BLUE ROCK LAKE
In a blaze of September glory, the sun shone across the lake. The
leaves had not yet begun to turn, and the summer trees were as green as
the stalwart evergreens, but of varying shades. From deep, almost black,
shadowy forests, the range ran to brilliant, light green foliage, in a
gamut of colour. Some of the younger and more daring trees crept down to
the water’s edge, but much of the lake shore was rocky and more or less
steep. Here and there a picturesque inlet had a bit of sandy coast, but
the main effect was rugged and wild.
But even the intrusive sun could only peep into Patty’s boudoir through
a chink or two between the drawn shades and the window frames. And so
his light was not enough to wake the sleeper, still cuddled among the
couch pillows.
But she was awakened by a bombardment of raps on the door.
“Patty!” called Daisy’s impatient voice; “whatever _are_ you doing? Open
this door!”
The blue eyes flew open. But Patty was the sort of person who never
wakes all at once. Nan always said Patty woke on the instalment plan.
Slowly, and rubbing her eyes, she rose and unlocked the door.
“Why, Patty Fairfield!” Daisy exclaimed, “your lights are still burning!
You—why, _look_ at you! You didn’t undress at all! You have on your
evening petticoat and slippers! and the very same boudoir robe I left
you in last night. And”—Daisy looked in at the bedroom door,—“your bed
hasn’t been slept in! What _is_ the matter?”
Daisy rattled on so, that Patty, still half asleep, was bewildered. “I
don’t know——” she began, “Philip called——”
“Philip called! Patty, are you crazy? Wake up!” Daisy shook her a little
and under this compulsion Patty finished waking up.
“Good gracious!” she exclaimed, laughing, “did I sleep there all night?
No wonder I feel like a boiled owl.”
“But why,—_why_ did you do it?”
“Fiddlesticks, I don’t know. It’s no crime, I suppose. I lay down there
for a few minutes, after you hoodlums cleared out, and I suppose I fell
asleep and forgot to wake up. That’s all. Lemme alone, and a bath and a
cup of hot chocolate will restore my senses.”
“You dear little goose! I’ll run your tub for you. Though I suppose
there are a string of maids waiting outside your door. Want ’em?”
“No, rather have you. But send half a dozen of them for some choclit,
please.”
Still yawning, Patty began to take off her slippers and stockings.
“Thank you, Daisykins,” she said, as Daisy returned from the bathroom.
“Now, you light out, and I’ll make a respectable toilette. My, how I did
sleep. I was worn out. But I feel fine now. Good-bye, Daisy.”
But Daisy was slow to take the hint.
“I say, Patsy, what did you mean by saying Philip called?”
Patty hesitated for the fraction of a second, and then decided it were
wiser to keep her own counsel regarding that matter.
“Dreaming, I s’pose. Certainly, there was no Philip here in reality.”
“But you said distinctly that Philip called,” Daisy persisted.
“Well, s’pose I did? What could it have been but a dream? Do you imagine
I had a real, live caller?”
“No; but it must have been a vivid dream!”
“It was,” said Patty. “Now scoot!”
Daisy scooted, and Patty locked her door again.
“Well, you’re a pretty one!” she said to herself; “the idea of sleeping
all night without going to bed. Adele will be terribly exercised over
it. But I have other things to worry about. I wonder if Philip will
really come up here, and if he does, what Bill will do. Would I better
tell Bill about it? Or, just let the situation develop itself? Oh, what
troubles some poor little Pattys do have! Come in!”
This last in response to a gentle tap at the hall door.
A trim maid entered with a tray.
“Oh, joy!” cried Patty; “I’m simply starving,——Mary, is it?”
“Sarah, ma’am,” returned the girl, gazing admiringly at pretty Patty,
who was now in a kimono of light blue silk, edged with swans-down.
“Well, Sarah, stay a few moments, and you can help me dress. Sit down
there.”
Sarah obediently took the small chair Patty designated, and folded her
hands on her immaculate frilled apron.
“Tell me about the hotel, Sarah,” said Patty, as she crunched the crisp
toast between her white teeth, and smiled at the maid.
“What about it, ma’am?”
“Well, let me see; how did you maids feel when you found the guests were
leaving?”
“At first we feared we’d lose our money, miss; then we were told that
our contracts held till the end of this month, and if we would stay as
long as we were asked to, we’d get paid in full.”
“Wasn’t that nice?”
“Fine, ma’am. I’m using mine for my little sister’s schooling, and I’d
sore miss it.”
“So all the servants were willing to stay?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. You see, none could get good places up here. The hotels
all have their own, and many of them will close the first of October.”
“I see. Isn’t it funny to have a dozen guests, and the rest of this big
place empty?”
“It is, indeed, miss. Shall I get you some hotter chocolate?”
“No, I’ve finished, thank you. Now, you call somebody else to take the
tray, and you stay to help me. I’ve taken a fancy to you, Sarah, and I
want you for my personal maid while I’m here. Is that all right?”
“Yes, indeed, miss. I’m proud to do for you. But I’m not a trained
lady’s maid.”
“Never mind, I’ll train you.”
Patty had a nice way with servants. She was always kind, and treated
them as human beings, yet never was she so familiar that they presumed
on her kindness. She soon discovered that Sarah, though untrained, was
deft and quick to learn, and she instructed the maid in the duties
required.
And so, when Adele came tapping at the door, she found Patty seated
before the mirror, while Sarah was coiling the golden hair according to
directions.
“Well, girlie, what’s this I hear about your sleeping on a couch, when a
perfectly good bed was all turned down for you?”
“Oh, just one of my whimsies,” returned Patty, airily. “Don’t bother
about it, Adele.”
And Adele was wise and kind enough not to bother.
Soon, arrayed in a most becoming white serge, with emerald green velvet
collar and cuffs and a pale green silk blouse, Patty descended the great
staircase to find most of the party grouped there, about to start for a
ramble round the lake.
“’Course I’ll go,” she said in answer to eager inquiries. “My hat and
gloves, Sarah, please.”
“Yes, Miss Patty,” and the maid, who had been following her, returned
upstairs.
“I’ve adopted Sarah as my personal bodyguard,” Patty said. “You don’t
mind, Bill, do you?”
“Not a bit!” he replied heartily. “The house is yours and the fulness
thereof. I hope all of you ladies who want maids, or keepers of any
sort, will call on the service force for them.”
Sarah came down then, bringing Patty’s hat, a soft felt, green, and
turned up on one side with a Robin Hood feather. It was most becoming,
as Patty tilted it sideways on her head, adjusting it before a large
mantel mirror.
“Now we’re off,” she said, gaily; “but we ought to have Alpenstocks, or
swagger-sticks.”
“Here are some,” said Bill, opening a cupboard door, and disclosing a
lot of long sticks. Everybody selected one, and they set forth.
“Such a wonder-place!” exclaimed Marie, as at every fresh turn they
found some new bit of scenery or different view. “I could stay here
forever!”
“Me too!” agreed Mona. “What’s the name of the lake?”
“Something like Skoodoowabskooskis,” said Bill, laughing; “but for
short, everybody calls it Blue Rock Lake.”
“Because the rocks on the other side look so blue, I suppose,” suggested
Daisy.
“I believe you’re right!” cried Chick, in mock amazement at her quick
perception. Whereupon Daisy made a face at him.
“Don’t mind him, Daisy,” said Patty; adding, teasingly, “it’s perfectly
true, the distant rocks do look blue, hence the term, Blue Rock
Lake,—blue rocks and the lake, see?”
“Oh, you smarty!” and Daisy lost her temper a little, for she hated to
be made fun of; “if you tease me, I’ll tease you. What about a girl who
wakes up, babbling of some ‘Philip’ or other!”
“Babbling nothing!” cried Patty. “And anyway, I’m always babbling,
asleep or awake. Oh, see that bird! What a beauty!” As a matter of fact
there was no bird in sight, but canny Patty knew it would divert
attention from Daisy’s remark, and it did. After vainly looking for the
beautiful bird, other distractions arose, and Patty breathed more freely
that nobody had noticed Daisy’s fling.
But after they had walked all round the lake, and were nearing the hotel
again, Bill stepped to Patty’s side and falling in step with her, put
his strong, firm hand under her elbow, saying: “Want some help, little
girl, over the hard places?”
Channing, who had been at her other side, took the hint and fell behind
with some of the others.
“What’s this about your waking up with Philip’s name on your lips?” he
said; “do you want to see him so badly? If so, I’ll ask him up here?”
Patty hesitated; here was her chance to get the invitation that Phil so
coveted, and yet, she knew Bill Farnsworth didn’t want him. Nor was she
sure that she wanted him, herself, if he and Little Billee weren’t going
to be friendly. A nice time she would have, if the two men were cool or
curt to each other.
So she said, “No, I don’t want him, especially. I daresay I was dreaming
of him. I dream a lot anyway, of everything and everybody.”
[Illustration: A moment Patty thought. Then she said, “No thank you,
Billie, I don’t.”]
“Dreaming?” said Farnsworth, in a curious voice; “is that all, Patty?”
“All? What do you mean?”
“Is that all the communication you had with Van Reypen last night? In
dreams?”
Patty looked up, startled. Did Bill know of the telephone message? Would
he care? Patty felt a certain sense of guilt, though, as she told
herself, she had done nothing wrong. Moreover, the only reason she had
for not telling Farnsworth frankly of Phil’s message, was merely to
spare him annoyance. She knew he would be annoyed to learn that Phil had
called her at midnight on the long distance, and if he didn’t already
know it, she would rather he shouldn’t. But did he, or not?
“Pray, how else could I talk to him?” she said, laughingly. “Do you
suppose I am a medium and had spirit rappings?”
“I suppose nothing. And I know only what you choose to tell me.”
“Which is nothing, also. Why, Little Billee, you’re in a mood this
morning, aren’t you?”
She glanced up into the face of the man who strode beside her. It was a
fine face. Strong, well-cut features made it interesting rather than
handsome. It was also a determined face, and full of earnestness of
purpose. But in the blue eyes usually lurked a glint of humour. For the
moment, however, this was not noticeable, and Farnsworth’s lips were
closed rather tightly,—a sure sign with him, of seriousness.
“Since you choose to tell me nothing, I accept your decision. But once
more I ask you, for the last time, do you wish me to invite Van Reypen
up here?”
A moment Patty thought. Then she said, “No, thank you, Billee, I don’t.”
Farnsworth’s brow cleared, and with a sunny smile down at her, he said:
“Then the incident is closed. Forget it.”
“All right,” and Patty smiled back, well pleased that she had decided as
she did.
“You little goose!” said he, “I know perfectly well that you called up
Van Reypen on the telephone last night.”
“I did not!” declared Patty, indignantly.
“Now, Apple Blossom, don’t tell naughty stories. I say, I _know_ you
did.”
“All right, Mr. Farnsworth, if you doubt my word, there’s nothing more
to be said.”
Patty was thoroughly angry, and when she was angry she looked about as
fierce as a wrathy kitten. But, also, when Patty was angry, a few
foolish tears _would_ crowd themselves into her eyes, and this only
served to make her madder yet. She turned from him, wanting to leave him
and join some of the others, but she couldn’t, with those silly drops
trembling on her eyelashes.
“Look up, Apple Blossom,” said a gentle voice in her ear. Farnsworth’s
voice was one of his chief charms, and when he modulated it to a
caressing tone, it would cajole the birds off the trees.
Patty looked up, and something in her blue eyes glistened through the
tears, that somehow made her look incapable of “telling a naughty
story.”
“Forgive me, Posy-Face,” Farnsworth murmured, “I _will_ believe you,
whatever you tell me. I will believe you, whether I think you’re telling
the truth or not!”
At this rather ambiguous statement, Patty looked a little blank. But
before she could ask further explanation, they had reached the hotel and
they all went in.