"Oh, I don"t think so much of this general admiration. I think if a young girl isn"t admired, it"s her own fault. She only has to be gay and pleasant and good-natured, and people are bound to like her."
"Yes," agreed Marie; "but there are degrees. I"ll tell you who likes you an awful lot,--and that"s Mr. Harper."
"Oh, Kenneth;" Patty spoke carelessly, but she couldn"t prevent a rising blush. "Why, Marie, we"ve been chums for years. I used to know Ken Harper when I was a little girl and lived in Vernondale. He"s a dear boy, but we"re just good friends."
"I like him," and Marie said this so ingenuously, that Patty gave her a quick look. "Don"t you like anybody ESPECIALLY, Patty?"
"No, I don"t. All boys look alike to me. I like to have them to dance with, and to send me flowers and candy; and I don"t mind make-believe flirting with them; but the minute they get serious, I want to run away."
"Aren"t you ever going to be engaged, Patty?"
"Nonsense! Marie, we"re too young to think about such things. After a few years I shall begin to consider the matter; and if I find anybody that I simply can"t live without, I shall proceed to marry him. Now, curiosity-box, is there anything else you want to know?"
"I didn"t mean to be curious," and Marie"s pretty face looked troubled; "but, Patty, I will ask you one more question: Couldn"t you,--couldn"t you like,--specially, I mean,--my cousin Kit?"
"Marie, I"ve a notion to shake you! You little match-maker,--or mischief-maker,--stop getting notions into your head! In the first place, I"ve known your paragon of a cousin only a few weeks; and in the second place, there"s no use going any further than the first place!
Now, you go to sleep, and dream about birds and flowers and sunshine, and don"t fill your pretty head with grown-up notions."
"You"re a funny girl, Patty," and Marie looked at her with big, serious eyes.
"If it"s funny to be a common-sense, rational human being, then I AM funny! Now, good-night, chickabiddy. Mrs. Perry says she"ll send up our breakfast about nine to-morrow morning. Hop into my room and have it with me, won"t you?"
Marie agreed to this arrangement, and gathering up her belongings, Patty slipped across the hall to her own room.
The wood fire had burnt down to red embers, and lowering the lights, Patty sat down for a few moments in a big fireside chair to think.
She had told the truth, that she did not want to think seriously of what Marie called "an especial liking" for anybody; but what Kenneth had said that evening troubled her.
Her friendship for Kenneth was so firm and strong, her real regard for him so deep and sincere, that she hated to have it intruded upon by a question of a more serious feeling. And she had never suspected that any such question would arise. But she could not mistake the meaning of Kenneth"s spoken wish that he might be capable of the gay conversation in which Patty delighted.
"Dear old Ken," she said to herself, "he"s so nice just as he is, but when he tries to be funny, he--well, he CAN"T, that"s all. It isn"t his fault. All the boys can"t be alike. And I s"pose Ken IS the nicest of them, after all. He"s so true and reliable. But I hope to gracious he isn"t going to fall in love with me. That would spoil everything I Oh, well, I won"t cross that bridge until I come to it. And if I have come to it,--well, I won"t cross it, even then. I"ll just stand stock-still, and wait. I believe there"s a poem somewhere, that says:
""Standing with reluctant feet Where the brook and river meet,-- Womanhood and childhood sweet."
"I s"pose I HAVE left childhood behind, but I feel a long way off from womanhood. And yet, in a couple of months I"ll be twenty. That does begin to sound aged! But I know one thing, sure and certain: I"ll wait till I AM twenty, before I think about a serious love affair. Suitors are all very well, but I wouldn"t be engaged to a man for anything!
Why, I don"t suppose he"d let me dance with anybody else, or have any fun at all! No, sir-ee, Patricia Fairfield, you"re going to have two or three years of your present satisfactory existence, before you wear anybody"s diamond ring. And now, my Lady Gay, you"d better skip to bed, for to-morrow night you have a theatre party in prospect, and you want to look fairly decent for that."
The fire was burnt out now, and Patty was so sleepy that her head had scarcely touched the pillow before she fell asleep.
A light tap at her door awakened her the next morning, and Marie appeared, followed by Nora, with a breakfast tray.
"Wake up, curly-head-sleepy-head," and Marie playfully tweaked Patty"s curls. "Here, I"ll be your maid. Here"s your nightingale, and here"s your breakfast cap."
Marie deftly arrayed Patty in the pretty trifles, and poked pillows behind her back until she was comfortable.
"Goodness gracious sakes! Marie," said Patty, rubbing her eyes, "you waked me out of the soundest sleep I have ever known! WHY bother me with breakfast?"
"Had to do it," returned Marie, calmly, drawing up a big chair for herself. "Now keep your eyes open and behave like a lady. Your chocolate is getting cool and your toast is spoiling."
The two girls were still discussing their breakfast, when Mrs. Perry came in.
"How are you getting on?" she asked, cheerily; "Babette is still ill, so I had to send Nora to you."
"Everything is lovely," said Patty, smiling at her hostess. "We"re delightfully looked after. Nora is a jewel. But I hope your maid isn"t seriously ill."
"I"m afraid she is," and Mrs. Perry looked troubled. "She has a bad sore throat and she"s quite feverish. Now you girlies dawdle around as much as you like. Although I"m commissioned to tell you that there are two young men downstairs just pining for you, and they asked me to coax you to come down at once."
"Let them wait," said Patty; "we"ll be down after a while. Mayn"t we see the baby?"
"Yes, indeed, if you like. I"ll send her in."
Soon a dainty little morsel of fragrant humanity appeared, accompanied by her nurse.
The tot was a trifle shy, but Patty"s merry smile soon put her at her ease.
"Tell the lady your name, dear," said Marie.
"Pitty Yady!" said the baby, caressing Patty"s cheek.
"Yes," said Marie, "now tell the pretty lady your name."
"Baby Boo," said the child.
"Baby Boo! What a dear name!" said Patty.
"Her name is Beulah," Marie explained, "but she always calls herself Baby Boo, so every one else does."
"It"s just the name for her," said Patty, catching up the midget in her arms and cuddling her.
"Pitty Yady," repeated the baby, gazing at Patty.
"She"s struck with your beauty, Patty, like everybody else," said Marie, laughing.
"It"s mutual, then," returned Patty, "for I think she"s the prettiest baby I ever saw. And she does smell so good! I love a violet baby." And Patty kissed the back of the soft little neck and squeezed the baby up in her arms.
"Now Baby Boo must go away," said Marie, at last, "for the Pitty Yady must get dressed and go downstairs."
Patty had brought a morning frock, of pink linen with a black velvet sash, and she looked very trim and sweet as she at last declared herself ready.
The two girls went downstairs, and found two very impatient young men awaiting them.
"Whatever HAVE you girls been doing all the morning?" exclaimed Cameron; "you CAN"T have been sleeping until this time!"
"Playing with the baby, and exchanging confidences," said Patty, smiling.
"Both of which you might as well have done down here," Cameron declared. "I adore my baby niece, and Mr. Harper and I would have been more than glad to listen to your exchange of confidences."
"Oh, they weren"t intended for your ears!" exclaimed Marie, with mock horror. "Kimono confidences are very, VERY sacred. But it may well be that your ears burn."