on all the doings of Patty and Mona.
She was not an over strict chaperon; indeed, she was more than ready to let the girls do whatever they chose; but she dictated the way it should be done and continually put forth not only suggestions but commands directly opposed to the wishes of the young people.
Often these dictates concerned the merest details. If the girls had a merry luncheon party invited, that was the very day Aunt Adelaide chose for a special rest-cure treatment, and demanded that the whole house be kept quiet as a church. On the other hand, if the girls were going off for the day, that was the occasion Aunt Adelaide felt lonesome, and declared herself cruelly neglected to be left at home alone.
But it was Mona"s nature to submit to the inevitable,--though not always gracefully. And it was Patty"s nature to smooth away rough places by her never-failing tact and good nature. The greatest trouble was with the servants. Those who came in contact with the nervous, fussy lady were hara.s.sed beyond endurance by her querulous and contradictory orders. The cook declared herself unable to prepare Mrs.
Parson"s "messes" acceptably, and threatened every other day to leave.
But Patty"s coaxing persuasions, and Mona"s promise of increased wages induced her to remain.