BELLE HARCOURT
As quickly as possible the answer came back.
It was a rainy day, and Adele sent the chauffeur to Maple Bank after it.
The three gathered in Patty's room to hear it read, and were not
surprised that it ran after this manner:
"BELLE:
How could you know the dearest way to sign yourself? Any other word
would have spoiled it! But Belle! My beautiful one! I MUST see you! The
picture is just what I anticipated, only more sweet and soulful. You
are an angel, and I must see you or die. Do not make me wait. May I fly
to Maple Bank at once? Meet me somewhere. No one will know it,--but I
must look once into those dear eyes!
Your own
CHRISTOPHER."
"Oh, Kit, Kit!" exclaimed Patty, wiping tears of laughter from her
eyes; "I didn't know you COULD be such an idiot! Adele, we must have
him come up here."
"Oh, of course. How shall we arrange a meeting?"
"I'll tell you," said Daisy, "write him that Belle will meet him in
front of the Maple Bank post-office. Then let Patty meet him, you know,
and we'll sit in the car and see the fun."
"All right," Patty agreed. "WON'T he be mad when he sees ME!"
So they wrote:
"MY CHRISTOPHER:
I knew we were made for each other. I, too, feel that I must see you.
But our meeting must be secret. I cannot risk my people knowing about
it. So, will you meet me in front of the Maple Bank post-office at four
o'clock on Thursday afternoon? I would like a more secluded place, but
I dare not. The post-office is on a beautiful maple-shaded street and
we can meet casually, as if we were ordinary passersby. You must only
speak with me a few moments, and let me look once deep in your eyes,
and then you must pass on,--out of my life forever! But I shall have at
least one moment of blissful rapture! You will know me, because I shall
wear white, with pink roses in my hat, and a pink parasol. I can hardly
wait for Thursday! Come soon to
Your
BELLE."
"I rather guess that'll fetch him," observed Patty, complacently, as
she sealed the envelope. "I knew Kit was a romantic goose, but I didn't
suppose he'd be up to these tricks."
"Of course we'll bring him home with us, Patty," said Adele.
"Yes, he'll come fast enough."
"If he isn't too mad at you," put in Daisy.
"Oh, he won't be mad," returned Patty; "he'll be terribly cut up at
first, to think I tricked him so, but he'll get over it. And I warn
you, Adele, if he comes here he'll play some fearful joke on us to get
even."
"I don't mind," said Adele, "I like a joke once in awhile as well as
anybody else. Now if he comes Thursday, Patty, will he stay over
Saturday? That's May-day, you know, and I'd like to have him here for
the celebration."
"He'll be here if you ask him; even if he has to go back to the city
Friday and come up again for Saturday. Phil and Roger come Saturday,
you know."
Van Reypen had gone back to town for a few days, and Hal Ferris was
also away on business, which was one reason why the girls had plunged
so interestedly into their merry scheme.
Thursday afternoon they started for Maple Bank in time to be at the
post-office before four o'clock, and witness the arrival of Mr. Cameron.
Patty looked her dainty best, in a white linen, with a broad-brimmed
hat wreathed with pink roses. Her pink parasol was flounced with
chiffon and adorned with a bunch of pink roses, and two rose blooms
were tucked in her belt.
"Rather summery garb, for the last of April," said Patty, gazing at
herself in Adele's long mirror; "but I said I'd wear white before I
thought. However, it's a lovely day, and with my motor coat I'll be
warm enough going over."
They started off in high spirits, and reached the post-office at
quarter before four. Kit was already there, walking calmly up and down
the maple-shaded village street, and apparently waiting with properly
concealed impatience.
In accordance with directions, the chauffeur drove right past the
post-office and around a corner, where the three conspirators might
indulge in a burst of laughter.
"I shan't appear until a few minutes after four," said Patty; "it isn't
feminine to keep an appointment on time."
So they went up and down some other streets until just the right time,
and then Patty got out of the car, as she intended to walk to the tryst.
The car, with Adele and Daisy, whizzed away and took up a position
exactly opposite the post-office, stopping there to watch the show.
Of course Cameron paid no attention to this car, and continued to
patrol the sidewalk with slow, even steps.
At last, as he walked along, he saw a girl in white coming toward him.
Her pink parasol completely concealed her face, but Cameron knew it was
his "Belle."
He walked on slowly, and Patty did too, until they met and both
stopped. Gently he raised the intruding parasol and turned it to one
side.
But even then, he could not see Patty's face, for she had arranged her
broad-brimmed hat to droop over it, and she hung her head as if in
extreme shyness. But she put out her hand and Cameron clasped it in his
own.
"Belle," he murmured, "MY Belle! Look at me, please!"
Suddenly Patty lifted her head, and smiled into Kit Cameron's face.
He took a step backward, and staggered almost as if he would fall.
"Patty Fairfield!" he exclaimed, "what does this mean? Why are you
here? I expected--oh, I beg your pardon--I--I'm aw-awfully glad to see
you."
Adele and Daisy, watching them, were convulsed at Cameron's baffled
surprise. They could almost hear what he said. They could see how he
tried to pull himself together, and they could see Patty speechless
with laughter, as she enjoyed the joke on Kit.
"What are YOU doing in Maple Bank?" she said, as soon as she could
speak for laughing.
Kit looked at her gravely. "I came expressly to meet a girl in a white
frock and pink roses. I don't see any other around, so--it might as
well be you!"
"You needn't try to turn it off so carelessly," said Patty. "Own up
that you're caught! What was your girl's name?"
"Belle--My Belle--" And Cameron rolled his eyes in such soulful manner,
that Patty went off in another paroxysm.
"Oh, you Joke King, you! Nobody can trick you, can they? Do you own up?"
"Own up what? that I'd rather see you than any other belle? Certainly,
I'll own that. But my time is up. You know we were only to gaze once
into each other's eyes and then part forever!" And Kit gazed into her
eyes as if it were indeed the last time.
"That'll do," said Patty, laughing again. "The farce is over. Now come
and be real. Your own beautiful real self. Come and meet my friends."
"Who?" said Kit, as he accompanied Patty across the street.
"Here he is," sang out Patty, as they reached the car. "Mrs.
Kenerley,--Miss Dow,--may I present Mr. Cameron, the celebrated violin
virtuoso."
Adele greeted him warmly, and Daisy smiled on him, and Cameron's own
delightful manner soon made them all friends.
"Jump in and go home with us, Mr. Cameron," said Adele, turning down a
side seat in the car.
"But my stay in Maple Bank is limited," said Kit. "I'm due to take the
next train back to New York."
"Come back with us to tea, anyway," said Adele.
"You can stay to dinner, too," said Patty, "and take a late train down
from Fern Falls."
"But you see, though I dressed with particular care to meet a very
charming young lady, I didn't expect to dine with her."
"Oh, no matter," said Adele; "we won't be formal to-night. But if you
will, Mr. Cameron, we'd like to have you come back on Saturday for our
May-day celebration."
"Will I!" said Kit; "you're awfully good to ask me, Mrs. Kenerley,
after you've discovered what a wicked young man I am, thus to follow up
invitations from strange ladies. But you see the photograph that came
to me was so charming that the temptation was irresistible."
"If you'd known it was only me, you wouldn't have come, would you?"
asked Patty.
Kit regarded her solemnly. Then he waved his hand, as if dismissing a
question of no moment. "It doesn't matter," he said, "all young ladies
in pink and white look alike to me."
"Then I'm glad I'm not in pink and white," said Daisy, who was looking
very pretty in a blue linen frock, with wide black ribbons.
"So am I," and Kit smiled at her approvingly. "You look so different,
it's a pleasure to observe you."
Cameron had a charming way of talking nonsense, and before they reached
home both Daisy and Adele had taken a decided liking to the gay young
man.
They had tea on the glass-paned veranda, and it was not until they were
all comfortably seated, with their teacups in hand, that Cameron said,
casually: "Oh, by the way, Patty, I have a note for you from Mrs.
Fairfield, and a parcel."
He took from his pocket a letter and a little box.
"Oh, thank you," said Patty, taking them "May I?" she added, as she
opened the note.
As Patty read, her face grew longer and her eyes grew bigger. As she
finished, she looked at Cameron, who was gazing at her with his eyes
full of laughter.
"You Kit!" she exclaimed; "oh, you Kit Cameron! Can nobody EVER get
ahead of you? Girls, listen to this! It's a note from Nan, and she
says: 'Dear Patty: Mr. Cameron says he's going to see you to-morrow.
Has Adele invited him to Fern Falls? How nice for you all. He won't
tell me how she happened to do so, but I suppose it was through you.
I'm sending you by him your pearl pin, which you forgot. Oceans of
love, from Nan.' Now, how in the name of common sense, did you happen
to tell Nan that you were coming to see me?"
"Why, I was there last night, and I knew I was coming up here to-day;
so I told her, and she asked me to bring your pin. And I said I would.
That's all."
"But how did you know you were coming here?" persisted Patty.
"I didn't know I was coming here, and I didn't tell Mrs. Fairfield I
was. I only told her I should see you. I can't help what she
assumed,--and I have delivered the pin in safety."
"But how did you know you were going to see me?"
"My dear child, do you suppose for one minute that I fell for that
Belle Harcourt business? Didn't you know that I would know that that
very first letter was written by your fairy fingers?"
"Why, Mr. Cameron!" exclaimed Adele, "weren't you really fooled?"
"You WERE!" exclaimed Daisy. "You were at first, anyway."
"Not for a minute, Miss Dow," and Kit smiled lazily at her. "I'm not
over-modest about my wonderful musical genius, but somehow I couldn't
believe that a stranger appreciated me so highly. I just COULDN'T
believe it, and something told me that it wasn't quite all it sounded.
Then, says I to myself, if it isn't a real Belle Harcourt it's most
probably Patty Fairfield. I had no idea you were away, but I telephoned
the house, and some of your menials told me you were at Fern Falls. I
had never heard of Fern Falls, but it was me for the atlas, and after
much study, I unearthed Fern Falls and found it to be very decidedly
adjacent to Maple Bank. So I put away my atlas, got down my arithmetic,
and by its artful aid I managed to put two and two together. If I had
found any one else but Patty Fairfield under that pink parasol, I
should have been the most surprised man under the Stars and Stripes!"
"I think you're perfectly horrid!" cried Patty; "just per-fect-ly
hor-rid!"
"You don't really, you know," and Kit smiled at her, calmly, "you're
just as ready to admit yourself tricked, as I was."
Patty went off into a peal of laughter at the thought of how she had
insisted that Kit should own up to being tricked, when they met; but
she felt a little chagrined that her joke had fallen through.
"I'm glad of it," declared Adele, "for I may as well confess, Mr.
Cameron, it had prejudiced me against you to think you would write
those letters to a stranger."
"Oh, I wouldn't, Mrs. Kenerley," said Kit, with exaggerated
earnestness. "Honest and truly, I wouldn't! I NEVER write letters to
strangers, unless I'm SURE the strangers are Patty Fairfield. And I'm
sure I shouldn't dare to write a letter to the young lady of the
photograph that came to me. She looked like an angel in the last stages
of nervous prostration."
"That's exactly what she did look like," said Adele, laughing. "I must
tell Hester that! She's a school-girl cousin of mine, Mr. Cameron, and
if she were here, she'd enjoy this two-story joke as well as any of us."
Cameron stayed to dinner, as he said, to make his peace with Mr.
Kenerley when he came home, but really because he wanted to remain with
the pleasant house party.
Hal Ferris came home at dinner time, too, and was greatly diverted by
the whole story of the Belle Harcourt joke.
After dinner, it was warm enough to sit out on the veranda till time
for Kit to go to the train.
At last the chauffeur brought the little runabout to the door, and Kit
took leave of the merry group.
"Be sure to come back on Saturday morning," said Adele, as she shook
hands with him.
"Trust me for that, Mrs. Kenerley. I'm so delighted with the
invitation, I'm afraid I'll get here too soon."
"Come up on the noon train. The May party's at four o'clock. And now
you must fly or you'll lose your train."
"Parting is SUCH sweet sorrow," said Kit, as he took Patty's hand, to
say good-bye to her last.
Patty followed him down the steps of the veranda, and he was about to
step into the car, when he said, "Come on down to the station with me."
"I will," said Patty, impulsively, and as there was no time to discuss
the matter, she sprang into the car. Kit jumped in after her, and
slammed the door and they were off.
"We've eloped," Cameron called back, as they whizzed away.
"All right," Adele called after them; "send Patty back by the
chauffeur. There are extra wraps under the seat."
"What a duck you are to come!" said Kit, as they swung out through the
gate.
"I didn't mean to; but I jumped in before I thought."
"Always jump in before you think,--that is, if I'm around. If there's
any danger of drowning, I'll pull you out."
"Oh, I can swim. Kit, I don't see how you knew I wrote that letter."
"Patty, it was plain as day on the face of it. Why, it sounded just
like you from start to finish. Of course, if you had been in New York,
I should have tried to suspect somebody else, but when I found you were
staying only about six miles from Maple Bank, I knew it was you."
"Never mind, some day I'll play a joke on you."
"Thought you didn't approve of them."
"I don't, for other people. But you're so fond of them I feel as if I
ought to do all I can for you."
"All right, joke away, little girl. I don't mind. I say, Poppycheek,
what's this May-day business? An old-fashioned picnic?"
"Not exactly. It's a new-fashioned picnic. But they crown a May-queen,
and all that sort of foolishness." "And who is to be queen?"
"Belle Harcourt."
"MY Belle! Oh, I'm glad of that. And so Princess Poppycheek is going to
be made a queen! Well, so long as you're my Belle, you may be anybody's
queen you like."
"I like an awful lot of people."
"Mostly men."
"No, sir! The men mostly like me. I like mostly girls. Don't you think
Daisy Dow's charming and pretty?"
"Yes, she is a very pretty girl. You're fond of her?"
"I am now. I didn't like her at first, but I think it was because I
didn't understand her. But now we're awfully good chums."
"And so you don't like the men?"
"Nonsense! Of course I do. I adore them. But not as much as I do my
girl friends. And sometimes I think I like my married friends best of
all. Aren't the Kenerleys just dear?"
"Then you'd like me better if I were married?"
"Yes, indeed. Will you get married, to please me?"
"Oh, anything to oblige. Will you pick out the lady?"
"Why, yes, if you want me to. There's Daisy Dow."
"Yes, there's Daisy Dow. But here's Patty Fairfield. I'd ever so much
rather marry her! How about it, Poppycheek?"
"Nonsense, Kit, don't be silly."
"It isn't silly. You said you wanted me to be married and I'm awfully
anxious to please you."
"Oh, do you want to marry me just to please me?"
"Well, I'm interested in the scheme on my own account, too."
"Well, don't bother me about it, now. I hate to answer questions in a
speeding motor-car."
"Shall I tell him to slow down?" And Kit leaned forward toward the
chauffeur.
"Mercy, no! you'll hardly catch your train now. A little faster,
Jacques."
"Yes, Miss," and the chauffeur threw on a little more speed.
"Poppycheek, you rascal, I intended to miss that train."
"Well, you don't do it! see? We've enough to do to-morrow, without you
bothering around. You can come up Saturday, but to-morrow we're going
to be awfully busy."
"Van Reypen coming?"
"Of course. A party isn't a party without Phil."
"Huh! I'm not afraid of him. I can cut Van Reypen out any day in the
week!"
"Not Saturdays. That's his great day." And Patty laughed tantalisingly.
"Just you wait and see! I'm not afraid! Bye-bye, Poppycheek."
They had reached the station just as the train was drawing out. Kit
sprang from the car, slammed the door after him, and striding across
the platform, swung on to the moving steps. He waved his hand at Patty
and was gone.
"Home, Jacques," she said.