Patty Blossom

  CHAPTER IV

  PATTY STAYS LATE

  "It is so delightful to have you one of us, Patricia," said Alla,waving her long arms about. "This place is a Cosmic Centre, you know,and now that you belong to us, you must be here much of the time."

  "But I'm only in Lakewood for a fortnight," said Patty, smiling at her;"I go back to New York soon."

  "So do we. That is, we go in a few months. But we claim you. Youshall return and visit us here, and we shall be much together in thecity. Oh, we have adopted you, and now you are ours, isn't she, Sam?"

  "Indeed, yes," returned Blaney, enthusiastically; "never was such arare soul added to our circle. Priestess Patricia, our star soul!"

  Patty was flattered at the attention she was receiving. She didn'tquite understand what a star soul meant, but she knew she held anelevated position among these highly intellectual people, and itdazzled her.

  "I have always had an ambition," she admitted, "for something biggerand better than my social butterfly life, and with you I hope toachieve it. But I am ignorant,--you must teach me."

  "We will," promised Miss Norton, "I shall take you in hand as myspecial charge. May I call on you tomorrow, and bring you some booksto study?"

  Patty hesitated. When she was a house guest she never made engagementswithout consulting her hostess. But she wanted to see and know more ofthis new venture, so she said, "I can't promise. But if I find I canreceive you, may I not telephone or send you some message?"

  "Yes, indeed," acquiesced Miss Norton, gladly.

  Then the conversation drifted to the tendencies of modern art, and theexpression of one's ego, and the influence of the aura, and a lot ofsubjects that were to Patty as so much Greek. But she was fascinatedby the discourse, and resolved to read and study the books that shouldbe given her, until she, too, could discuss intelligently these greatsubjects.

  The talk was deliberate. Each wise and weighty opinion advanced wasthoughtfully considered and argued, and Patty listened, striving tocomprehend the jargon. Time passed rapidly, and, at last, she realisedthat most of the guests had gone, and there remained only about a halfdozen of the most talkative ones.

  Sam Blaney himself was the conversational leader. He went off on longtirades, and though Patty strove to follow his theories, they seemed toher vague and incomprehensible. She found herself getting sleepy,though she would have indignantly repudiated such an idea.

  Another man, Mr. Griscom, slightly differed in opinions with Blaney andthe debates between the two were raptly listened to by the others.

  A chiming clock struck two.

  "Good gracious!" exclaimed Patty, "it can't be two o'clock! Where arethe others? Where is Elise?"

  "They've gone, long ago," said Blaney, smiling. "You know you said Imight take you home, and so I told the Farringtons I would do so.

  "But I didn't mean to stay as late as this! Why, I had no idea it wasafter twelve! Oh, please, Mr. Blaney, take me home at once. What willMrs. Farrington think? I've never stayed anywhere so latebefore,--alone,--I mean."

  "You're not alone, Patricia, dear," said Alla, surprised at Patty'sevident alarm. "You're ours now, you know, and we will care for youand protect you. Sam will take you home, and if you fear Mrs.Farrington's reproaches, I will go with you and explain."

  "Oh, not that," and Patty smiled. "I don't fear her, you know. I'mnot a child, and I can do as I like. But it is not my custom to staylater than the people I came with."

  "But all your customs will change now. We are a law unto ourselves.Bohemians are free of conventions and rules. Simply tell Mrs.Farrington that you have joined our circle and you will henceforth begoverned by our ideas and customs. As you say, you are not a child,you can do as you like."

  "Of course you can," said Mr. Griscom. "I'm going that way, I'll takeyou home, if you like."

  "Thank you," said Patty, "but I have accepted Mr. Blaney's escort."

  "That's right," said Blaney, heartily. "Oh, there'll be notrouble,--no trouble at all. I'll take Miss Fairfield home, and if anycomments are made, they'll be made to me."

  Patty felt uneasy. She didn't know exactly why, for she had donenothing wrong, but it was so very late, and she wondered what theFarringtons would think of her.

  She got her wraps and Alla kissed her good-bye.

  "Dear little Patricia," she said, affectionately. "It is all right.It seems unaccustomed, I know, but you are ours now, and your friendsmust get used to it."

  It was only a few blocks to walk over to Pine Laurel, and Patty startedoff with Sam Blaney.

  "You're anxious, Miss Fairfield," he said, kindly, "and I'm sorry. CanI help at all? I assure you I had no thought of your staying with uslonger than you wished. Shall I go in and explain to your friends?"

  "No, thank you, Mr. Blaney," Patty said, after an instant's thought."I think, if you please, I would rather you would not come in. If I am'scolded,' I'd rather stand it alone."

  There were lights in the Farrington house when they arrived. At soundof their steps on the veranda, the door opened, and Roger appeared."That you, Patty?" he said, pleasantly; "Hello, Blaney, will you comein?"

  "No, thanks; just brought Miss Fairfield home. She seemed to enjoy herevening."

  "That's good," returned Roger. "Good night, then, if you won't comein."

  Roger closed the door, and with his hand still on the knob, whisperedto Patty: "You're going to catch it from Phil! But I'll stand by you."

  Patty's eyes flashed. She resented the idea of Van Reypen's authority,and she was tired and bothered. But Roger's kindly attitude comfortedher, and she smiled at him.

  "Good night, Roger," she said, aloud. "Thank you for waiting up forme. I'm tired, and I'll go straight to my room. The girls have goneup, I suppose."

  "Wait a moment, Patty," and Van Reypen appeared in the doorway from thesun-parlour, where the two men had been sitting, "wait a moment, I wantto speak to you."

  "Not tonight, Phil, please. I'm very tired."

  "You ought to be tired! Staying till all hours with that bunch oftrash! I'm ashamed of you!"

  Patty was thoroughly angry. It took a good deal to make good-naturedPatty angry, but when her temper was roused, it meant a tempest. Also,she was worn out mentally and physically and, more than all, sheresented Philip's assumption of authority.

  Her blue eyes flashed, and a spot of pink came into each cheek, as shereplied: "It is not of the slightest interest to me whether you areashamed of me or not! You are in no way responsible for my actions andyou have no right to reprove or criticise me. I may have broken theconventions of hospitality, but that is between me and Mrs. Farrington.Your opinion of me means nothing to me whatever! Good night, Roger."

  Patty held out her hand to Roger, who took it for a moment, with asmiling good night, and then, with the air of an offended queen, Pattyswept upstairs and entered her own room.

  There she found Mona and Elise, one asleep on the couch, the otherrubbing her eyes as she sat up in a big easy-chair.

  "Goodness, Patty!" said Mona, looking at the clock, "what _have_ youbeen up to?"

  Elise blinked and shook herself awake. "We had to wait up to see you,"she said, "so we waited here."

  "I see you did," returned Patty, lightly. "And now your wait is over,and you've seen me, shall us say good night?"

  "Not much we won't!" declared Elise, now broad awake. "Tell useverything about it! What did you do there all this time? What didPhil say? Who brought you home? Do you like that crowd? How can you?They bore me to death! Oh, Patty, you're going to cry!"

  "I am," declared Patty, and the tears gathered thickly in her eyes."I'm all in, and I'm down and out, and I'm mad as hops, and I'm tired,and I _am_ going to cry. Now, if you've any sense of common humanity,you'll know enough to go away and let me alone!"

  "Can I help?" asked Mona, looking commiseratingly at Patty.

  "No," and Patty smiled through the fast-flooding tears. "I never needhelp to c
ry!"

  "Come on, then," and Mona took Elise by the arm and led her away, asthey heard Patty's door locked behind them.

  Now, most girls would have thrown themselves down on the pillows tohave their cry out, but Patty was too methodical for that. "I can'tcry comfortably in this rig," she said to herself, beginning to takeoff the chiffon gown.

  And it was with tears still unshed that she finally sat at herdressing-table plaiting her hair for the night.

  "And after all," she remarked to her reflection in the mirror, "I onlywant to cry 'cause I'm tired and worn out and--yes, and mad! I'm madat Philip, and I'm going to stay mad! He has no right to talk to melike a Dutch uncle! My own father never spoke to me like that! Theidea! I just simply, plain won't stand it, and that's all there isabout that!"

  And so, after Patty was snugly in bed, cuddled beneath the comfortingdown coverlet, she let herself go, and cried to her heart's content;great, soul-satisfying sobs that quieted her throbbing pulses andexhausted her strained nerves, until she fell asleep from sheerweariness.

  And next morning she awoke, smiling. Everything looked bright andcheery. The sun shone in at her windows, and as she felt somebodypinching her toes through the blankets, she opened her eyes to see Monasitting on the edge of the bed and Elise just coming in at the door.Mrs. Farrington followed, and Patty sat up in bed with a smilingwelcome for all.

  "Hello, you dear things!" she cried. "You first, Mrs. Farrington. Iwant to 'fess up to you. I was baddy girl last night, and I stayed atthe party much later than I meant to, or than I knew, until I suddenlyrealised the time. Am I forguv? Oh, do say yes, and _don't_ scold me!"

  Pretty Patty possessed herself of the lady's hand and looked sopenitent and so wheedlesome that Mrs. Farrington was disarmed.

  "Why, of course, dear; it was not really wrong, but young girls oughtto be home by midnight at latest, I think,--and too, ought to come homewith their own people."

  "I know it, Mrs. Farrington, I do know it. I have been brought upright--honest, I have. But it was a special occasion, you see, and,too, my own people ran off and left me."

  "Oh, now, Patty," began Elise, "Sam said you sent word for us to do so."

  "Well, I didn't exactly do that, but I did want to stay longer. Oh,Mrs. Farrington, you've no idea how interesting those psychic soulsare----"

  "What!"

  "Yes, they're psychic, you know----"

  "And what are psychics,--clearly, now, Patty, what _are_ psychics?"

  "Why, they're----they're----"

  "Yes, go on."

  "Well, they're--why, they're _psychics_! That's what they are."

  "Patty, you're an irresistible little goose!" and Mrs. Farrington bentdown to kiss the pretty, flushed face, and then laughingly declared shehad no more time to waste on psychics, and trailed away.

  "Now, tell us all about it, Patsy," said Elise. "I shan't let you getup till you do."

  "There's not much to tell, Elise; but I liked to learn about the thingsthey were talking about and so I stayed later than I should have. Butsince your mother is so lovely about it, I don't care what any one elsesays."

  "Oh, pshaw,--your staying late,--that was nothing. But what did theydo over there so interesting? I can't see any sense in their talk."

  "I can't see much myself, and that's why I want to learn. I'm awfullyignorant of higher ethics,--and--things like that."

  "Higher ethics? H--m. Is it sort of Uplift ideas?"

  "No, not that exactly."

  "Fudge, you don't know what it is, 'exactly,' and between you and me, Idon't think you have the glimmer of a ghost of an idea what it is allabout! Now, have you?"

  "If I had, I couldn't make you understand! You're antagonistic. Youhave to be receptive and responsive and----"

  "Patty, you're a goose! A silly idiot of a goose! But such a dear,pretty little goose, that with all your faults we love you still! Now,I'll scoot, and you get dressed, for we're going somewhere today."

  "Where?"

  "Never you mind, Miss Curiosity. Just put on a house dress and comedown to breakfast, and you'll find out."

  Elise ran away, but Mona lingered.

  "Patty," she said, a little gravely, "Philip is terribly upset aboutlast night."

  "I don't care if he is, Mona. He has no right to be. He has noauthority over me."

  "What! When you've become engaged to him?"

  "I'm not engaged to him at all."

  "He says you are."

  "Did he really say that, Mona?"

  "Not in so many words, but he implied that there was an understandingbetween you."

  "Understanding! I hate that word,--used that way! There's amisunderstanding between us, if there's anything!"

  "But you're going to be engaged to him, aren't you, Patty?"

  "No, I don't think so. Not after last night. Why, he was horrid,Mona, after I came home. He scolded me, and I wouldn't stay to listen.I ran upstairs."

  "Oh, Patty, I wish you'd make up with him, and be friends again, and beengaged to him, and announce it at my wedding."

  "Did he say all that to you last night? Did he make those delightfulplans, and talk them over with you and Roger?"

  "Don't look so furious. It just came about, you see. We were sittingthere, waiting for you to come home, and Phil was saying how he adoresyou, and how he wanted your promise, but he had to wait a certain timebefore you would say positively. And, of course, we were talking aboutmy wedding, and I said it would be nice to announce your engagementthen, it's always so picturesque to announce one wedding at another----"

  "I'm sorry I can't oblige you, Mona, but if you want an engagementannounced at your wedding I'm afraid you'll have to get some othergirl. You can keep the same man, if you like!"

  "Oh, Patty, don't be cross with me! It wasn't my fault!"

  "That's so, Mona,--I'm a pig! Forgive me, dear. Now, to make up, I'lltell you just how it is. I have told Philip that I'd give him myanswer in about two weeks. And that will be your wedding day. But myanswer is to be yes, only if he succeeds in teaching me to love him bythat time. And I don't mind telling you, that the way he talked to melast night doesn't exactly further his cause!"

  "But, Patty, he was angry, you know, and jealous of those foolishBlaney people."

  "They're not foolish,--and I can't bear men who are jealous. Now,Mona, girlie, you 'tend to your own suitor. You've quite enough to doin the next two weeks, without dipping your pretty little fingers in mypie."

  "Yes," sighed Mona, "I have."