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Patty Fairfield

C >> Carolyn Wells >> Patty Fairfield




When this fact dawned upon her, she concluded that one of the bookcases or
bureaus must be a folding-bed.

She tried to open them, but the bureau-drawers and the bookcase-shelves
proved themselves to be really what they seemed; then she looked for a bed
concealed in an alcove or an anteroom, but the curtains hid only windows
and the doors opened into ordinary closets.

Patty even looked in the fireplace and up the chimney, but she was
gradually forced to the conclusion that there was no bed at her disposal,
and that she must either report this fact to some member of the family or
sit up all night.

As it was now late she hesitated to trouble anybody about the matter, and
thought she would rather manage without a bed.

She did think of asking Bumble to let her share her room, but she didn't
know where her cousin's room was, and too, there might be only a single bed
in it. So Patty decided to try the old sofa.

As she had no pillow or bed-clothing, she rolled up a dress to put under
her head and pinned two skirts together for a coverlet.

But the old haircloth scratched her bare feet, and poor Patty soon jumped
up and sought another resting-place.

She cuddled up in a big armchair which was soft and warm, and there she
soon fell asleep. But later, she awoke, so stiff from her cramped position,
that she could scarcely move. So then she lay down on the floor and slept
there the rest of the night.

Next morning she dressed herself and went down-stairs at about eight
o'clock, but nobody was in sight, so Patty went out on the veranda and
watched the waves as they came rolling and tumbling up on the beach.

Then, with a view to exploring her new home, she walked round the house.

This brought her to the kitchen, and through the window she saw a fat old
black woman raking rigorously at the range.

"Dis yer stove 'll make me lose my 'ligion," Patty heard her murmur, and
she felt sure she was listening to old Hopalong. "Good-morning, Hopalong,"
she cried.

"'Mawnin', missy; an' who be you?"

"I'm Patty Fairfield, and I'm Mrs. Barlow's niece, and I've come to stay
all summer."

"Dat's good. I see you'se a nice, pretty-behaved little lady. Any ob de
fam'ly 'round yit?"

"No, I haven't seen anybody."

"Well, yere comes Massa Ted; now I mus' jes' be spry 'bout gettin' my co'n
brade done."

Hopalong shuffled away, and Patty turned to see Uncle Ted coming towards
her.

"Hello, Patty-girl," he cried, "you're up be times."

"Yes," said Patty, "and so are you. Oh, Uncle Teddy, isn't the sea
gorgeous? I do love it so, and I'm so glad I'm here!"

"That's good, little one; I'm glad you're glad. And now come to breakfast."

Aunt Grace had been carried down-stairs by her husband and son, and was
already in her place at the table.

She called Patty to her and kissed her affectionately, and asked her if she
slept well. Patty hesitated a moment, then breaking into a merry laugh, she
said:

"Why, Auntie Grace, I _didn't_ sleep very well, for I hadn't any bed."

"What?" exclaimed her aunt, in horror, "why, Patty, I ordered a little
brass bed sent from Philadelphia purposely for you, and it arrived
yesterday morning. I told Dil to put it up in your room, and I told Eunice
to see that it was properly made. But I confess I did forget to ask if my
orders had been carried out, and,--I suppose they weren't. You poor child!
How did you manage? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Well, I didn't notice it until quite late," said Patty. "I was so busy
putting my clothes and things away, that I never thought of anything else
at the time. And, anyway, I didn't mind for one night."

Just then Bumble came in, and when she heard about Patty's experience she
looked astounded. "Why," said she, "I took Patty to her room myself, and I
never noticed that there was no bed there!"

"You're a rattle-pated goosey," said her father: "but never mind, Patty,
you shall have two beds to-night to make up for it,--I'll promise you that"

"Don't believe him," cried Nan, gayly, as she ran into the dining-room. "I
don't know what Uncle Ted is saying to you,--but he won't do it. He never
kept a promise in his life!"

"'Oh, promise me,'" began Uncle Ted, and then they all joined in and sang:

"Oh, promise me that some day you and I
Will take a piece of huckleberry pie,
Some deviled eggs and strawberry ice cream,
And have a picnic down by yonder stream.
And then we'll wander through the fields afar,
And take a ride upon a trolley car;
But we'll come home again in time for tea,--
Oh, promise me--oh, promise me-e-e--"

The last refrain rang out with a prolonged wail that seemed to Patty the
funniest thing she had ever heard, and she fairly shouted with laughter.

"Oh, dear, you are the funniest family," she exclaimed; "I think I shall
stay here six months instead of three."




CHAPTER XIV


A FUNNY FAMILY

Patty was right when she called the Barlows a funny family, for their
spirits were irrepressible, and each day, from morning till night was
filled with jokes and absurdities accompanied or followed by gales of
laughter.

But they were heedless, forgetful people, and the whole household showed an
utter lack of systematic management.

Nothing was ever to be found in its place; meals were served at any hour
when old Hopalong got them ready. Sometimes the market orders were
neglected and there was almost nothing to eat, and then again there was
such an overstock that much had to be wasted. The children were allowed to
do exactly as they chose, and were never reproved; but if their own
mischief led them into misfortune, or their pranks turned out disastrously,
they were expected to stand the consequences bravely, and look for little
or no sympathy from their elders.

Patty had not been at the Hurly-Burly many days before she discovered that
its proportion of order and regularity was entirely too small. To be sure,
in the Fleming family it had been too large; but she thought there must be
a happy medium, a state of things whereby one could expect the ordinary
events of daily life to come in due course, without, however, living as if
by clockwork. You see Patty was becoming a very wise little girl, for she
was profiting by her varied experiences, and trying to learn the best way
to take care of her father's house and make it a real home for him.
Sometimes she felt this responsibility very greatly, and longed for some
motherly, housewifely friend to talk with about it.

But Aunt Grace, though loving and affectionate, was no help in such
matters.

"Nonsense, child," she would say, "don't worry about your housekeeping;
why, the house will keep itself, if you let it alone. And you're too young
to be bothered with a weight of domestic care, anyway. Now run off and play
with Bob and Bumble. Go for a row or a drive and let the breeze blow all
such worries out of your little noddle."

So Patty ran away and played with her cousins, and they did have jolly good
times.

There were so many nice things to do; fishing sailing, bathing, boating,
driving, golf, tennis, and all sorts of outdoor amusements were at their
disposal.

The Barlow twins, Nan Allen and Patty made a gay quartette, and if they
desired a larger party, there were plenty of neighbors ready to join in
their fun.

One warm afternoon, Patty and Bumble sat in a hammock swung under the
trees, while Bob sprawled on the grass near them.

"Girls," said he, "come on, let's go for a swim. The Smiths and the
Enfields just went down towards the bath-houses, and there'll be a jolly
crowd in the water."

"All right, let's go," replied his sister. "Where's Nan?"

"She's in the house somewhere," said Patty. "I'll go find her."

Patty ran into the house and looked in at the music-room door, as a
beginning of her search, but there she saw such a startling sight that she
stood spellbound, unable to go any further.

At the writing-desk sat a person whose head was entirely bald. Not a spear
of hair was anywhere visible on the bare, pinky-white scalp, and the round
head was smooth and shiny as a billiard-ball.

Then the head turned round and faced Patty, with rolling eyes and a weird
grimace. But Patty looked so astounded and frightened that the face broke
into a reassuring smile, and Nan's voice said:

"Why, Patty, don't be scared; it's only I. Didn't you know I wore a wig?
There it is, on that chair."

And sure enough, there was Nan's mop of frizzed, flaxen hair hanging on a
chair-back.

"But," said Patty, coming nearer, and still unable quite to comprehend it
all, "why don't you have any hair yourself?"

"Well, you see," said Nan, as she sealed and addressed the letter she had
been writing, "I had typhoid fever just before I left home, and my hair
came out so, that I had to have it all shaved off. So now I am wearing a
wig until it grows again. But it is so warm to-day, I took my wig off for a
few moments to rest my head."

Patty examined the wig with great interest.

"I think it's wonderful," she said, "is it just like your own hair was?"

"No, indeed, I wanted a change. My own hair is very dark, almost black, and
perfectly straight. So I bought this Flaxie Frizzle wig for a change. It's
becoming, don't you think so? I have a red wig too,--of short, curly auburn
hair. Sometimes I wear that."

Patty watched Nan curiously, as she put the wig on, securing it to her head
by invisible springs.

"I never saw anybody with a wig before," she said, "and it surprises me so;
but I came to ask you to go swimming with us."

"Can't do it," said Nan; "I have two more letters to write, and then I'm
going driving with the Perrys. They're to call for me at four o'clock, and
it's after three now. You'll have to go without me this time."

"All right," said Patty, backing out of the room, for her eyes were still
fixed on the wonderful wig.

Then she rejoined her cousins, and they all ran to the bath-houses.

They had a fine bath, and were about ready to come out of the water when
Nan appeared.

She was dressed in a fresh white piqué suit, with blue ribbons at her
throat and belt, and was looking very pretty but decidedly disappointed.

She walked out to the end of the narrow wooden pier, and the swimmers came
up to talk to her.

Patty didn't swim very well as yet, but she was learning, and Uncle Ted and
Bob said she was getting along finely.

"I thought you were going out with the Perrys," cried Bumble.

"I was,--" said Nan, "but they didn't come. I've been dressed and waiting
for them half an hour, then I looked again at the note they sent me, and I
made a mistake; it's to-morrow they asked me to go. So I came down here,
and I wish I was in the water with you."

"Come on in," said Bob.

"Too much trouble to get into my bathing-suit."

"Don't do it," said Bumble; "we're coming out now, anyway. But the water is
fine, to-day, isn't it, Patty?"

"Glorious!" gurgled Patty, as she floundered about in her frantic endeavors
to swim. Suddenly, Nan snatched off her wig, and dropped it down on the
dock.

Then with dramatic gestures, she wrung her hands, waved them above her
head, and cried out in agonized tones:

"I am desperate! No longer can I bear this sad and weary life. I
_will_ end it!" Apparently in the last stages of despair, she strode to the
end of the dock, and threw herself headlong into the water.

Patty was aghast, but Bob and Bumble were accustomed to Nan's mad tricks,
and they shouted with laughter.

In a moment the bald head reappeared above the water, for Nan could dive
and swim wonderfully well.

"I'm afraid my dress will get wet," she said, "but when I saw you all
having such fun, I just couldn't help jumping in."

"Crazy Nan," said Bumble, "you've spoiled your clean dress, and you can't
swim with your shoes on, anyway, can you?"

"Not very well," said Nan, regretfully, "and they're my best shoes, too.
But I don't care; I'll get a bath and have some fun."

Later on, the four young people, much refreshed and exhilarated, assembled
in the music-room to wait for dinner.

Aunt Grace, whose sprained ankle was getting better, and who could now limp
around with the aid of a crutch, was there too.

"Geranium Blossom! but I'm hungry," exclaimed Bob. "Mumsey, do you s'pose
we're going to have any dinner to-night?"

"I think so, my boy," returned Mrs. Barlow, placidly, "but go and get a
biscuit if you'd like one."

"I'll tell you what," said Nan, "let's have tea while we wait. There'll be
plenty of time, for Eunice has just begun to lay the table for dinner."

"All right," said Bumble. "Patty, if you'll get the hot water, I'll cut up
a lemon."

"But there aren't any lemons," said her mother. "I looked for one to-day,
and they're all out."

"There aren't any biscuits, either," said Bob, coming back from a fruitless
quest; "the box is empty."

"And there doesn't seem to be any sugar," said Nan, peering into the
sugar-bowl on the tea-table.

"Well, I'll tell you what," said Bumble, "let's pretend to have tea. You
know some people say, if you think you have anything, you have it."

"All right," said Patty, who dearly loved to pretend, "I'll make the tea."

So she pretended to measure out some tea from the caddy, and put it in the
teapot. Then she poured imaginary water from the teakettle upon it, and
covered the teapot tightly with the cosey. After allowing it a little time
to "draw" she pretended to pour it into cups, in which Bumble had already
placed imaginary sugar-lumps and bits of lemon.

Bob offered his services as waiter, and passed the cups to his mother and
Nan, and also to imaginary guests, who, he pretended, were sitting on the
chairs and sofa.

"This tea is delicious," said Aunt Grace, stirring in her empty cup, and
sipping from her empty spoon.

"Yes," said Patty, "it is real Russian tea, Do have some more, won't you?"

"Indeed, I will," said Aunt Grace, and Patty poured her another empty
cupful.

"Pass the biscuit, Bumble," said Bob, and his sister carried around the
empty biscuit-jar, while the guests helped themselves to nothing.

Uncle Ted came in in the midst of the tea joke, and drank several cups of
air, until Patty finally peeped into the teapot, and said, "You'll all have
to stop, for there isn't any tea left."

Bob carried the cups back to the tea-table, and all declared they had had a
very nice tea-party.

"But why don't you have a tea-party, girls?" said Uncle Ted, "a real one, I
mean. Invite all the neighbors and have a nice spread. I'll decorate a bit
with Japanese lanterns, and we'll make it a general festivity."

"Oh, lovely!" cried Bumble, "if mamma is well enough to stand the
excitement."

"Aunt Grace needn't have any of the trouble," said Nan. "I'll order things,
and help get the house ready. We girls will do all the work, and Aunt Grace
can just be an invited guest."

"Let's make it a lawn-party," said Bob, "and we'll have supper served in a
tent."

"Let me see," said Uncle Ted, "to-day is Monday. There's no use waiting too
long, and the moon is nearly at its full now. Suppose we have the party on
Thursday; can you all be ready by that time?"

"Oh, yes," said Nan, "there's nothing much to do. Let's write the
invitations to-night."

So during dinner, which was finally announced, they completed their plans
for a garden-party from five o'clock to ten Thursday evening; and after
dinner Nan wrote the invitations, and Patty addressed them, while the rest
discussed and decided who should be invited to the party.




CHAPTER XV


THE LAWN-PARTY

The next day Patty announced her willingness to do anything she could to
assist in the preparations for the lawn-party; and Aunt Grace kissed her
fondly, and said she was a dear little helper, and they would be only too
glad to make use of her services.

But the day passed by and nothing was done. Everybody went for a swim in
the morning, and in the afternoon Nan went driving, and Patty and the twins
were invited to a neighbor's to play tennis. Then in the evening they all
went for a moonlight sail.

After they returned, Patty ventured to remind her procrastinating relatives
that there was very little time left in which to prepare for the various
entertainments they had suggested.

"Jumping grasshoppers!" exclaimed Bob whose expletives were often of his
own invention, "I meant to set old Dil at work to-day, clearing a place for
a tent. Dad, we must go over to the city to-morrow, and get a tent, and
some lanterns and flags. We want to make the place look gay and festive."

"Yes, we'll go," said his father, heartily, "and the girls can go with us,
if they like."

"We _do_ like," cried Bumble, "and after we buy the things, won't you take
us to the Zoo, to see the baby hippopotamus?"

"But," said Patty, "I think we ought to stay at home and help Aunt Grace."

"No, no," said her aunt, "there's nothing much to do; I'll get somebody in
to help Hopalong make cakes and jellies, and we can leave the house
decorations until Thursday."

"Yes, that will be best," said Nan, "for to-morrow I'm going over to
Montauk Point for the day, but I'll help all day Thursday."

"We'll all work with more enthusiasm when the day of the party comes," said
Aunt Grace, "and now run along to bed, all of you."

Next day the family rose late, and breakfast was much later, so that it was
noon before they started for New York.

Then Bob proposed that they go to the Zoo first, and do the shopping
afterwards. This they did, and the result was, that, as the animals were so
interesting, after they had seen them all it was too late to go to the
shops.

"Whew! I'd no idea it was so late," said Uncle Ted, looking at his watch;
"but never mind. We'll go home now, and I'll telegraph early in the
morning, and the tent and lanterns can be sent over at once, and we can
easily get them put up in time."

When they reached home they found Aunt Grace entertaining some friends who
had come to spend the day. They were delightful people, and Aunt Grace had
found them so absorbing that she had entirely forgotten to send for an
assistant to prepare dainties for the party.

But nobody seemed to mind, and Patty concluded it was not her place to
comment on the way things were going, at least, not to the Hurly-Burly
people themselves.

But when she wrote that night to her father, she said:

"I'm glad you didn't describe my aunts to me, but let me discover their
traits for myself. For, really, I never would have believed a family
_could_ act like the Barlows. They are out of proportion _every_ way, but,
after all, I can't help loving them, for they are such dear, kind people,
and they _mean_ to do right, only they never do anything."

But as the next day was Thursday, and some things _had_ to be done,
everybody began to hustle and bustle and fly around generally.

Uncle Ted sent to New York by a special messenger for a tent, and a lot of
lanterns and gay bunting, and succeeded in getting them soon after noon.
Then he and Bob and old Dil put the tent up, and hung the lanterns along
the veranda and among the trees.

Nan drove all around the country trying to find a cook to assist Hopalong,
but as none was to be found, Aunt Grace had to go down to the kitchen and
make some of the cakes herself.

Nan and Bumble made sandwiches and squeezed lemons, and somehow the time
slipped away until it was four o'clock, and the house was not yet decorated
and the ice cream hadn't arrived from New York. "Nan, you and Patty fix the
flowers, and I'll take the trap and fly down to the station and see if the
ice cream isn't there," said Bumble, who was very warm and tired, but who
kindly offered to do the most unpleasant errand.

"All right," said Nan, and Bumble drove off in a hurry. That morning the
girls had gathered a quantity of wild flowers and vines for decorations,
and Bumble said she had put them in water, but nobody knew where. So they
hunted in every place they could think of, but to no avail. Bob helped them
and they searched the kitchen, the cellar, and even the barn, but no
flowers could they find. So, as it was nearly five o'clock they gave it up
and ran up-stairs to dress for the party.

And then Patty discovered that the bath tub was filled with the missing
flowers. At risk of being caught by the guests in their every-day attire,
Nan and Patty flew down-stairs and hastily arranged the flowers as well as
they could, and then returned to make their toilettes.

It was now after five, but fortunately no guests had yet arrived.

"Nobody will come before half-past five, anyway," said Nan, as they hastily
scrambled into their frocks.

"They may," replied Patty, "there comes somebody now; oh, it's Bumble."

Bumble came in, panting and breathless.

"I had to bring the ice cream home with me," she said; "there was no one
else to bring it from the station. Wasn't it lucky I went over?"

"Yes, indeed," said Patty, "and now, Bumble dear, rest yourself a little.
Nan and I will receive the guests. Aunt Grace is still in the kitchen."

"Yes," said Bumble, "but the table isn't set yet. We ought to get out the
plates and things. Eunice is frosting cakes, and she can't do it."

"Well, I can do it now," said Patty. "I'm all ready, if you'll just tie my
sash. Nobody is here yet, so I may have a few minutes at least."

But when Patty reached the dining-room the scene was appalling. In the
hurry, nobody had found time to clear away the luncheon dishes, and the
extension table must be made longer and really there was an hour's work
there for somebody.

Patty called Bob to help her, as everybody else was so busy, and the
good-natured boy left what he was doing and came to his cousin's
assistance.

It was six o'clock before everything was in readiness and the family
gathered on the veranda to rest themselves and await their guests.

"Seems to me they're getting pretty fashionable," said Bob; "it's an hour
after the time set, and nobody's here yet."

"Well, it's a warm day," said Aunt Grace, fanning herself, "and nobody
likes to start out early in the afternoon." But after another half-hour
passed and still nobody came, they all began to think it rather queer.

"Perhaps they've boycotted us," said Uncle Ted, "and don't mean to come at
all."

"I should think the Perrys would be here by this time," said Nan. "I meant
to speak to them about it yesterday, and ask them to be sure to come early,
but I forgot it."

"Did we invite the Harlands?" said Bob.

"I can't think whether we did or not," said Bumble. "I know we were
undecided about them. But we asked the Graysons, and here they come now."

"Well, I'm glad somebody's coming," said Nan; "but, no,--they aren't
turning in, they're driving by!"

"Sure enough," said Bob; "mean old things,--if they couldn't come, they
might at least have sent regrets."

"Here are the Stanton girls, anyway," said Patty, as two young ladies came
walking towards them.

Elsie and Mildred Stanton came up to the group on the veranda with a
slightly embarrassed air.

"Good-evening," said Mildred; "you look as if you were going to have a
lawn-party."

"Why, we are," said Bumble, "if anybody comes to it. I'm glad you've
arrived, anyway, Come in."

"But,--we weren't invited," said Elsie, a little stiffly. "We came over on
an errand."

"Indeed you were invited," said Bumble, warmly. "Do you suppose I'd leave
you out, my dearest chums? But really, didn't you get an invitation? How
funny! They were sent out on Tuesday."

"No," said Elsie, "but if it was a mistake, and you meant to invite us,
it's all right. But we didn't know it, you see, so we're not in party
frocks. As nobody else is here yet, I think we'll run home and dress up a
bit, and then come back again."

"All right," said Bumble, knowing her guests would feel more comfortable if
suitably dressed,--and they lived near by. "Skip along, girls, and hurry
back."

After they had gone it was nearly seven o'clock, and nobody else appeared.
Great consternation was felt by all, and suddenly Patty said, "Who mailed
those invitations?"

"Bumble did," said Bob.

"No, I didn't," said Bumble, "I thought you attended to it. Why, Bob, I
asked you particularly to look after them."

"I didn't hear you," said Bob; "do you suppose--"

But Patty had already run into the house and returned with her hands full
of the invitations to the party.

"Oh," groaned everybody, quite overcome by the calamity.

Nan was the first to recover herself.

"There's only one thing to do," she said; "we must go around and pick up as
many guests as we can in a hurry. It won't do to let all this nice
garden-party go to waste. Bob and I will take the runabout, and Bumble, you
and Patty can take the trap, and we'll scour the country as far as
possible."

In a few minutes the two turnouts dashed away in opposite directions, and
all the near-by neighbors were bidden to come to the garden-party at once.

Much laughter and fun was caused by the sudden and peremptory invitations,
which were, for the most part, gladly accepted.

When the guests finally arrived, the party was a grand success, though of
much smaller proportions than was originally intended. The gayly-lighted
veranda was a fine place for dancing and games, and supper, served in the
tent, was very novel and attractive.

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