CHAPTER I

Patty At Home

BY CAROLYN WELLS

AUTHOR OF TWO LITTLE WOMEN SERIES, THE MARJORIE SERIES, ETC.

1904

_To My very good friend, Ruth Pilling_

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. THE DEBATE

II. THE DECISION

III. THE TEA CLUB

IV. BOXLEY HALL

V. SHOPPING

VI. SERVANTS

VII. DIFFERING TASTES

VIII. AN UNATTAINED AMBITION

IX. A CALLER

X. A PLEASANT EVENING

XI. PREPARATIONS

XII. A TEA CLUB TEA

XIII. A NEW FRIEND

XIV. THE NEIGHBOUR AGAIN

XV. BILLS

XVI. A SUCCESSFUL PLAY

XVII. ENTERTAINING RELATIVES

XVIII. A SAILING PARTY

XIX. MORE COUSINS

XX. A FAIR EXCHANGE

XXI. A GOOD SUGGESTION

XXII. AT THE SEASHORE

XXIII. AMBITIONS

XXIV. AN AFTERNOON DRIVE

CHAPTER I

THE DEBATE

In Mrs. Elliott's library at Vernondale a great discussion was going on.

It was an evening in early December, and the room was bright with

firelight and electric light, and merry with the laughter and talk of

people who were trying to decide a great and momentous question.

For the benefit of those who are not acquainted with Patty Fairfield and

her relatives, it may be well to say that Mrs. Elliott was Patty's Aunt

Alice, at whose home Patty and her father were now visiting. Of the other

members of the Elliott family, Uncle Charley, grandma, Marian, and Frank

were present, and these with Mr. Fairfield and Patty were debating a no

less important subject than the location of Patty's future home.

"You know, papa," said Patty, "you said that if I wanted to live in

Vernondale you'd buy a house here, and I do want to live here,--at least,

I am almost sure I do."

"Oh, Patty," said Marian, "why aren't you quite sure? You're president of

the club, and the girls are all so fond of you, and you're getting along

so well in school. I don't see where else you could want to live."

"I know," said Frank. "Patty wants to live in New York. Her soul yearns

for the gay and giddy throng, and the halls of dazzling lights. 'Ah,

Patricia, beware! the rapids are below you!' as it says in that thrilling

tale in the Third Reader."

"I think papa would rather live in New York," said Patty, looking very

undecided.

"I'll tell you what we'll do," exclaimed Frank, "let's debate the

question. A regular, honest debate, I mean, and we'll have all the

arguments for and against clearly stated and ably discussed. Uncle Fred

shall be the judge, and his decision must be final."

"No," said Mr. Fairfield, "we'll have the debate, but Patty must be the

judge. She is the one most interested, and I am ready to give her a home

wherever she wants it; in Greenland's icy mountains, or India's coral

strand, if she chooses."

"You certainly are a disinterested member," said Uncle Charley, laughing,

"but that won't do in debate. Here, I'll organise this thing, and for the

present we won't consider either Greenland or India. The question, as I

understand it, is between Vernondale and New York. Now, to bring this

mighty matter properly before the house, I will put it in the form of a

resolution, thus:

"RESOLVED, That Miss Patty Fairfield shall take up her permanent abode in

New York City."

Patty gave a little cry of dismay, and Marian exclaimed, "Oh, father,

that isn't fair!"

"Of course it's fair," said Mr. Elliott, with a twinkle in his eye. "It

doesn't really mean she's going, but it's the only way to find out what

she is going to do. Now, Fred shall be captain on the affirmative side,

and I will take the negative. We will each choose our colleagues. Fred,

you may begin."

"All right," said Mr. Fairfield "As a matter of social etiquette, I think

it right to compliment my hostess, so I choose Mrs. Elliott on my side."

"Oh, you choose me, father," cried Marian, "do choose me."

"Owing to certain insidious wire-pulling I'm forced to choose Miss Marian

Elliott," said Uncle Charley, pinching his daughter's ear.

"If one Mrs. Elliott is a good thing," said Mr. Fairfield, "I am sure two

would be better, and so I choose Grandma Elliott to add to my collection

of great minds."

"Frank, my son," said Uncle Charley, "don't think for a moment that I am

choosing you merely because you are the Last of the Mohicans. Far from

it. I have wanted you from the beginning, and I'm proud to impress your

noble intellect in my cause."

"Thank you, sir," said Frank, "and if our side can't induce Patty to stay

in Vernondale, it won't be for lack of good strong arguments forcibly

presented."

"Modest boy!" said his mother, "You seem quite to forget your wise and

clever opponents."

In great glee the debaters took their places on either side of the

library table, while Patty, being judge, was escorted with much ceremony

to a seat at the head. An old parlour-croquet mallet was found for her,

with which she rapped on the table after the manner of a grave and

dignified chairman.

"The meeting will please come to order," she said, "and the secretary

will please read the minutes of the last meeting."

"The secretary regrets to report," said Frank, rising, "that the minutes

of the last meeting fell down the well. Although rescued, they were

afterward chewed up by the puppy, and are at present somewhat illegible.

If the honourable judge will excuse the reading of the minutes, the

secretary will be greatly obliged."

"The minutes are excused," said Patty, "and we will proceed at once to

more important business. Mr. Frederick Fairfield, we shall be glad to

hear from you."

Mr. Fairfield rose and said, "Your honour, ladies, and gentlemen: I would

be glad to speak definitely on this burning question, but the truth is, I

don't know myself which way I want it to be decided. For, you see, my

only desire in the matter is that the wise and honourable judge, whom we

see before us, should have a home of such a character and in such a place

as best pleases her; but, before she makes her decision, I hope she will

allow herself to be thoroughly convinced as to what will please her. And

as, by force of circumstance, I am obliged to uphold the New York side of

this argument, I will now set forth some of its advantages, feeling sure

that my worthy opponents are quite able to uphold the Vernondale side."

"Hear, hear!" exclaimed Frank, but Patty rapped with her mallet and

commanded silence.

Then Mr. Fairfield went on:

"For one thing, Patty has always lived in a city, and, like myself, is

accustomed to city life. It is more congenial to both of us, and I

sometimes fear we should miss certain city privileges which may not be

found in a suburban town."

"But we have other things that you can't get in the city," broke

in Marian.

"And I am very sure that they will be enthusiastically enumerated when it

is your turn to speak," said Mr. Fairfield, smiling.

"The gentleman has the floor," remarked Patty, "the others will please

keep their seats. Proceed, Mr. Fairfield."

So Mr. Fairfield proceeded:

"Other advantages, perhaps, will be found in the superior schools which

the city is said to contain. I am making no allusion to the school that

our honourable judge is at present attending, but I am speaking merely on

general principles. And not only schools, but masters of the various

arts. I have been led to believe by the assertions of some people, who,

however, may be prejudiced, that Miss Fairfield has a voice which

requires only training and practise to rival the voice of Adelina Patti,

when that lady was Miss Fairfield's age."

"Quite true," said the judge, nodding gravely at the speaker.

"This phenomenal voice, then, might--mind; I say might--be cultivated to

better purpose by metropolitan teachers."

"We have a fine singing-master here," exclaimed Frank, but Patty rapped

him to silence.

"What's one singing-master among a voice like Miss Fairfield's?" demanded

the speaker, "and another thing," he continued, "that ought to affect you

Vernondale people very strongly, is the fact that you would have a

delightful place to visit in New York City. Now, don't deny it. You know

you'd be glad to come and visit Patty and me in our brown-stone mansion,

and we would take you around to see all the sights, from Grant's tomb to

the Aquarium."

"We've seen those," murmured Frank.

"They're still there," said Mr. Fairfield, "and there will probably be

some other and newer entertainments that you haven't yet seen."

"It does sound nice," said Frank.

"And finally," went on Mr. Fairfield, "though I do not wish this

argument to have undue weight, it certainly would be more convenient

for me to live in the city. I am about to start in business there, and

though I could go in and out every day, as the honourable gentleman on

the other side of the table does, yet he is accustomed to it, and, as I

am not, it seems to me an uninteresting performance. However, I dare say

I could get used to a commutation ticket, and I am certainly willing to

try. All of which is respectfully submitted," and with a bow the speaker

resumed his seat.

"That was a very nice speech," said the judge approvingly, "and now we

would be pleased to hear from the captain gentleman on the other side."

Uncle Charley rose.

"Without wishing to be discourteous," he said, "I must say that I think

the arguments just set forth are exceedingly flimsy. There can be no

question but that Vernondale would be a far better and more appropriate

home for the young lady in question than any other spot on the globe.

Here we have wide streets, green lawns, fresh air, and bright sunshine;

all conducive to that blooming state of health which our honourable

judge now, apparently, enjoys. City life would doubtless soon reduce her

to a thin, pale, peaked specimen of humanity, unrecognisable by her

friends. The rose-colour in her cheeks would turn to ashen grey; her

starry eyes would become dim and lustreless. Her robust flesh would

dwindle to skin and bone, and probably her hair would all fall out, and

she'd have to wear a wig."

Even Patty's mallet was not able to check the burst of laughter caused by

the horrible picture which Uncle Charley drew, but after it had subsided,

he continued: "As to the wonderful masters and teachers in the city, far

be it from me to deny their greatness and power. But the beautiful

village of Vernondale is less than an hour from New York; no mosquitoes,

no malaria; boating, bathing, and fishing. Miss Fairfield could,

therefore, go to New York for her instructions in the various arts and

sciences, and return again to her Vernondale home on a local train. Add

to this the fact that here she has relatives, friends, and acquaintances,

who already know and love her, while, in New York, she would have to

acquire a whole new set, probably have to advertise for them. As to the

commuting gentleman: before his first ticket was all punched up, he would

be ready to vow that the commuter's life is the only ideal existence.

Having thus offered unattackable arguments, I deem a decision in our

favour a foregone conclusion, and I take pleasure in sitting down."

"A very successful speech," said Patty, smiling at her uncle. "We will

now be pleased to hear from the next speaker on the affirmative side.

Mrs. Charles Elliott, will you kindly speak what is on your mind?"

"I will," said Mrs. Elliott, with a nod of her head that betokened

Fairfield decision of character. "I will say exactly what is on my mind

without regard to which side I am on."

"Oh, that isn't fair!" cried Patty. "A debate is a debate, you know,

and you must make up opinions for your own side, whether you think

them or not."

"Very well," said Aunt Alice, smiling a little, "then it being

thoroughly understood that I am not speaking the truth, I will say that I

think it better for Patty to live in New York. As her father will be away

all day at his business, she will enjoy the loneliness of a big

brown-stone city house; she will enjoy the dark rooms and the entire

absence of grass and flowers and trees, which she hates anyway; instead

of picnics and boating parties, she can go to stiff and formal afternoon

teas; and, instead of attending her young people's club here, she can

become a member of the Society of Social Economics."

With an air of having accomplished her intention, Aunt Alice sat down

amid great cheers and handclappings from the opposite side.

Patty looked a little sober as she began to think the Vernondale home

would win; and, though for many reasons she wished it would be so, yet,

at the same time, she realised very strongly the attractions of life in

New York City.

However, she only said:

"The meeting will please come to order, in order to listen to the

opinions of Miss Elliott."

Marian rose with great dignity, and addressed the chair and the ladies

and gentlemen with true parliamentary punctiliousness.

"Though personally interested in this matter," she began, "it is not my

intention to allow my own wishes or prejudices to blind me to the best

interests of our young friend who is now under discussion. Far be it from

me to blight her career for the benefit of my own unworthy self, but I

will say that if Patty Fairfield goes to live in New York, or anywhere

except Vernondale, I think she's just the horridest, meanest old thing on

the face of the earth! Why, I wouldn't _let_ her go! I'd lock her in her

room, and poke bread and water to her through the keyhole, if she dared

to think of such a thing! Go to New York, indeed! A nice time she'd have,

hanging on straps in the trolley-cars, and getting run over by

automobiles! The whole thing is so perfectly absurd that there's no

earthly chance of its ever coming to pass. Why, she _wouldn't_ go, she

couldn't be _hired_ to go; she wouldn't be happy there a minute; but if

she _does_ go, I'll go, too!"