CHAPTER XIV
THE NEIGHBOUR AGAIN
Kenneth Harper did send the book, and, as Patty confidently expected, thegirls of the club quite agreed with her that it was the best play forthem to use.
At a meeting at Marian's, plans were made and parts were chosen. Thegoddesses were allotted to the members of the club, and the gods weredistributed among their brothers and friends.
Guy Morris, being of gigantic mould, was cast for Hercules, and FrankElliott for Ajax. When Patty told the girls that Kenneth Harper could dotrick riding on a bicycle, they unanimously voted to invite him to takepart in their entertainment.
It was decided to have the play about the middle of February, and thewhole Tea Club grew enthusiastic over the plans for the wonderfulperformance.
One morning Patty sat in the library studying her part. She was veryhappy. Of course, Patty always was happy, but this morning she wasunusually so. Her housekeeping was going on smoothly; the night beforeher father had expressed himself as being greatly pleased with the systemand order which seemed everywhere noticeable in the house. It wasSaturday morning, and she didn't have to go to school.
Moreover, she was very much interested in the play and in her own part init, and had already planned a most beautiful gown, which the dressmaker,Madame LaFayette, was to make for her.
Patty's part in the play was that of Diana, and her costume was to be abeautiful one of hunter's green cloth with russet leather leggings and ajaunty cap. Being up-to-date, instead of being a huntress she was torepresent an agent of the S.P.C.A.
This suited Patty exactly, for she had a horror of killing live things,and very much preferred doing all she could to prevent such slaughter.Moreover, the humour of the thing appealed to her, and the funny effectof the huntress Diana going around distributing S.P.C.A. leaflets, andbegging her fellow-Olympians not to shoot, seemed to Patty very humourousand attractive.
This Saturday, then, she had settled down in the library to study herlines all through the long cosey morning, when, to her annoyance, thedoorbell rang.
"I hope it's none of the girls," she thought. "I did want this morningto myself."
It wasn't any of the girls, but Pansy announced that a messenger had comefrom Miss Daggett's, and that Miss Daggett wished Miss Fairfield toreturn her call at once.
Patty smiled at the unusual message, but groaned at the thought of herinterrupted holiday.
However, Miss Daggett was not one to be ignored or lightly set aside, soPatty put on her things and started.
Although Miss Daggett's house was next door to Boxley Hall, yet it wasset in the middle of such a large lot, and was so far back from thestreet, and so surrounded by tall, thick trees, that Patty had never hada really good view of it.
She was surprised, therefore, to find it a very large, old-fashionedstone house, with broad veranda and steps guarded by two stone lions.
Patty rang the bell, and the door was opened very slightly. A small,quaint-looking old coloured man peeped out.
"Go 'way," he said, "go 'way at once! We don't want no tickets."
"I'm not selling tickets," said Patty, half angry and half amused.
"Well, we don't want no shoelacers, nor lead pencils, nor nuffin! You_must_ be selling something."
"I am not selling anything," said Patty. "I came over because MissDaggett sent for me."
"Laws 'a' massy, child, why didn't you say so before you spoke? Be youMiss Fairfield?"
"Yes," said Patty; "here's my card."
"Oh, never mind the ticket; if so be you's Miss Fairfield, jes' comeright in, come right in."
The door was flung open wide and Patty entered a dark, old-fashionedhall. From that she was led into a parlour, so dark that she couldscarcely see the outline of a lady on the sofa.
"How do you do, Miss Daggett?" she said, guessing that it was probablyher hostess who seemed to be sitting there.
"How do you do?" said Miss Daggett, putting out her hand, withoutrising.
"I'm quite well, thank you," said Patty, and her eyes having grown alittle accustomed to the dark, she grasped the old lady's hand, although,as she told her father afterwards, she was awfully afraid she would tweakher nose by mistake.
"And how are you, Miss Daggett?"
"Not very well, child, not very well, but you won't stay long, will you?I sent for you, yes, I sent for you on an impulse. I thought I'd like tosee you, but I'd no sooner sent than I wished I hadn't. But you won'tstay long, will you, dearie?"
"No," said Patty, feeling really sorry for the queer old lady. "No, Iwon't stay long, I'll go very soon; in fact, I'll go just as soon as youtell me to. I'll go now, if you say so."
"Oh, don't be silly. I wouldn't have sent for you if I'd wanted you to goright away again. Sit down, turn your toes out, and answer my questions."
"What are your questions?" said Patty, not wishing to make anyrash promises.
"Well, first, are you really keeping that big house over there all aloneby yourself?"
"I'm keeping house there, yes, but I'm not all alone by myself. Myfather's there, and two servants."
"Don't you keep a man?"
"No; a man comes every day to do the hard work, but he doesn'tlive with us."
"Humph, I suppose you think you're pretty smart, don't you?"
"I don't know," said Patty slowly, as if considering; "yes, I think I'mpretty smart in some ways, and in other ways I'm as stupid as an owl."
"Well, you must be pretty smart, because you haven't had to borrowanything over here yet."
"But I wouldn't borrow anything here, anyway, Miss Daggett; youspecially asked me not to."
Miss Daggett's old wrinkled face broke into a smile.
"And so you remember that. Well, well, you are a nice little girl; youmust have had a good mother, and a good bringing-up."
"My mother died when I was three, and my father brought me up."
"He did, hey? Well, he made a fairly good job of it. Now, I guess you cango; I'm about tired of talking to you."
"Then I will go. But, first, Miss Daggett, let me tell you that I metyour nephew the other day."
"Kenneth! For the land's sake! Well, well, sit down again. I don't wantyou to go yet; tell me all about him. Isn't he a nice boy? Hasn't he fineeyes? And gentlemanly manners? And oh, the lovely ways with him!"
"Yes, Miss Daggett, he is indeed a nice boy; my father and I both thinkso. His eyes and his manners are fine. He says he wants to come out tosee you soon."
"Bless his heart, I hope he'll come! I do hope he'll come."
"Then you like to have him come to see you?" said Patty, a littleroguishly.
"Yes, and I like to have you, too. Land, child! you mustn't mind myquick ways."
"I don't mind how quick you are," said Patty; "but when you tell me to besure and not come to see you, of course I don't come."
"Oh, that's all right," said Miss Daggett, "that's all right; I'll alwayssend for you when I want you.
"But perhaps I can't always come," said Patty. "I may be busy with myhousekeeping."
"Now, wouldn't that be annoying!" said Miss Daggett. "I declare thatwould be just my luck. I always do have bad luck."
"Perhaps it's the way you look at it," said Patty. "Now, I have somethings that seem like bad luck, at least, other people think they do; butif I look at them right--happy and cheerful, you know--why, they justseem like good luck."
"Really," said Miss Daggett, with a curious smile; "well now, you _are_ aqueer child, and I'm not at all sure but I'd like to have you come again.Do you want to see around my house?"
"I'd like to very much, but it's so dark a bat couldn't see things inthis room."
"But I can't open the shades, the sun would fade all the furniturecoverings."
"Well, then, you could buy new ones," said Patty; "that would be betterthan living in the dark."
"Dark can't hurt anybody," said Miss Daggett gloomily.
"Oh, indeed it can," said Patty earnestly. "Why, darkness--I meandarknes
s in the daytime--makes you all stewed up and fidgety and horrid;and sunshine makes you all gay and cheerful and glad."
"Like you," said Miss Daggett.
"Yes, like me," said Patty; "I am cheerful and glad always. I like tobe."
"I would like to be, too," said Miss Daggett.
"Do you suppose if I opened the shutters I would be?"
"Let's try it and see," said Patty, and running to the windows, she flungopen the inside blinds and flooded the room with sunshine.
"Oh, what a beautiful room!" she exclaimed, as she turned around. "Why,Miss Daggett, to think of keeping all these lovely things shut up in thedark. I believe they cry about it when you aren't looking."
Already the old lady's face seemed to show a gentler and sunnierexpression, and she said:
"Yes, I have some beautiful things, child. Would you like to look throughthis cabinet of East Indian curiosities?"
"I would very much," said Patty, "but I fear I can't take the time thismorning; I have to study my part in a play we're going to give. It's aplay your nephew told us about," she added quickly, feeling sure thatthis would rouse the old lady's interest in it.
"One of Kenneth's college plays?" she said eagerly.
"Yes, that's just what it is. A chum of his wrote it, and oh, MissDaggett, we're going to invite Mr. Harper to come to Vernondale the nightof the play, and take the same part that he took at college last year;you see, he'll know it, and he can just step right in."
"Good for you! I hope he'll come. I'll write at once and tell him howmuch I want him. He can stay here, of course, and perhaps he can comesooner, so as to be here for one or two rehearsals."
"That would be a good help. I hope he will do that; he could coach therest of us."
"I don't know just what coach means, but I'm sure Kenneth can do it, he'sa very clever boy; he says he can run an automobile, but I don't believeit. Run away home now, child, I'm tired of having company; and besides Iwant to compose my mind so I can write a letter to Kenneth."
"And will you leave your blinds open till afternoon?" said Patty, who wasbeginning to learn her queer old neighbour.
"Yes, I will, if I don't forget it. Clear out, child, clear out now; runaway home and mind you're not to borrow anything and you're not to comeback till I send for you."
"All right," said Patty. "Good-bye, and mind, you're to keep bright andcheerful, and let the sunlight in all the time."