CHAPTER XIII
HIDE AND SEEK
All the time Patty was dressing she wondered about that letter; andwhen Mona, ready for dinner, stopped at her door, Patty drew her intothe room.
"Mona," she said, "did you get a Christmas card from Mr. Farnsworth?"
"Yes," said Mona, "in a big blue envelope. Daisy had one, too. Didn'tyou get one?"
"No; Jim said there was one for me, but it got lost somehow. Thrown inthe fire, I shouldn't wonder."
"Well, don't mind," said Mona, cheerfully. "You can have mine. Itisn't very pretty, and Daisy's isn't either, but I suppose they're thebest Bill could find out there in Arizona. Do you want it now, Patty?"
"I don't want it at all, Mona. What would I want with your card, orDaisy's either? But if Little Billee sent one to me, I'd like to haveit, that's all."
"Of course you would; but truly, they don't amount to much."
"Jim must have been mistaken about there being one for me," saidPatty, and then the two girls went downstairs.
The Christmas dinner was practically a repetition of the feast of thenight before; but as Adele said, how could that be helped if peoplewould have two Christmas celebrations on successive days?
There were four extra guests, who proved to be merry and jolly youngpeople, and after dinner Hal declared that his reign as Lord ofMisrule was not yet over.
"Don't let's do any more stunts like we had last night," said Mona."They wear me out. Let's play easy games, like blindman's buff, orsomething."
"Or Copenhagen," said Hal, but Patty frowned at him.
"We're too grown-up for such things," she declared, with dignity."What do you say to a nice, dignified game of hide and seek?"
"All over the house!" cried Roger. "May we, Mrs. Kenerley?"
"The house is yours," said Adele. "I reserve no portion of it. Fromcellar to attic, from drawing-room to kitchen, hide where you will andseek where you like,--if you'll only promise not to wake the baby.She's taking her afternoon nap."
"She doesn't seem to mind noise," said Roger. "We do make an awfulracket, you know."
"Oh, no, I don't mean that," said Adele. "I've trained her not tomind noise. But I mean if your hiding and seeking takes you into thenursery quarters, do go softly."
"Of course we will," said Philip. "I'm specially devoted to that baby,and I'll see that her nap isn't disturbed, even if I have to standsentry at her door. But what larks to have the whole house! I've neverplayed it before but what they wouldn't let you hide in this room orthat room. Who'll be It?"
"Oh, that's an old-fashioned way to play," said Hal. "Here's a betterway. Either all the men hide and the girls find them, or else theother way around; and, anyway, don't you know, whoever finds who, hasto be her partner or something."
"For life?" asked Jim, looking horrified.
"Mercy, no!" said his brother-in-law. "This is a civilised land, andwe don't select life partners that way!"
"You mean just partners for a dance," said Patty, trying to help himout.
"Well, you see," said Hal, "it ought to be more than just a dance; Imean more like a partner for a,--for a junketing of some kind."
"I'll tell you," said Adele. "There's to be a masquerade ball at theCountry Club on New Year's Eve, and we're all going."
"Just the thing!" cried Hal. "Now, whichever seeker finds whicheverhider, they'll go in pairs to the ball, don't you see? Romeo andJuliet, or anything they like, for costumes."
"But we won't be here," and Philip Van Reypen looked ruefully atRoger. "We go back to town to-morrow."
"But you can come up again," said Adele, hospitably. "I hereby inviteyou both to come back the day before New Year's, and stay as long asyou will."
"Well, you are _some_ hostess!" declared Roger, looking grateful. "Iaccept with pleasure, but I doubt if my friend Van Reypen can getaway."
"Can he!" cried Philip. "Well, I rather guess he can! Mrs. Kenerley,you're all sorts of a darling, and you'll see me back here on thefirst train after your invitation takes effect."
"Then hurrah for our game of hide and seek," Hal exclaimed. "Jim andAdele, you must be in it, too. You needn't think you can go as Darbyand Joan,--you must take your chances with the rest. If you find eachother, all right, but if you find anybody else, that's your fate,--see?"
"I'm willing," said Adele, laughing. "I'm sure I'd be glad to go withany of you beautiful young men."
"Now, will you listen to _that_!" cried her husband. "Well, I won't beoutdone in generosity. I'll be proud to escort any one of this galaxyof beauty," and he looked at the group of pretty girls.
"Now, we must do it all up proper," said Hal. "In the first place, wemust draw lots to see whether the girls shall hide or we shall. Wemust have it all very fair."
He tore two strips of paper, one longer than the other, and holdingthem behind him, bade Adele choose.
"Right!" she said, and Hal put forth his right hand and gave her apaper on which was written "Girls."
"All right," went on the master of ceremonies. "Now you girls musthide. We'll give you fifteen minutes to tuck yourselves away, and thenwe're all coming to look for you. As soon as any man finds any girl,he brings her back here to the hall to wait for the others. Now,there's no stipulation, except that you must not go out of the house.Scoot! and remember, in fifteen minutes we'll be after you!"
The six girls ran away and made for various parts of the house. Thetwo Misses Crosby, who had come as dinner guests, looked a littlesurprised at this unusual game, and Patty said to them, kindly: "Youdon't mind, do you? You know, you needn't really go with the man whofinds you, if you don't want to."
"Oh, we don't mind," said the elder Miss Crosby. "I think it'sfun,--only if I should draw that dignified Mr. Van Reypen I'd bescared to death!"
"Oh, he isn't so awfully dignified," laughed Patty. "That's just hismanner at first. When you know him better, he's as jolly as anything.But hurry up, girls, the minutes are flying."
The girls scampered away, some running to the attic, others going intowardrobes or behind sofas, and Patty ran to her own room.
Then she bethought herself that that was one of the most likely placesthey would look for her, and she was seized with an ambition to bafflethe seekers. With a half-formed plan in her mind, she slipped out of aside door of her own room that opened on a small passage leading tothe nursery. In the nursery, she found the baby asleep in her crib,and the Fraeulein lying down on a couch with a slumber-robe thrownover her, though she was not asleep.
Like a flash, Patty's plan formed itself. She whispered to theFraeulein, and with a quick understanding the good-natured German girltook off her rather voluminous frilled cap, with its long muslinstreamers, and put it on Patty's head. Then Patty lay down on the couch,with her face toward the wall, and deep buried in the pillows. Fraeuleintucked the slumber-robe over her, and then herself disappeared down intothe kitchen quarters.
The search was rather a long one, for the house was large, and thegirls had chosen difficult hiding-places.
The two Crosby girls were found first, because not knowing the housewell, they had simply gone into hall closets, and stood behind somehanging dresses. They were discovered by Jim Kenerley and Hal; and ifthe latter was disappointed in his quarry, he gave no sign of it.
The four returned to the hall, and after a while they were joined byRoger and Mona.
"Oho," said Jim, who loved to tease, "what a coincidence that you twoshould find each other!"
"Easy enough," said Roger. "I knew Mona would choose the very hardestplace to find; so I went straight to the attic to the very farthest,darkest corner, and there she was, waiting for me!"
"There I was," said Mona, "but I wasn't waiting for _you_!"
"No, you were waiting for me, I know," said Jim, ironically. "Butnever mind, Mona, we'll be partners next time. Hello, Adele, is that_your_ terrible fate?" and they all laughed as Adele and Mr. Hoytcame in together, with cobwebs on their hair and smudges of black ontheir faces.
"I
thought I'd be so smart, Jim, and I hid in the coal-bin; but Mr.Hoyt found me! By the way, we must have that place cleaned; it's adisgrace to the house!"
"But you know, my dear, we don't often use it to receive our guestsin."
"Well, I don't care, it must be cleaned. There's no excuse forcobwebs. Now I must go and tidy up. I hope they haven't wakened thebaby. Oh, here's Daisy."
Daisy and Mr. Collins came in, laughing, and Mr. Collins declared hehad found Miss Dow hanging out the third-story window by herfinger-tips.
"Nothing of the sort," said Daisy. "I was out on a kind of littlebalcony place, that's on top of a bay-window or something,--but I putmy hands over the sill inside, so that I could say I was still in thehouse. Wasn't that fair?"
"Well, it's fair enough, as long as I found you," said Mr. Collins."But when I saw your hands, I really thought you were hanging from thesill!"
"Where's Patty?" asked Daisy, "and Mr. Van Reypen? Are they stillfinding each other?"
"I saw Phil," said Roger, "standing guard at the nursery door, as hesaid he would. He let us each go in and look around, on condition thatwe wouldn't wake the baby. And the baby's nurse was also asleep on thesofa, so I looked around and sneaked out as fast as I could."
Just then Van Reypen came downstairs. "I've been delayed," he said,"because I held the fort for the baby, until every man-jack of you hadbeen in the nursery. Now I'm going to begin _my search_. Who is thereleft to find?"
"Oh, who, _indeed_?" said Jim, looking wise. "Oh, _nobody_ inparticular! Nobody but that little Fairfield girl, and _of course_ youwouldn't want to find _her_!"
"Patty!" exclaimed Philip, as he looked around at the group. "Why, sheisn't here, is she? Where can that little rascal be? You fellows havebeen all over the house, I suppose?"
"Every nook and cranny," declared Mr. Hoyt. "It was as a very lastresort that I went to the coal-bin and captured Mrs. Kenerley."
"Been through the kitchens?" asked Philip, looking puzzled.
"I have," said Mr. Collins. "They're full of startled-looking servantswho seemed to think I was a lunatic, or a gentleman burglar,--I don'tknow which."
"Well, of course she's got to be found," said Philip. "There's no uselooking in the obvious places, for Patty's just cute enough to pickout a most unexpected hiding-place. Come on, Roger; you found yourgirl,--help me with mine."
"Oh, it isn't fair to have help," said Hal. "Alone upon your quest yougo!"
"Here I go, then." And Philip ran upstairs three at a time. He wentfirst to the attics, and made a systematic search of every hall, room,and closet. He even peeped into the great tank, as if Patty might havebeen transformed into a mermaid. Then followed a thorough search ofthe second story, with all its rambling ells and side corridors; hetiptoed through the nursery, smiling at the sleeping baby and castinga casual glance at the still figure on the couch with the long, whitecap-strings falling to the floor.
On he went, through the various rooms, and at last, with slow step,came down into the hall again.
"I think she had one of those contraptions like the Peter Panfairies," he said, "and flew right out through the roof and up intothe sky! But I haven't searched this floor yet. May I go into thedining-room and kitchens, Mrs. Kenerley?"
"Everywhere," said Adele. "You know I made no reservations."
Philip strode through the rooms, looked under the dining-room tableand into the sideboard cupboards; on through the butler's pantry, andinto the kitchens. Needless to say, he found no Patty, and returned,looking more puzzled than ever.
"I'm not going down cellar," he said. "Something tells me that Pattycouldn't possibly stay down there all this time! It's more than anhour since she hid."
"What are you going to do about it?" inquired Jim. "Give it up? I'llring the Chinese gong for her to come back to us. That was to be asignal in case of an emergency."
"No," said Philip. "I'm going to reason this thing out. Give me a fewminutes to think, and I believe I can find her."
"Don't anybody disturb him, let him think!" said Mona, gaily, andgoing to the piano, she began to play "Alice, where art thou?" inwailing strains that made them all laugh.
All at once Philip jumped up. "I know where she is!" he exclaimed."Sit still all of you, and I'll bring her back with me!"
"Wait a minute," said Adele, curiously. "How did you find it out?"
"Do _you_ know where she is?" and Philip looked at her intently.
"No, I haven't the slightest idea," said Adele, honestly. "But Iwondered how you could know, just from thinking about it."
"It's clairvoyance," said Philip, with a mock air of mystery. "Yousee, I know all the places where she _isn't_, so the one place I havein mind must be where she _is_. By the way, Mrs. Kenerley; baby alwaystakes an afternoon nap, doesn't she?"
"Yes, always."
"And does the Fraeulein, her nurse, always take a nap at the sametime?"
"Oh, no! She never naps in the daytime."
"She did to-day," began Roger, but Philip was already flying upstairsagain.
He went softly into the nursery. The baby was still asleep, the figureon the couch still lay quietly beneath the knitted afghan.
Philip went over and stood beside the couch. The face was buried inthe pillow, but beneath the edge of the cap he saw some stray goldencurls.
"H'm!" he mused, in a low voice, but entirely audible to Patty. "Ithought baby May's nurse had dark hair. She must have bleached it!"
Patty gave no sign that she heard, but cuddled her head more deeply inthe soft pillows.
"Why, it isn't the Fraeulein at all!" said Philip, in tones of greatsurprise. "It's the Sleeping Beauty!"
Still Patty gave no intimation of being awake, though, of course, shewas.
Then Philip leaned down over her and murmured: "And I'm the Prince;and when the Prince finds the Sleeping Beauty, there's only one coursefor him to pursue."
At this, Patty opened her eyes and prepared to spring up, but she wasnot quite quick enough, and Philip lightly kissed the top of herlittle pink ear, before she could elude him.
"How dare you!" she cried, and her eyes flashed with indignation.
But Philip stood calmly smiling at her.
"It's entirely permissible," he said, "when any Prince finds aSleeping Beauty, to kiss her awake."
"But I wasn't asleep!" stormed Patty, "and you knew it!"
"You gave such a successful imitation of it, that I consider myselfjustified," he returned. "And, anyway, it was only a little bit of abutterfly kiss, and it doesn't really count."
"No," agreed Patty, rather relieved, "it doesn't count."
"But it counts that I have found you," went on Philip. "You know therest of the story, after the Prince kissed the Sleeping Beauty?"
"She had to go to the Country Club ball with him," said Patty,laughing, as she danced away from him. "Be careful, Philip; we'll wakebaby May. Come on downstairs."
"I found her," announced Philip, somewhat unnecessarily; "and I was ablooming idiot not to know she was there all the time!"
"You sure were!" said Roger, when he heard the story. "Did you get agood rest, Patty?"
"Yes; only it was interrupted so soon," and Patty returned Philip'smeaning glance with a saucy smile.
"Well," Roger went on, "now you two will have to go to the masqueradetogether. I suppose you'll go as Jack and Jill?"
"No," said Philip, "I think fairy tales are much prettier than MotherGoose rhymes. We're going as the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, and theFairy Prince. Only, of course, the Sleeping Beauty will be awake forthe occasion. Shall I bring up your costume when I return next week,Patty?"
"I might like to have a voice in deciding on the part I shall take,"said Patty, with a show of spirit.
"But you _did_ decide it! I never should have thought of appearing as'Prince Charming,' if you hadn't----"
"That will do, Philip!" said Patty, turning very pink.
"Go on, Phil!" cried Roger. "If she hadn't what?"
"If she had
n't said I'd look so sweet in a light blue satin coat,"replied Philip, pretending to look confused.
"Oh, pshaw! She didn't say that," declared Roger. "And beside, youwon't!"
"Oh, yes, he will," said Patty. "Those court suits are lovely,--allsilver lace and cocked hats! Oh, Philip, do wear one of those! AndI'll write to Nan, to get me a costume. What are you going to wear,Mona?"
"But we mustn't tell!" said Adele, in dismay. "This is a masquerade,not merely a fancy dress ball."
"Oh!" said Patty. "Then we'll have to change our plans, Philip. TheSleeping Beauty game is all off!"
"Only for the moment!" And Philip threw her a challenging glance.