PATTY RUNAWAY
The next day was Saturday, and Patty woke to a somewhat dismantled and
disordered room. Her bed had been restored to its place, after the
guests had departed the night before, but other appointments were a bit
lacking. Nan had forbidden her to rise until noon, for the Bazaar had
meant a large expenditure of strength and nerve force, and Patty was
not robust.
Before she rang for her morning chocolate, she thought over the events
of the previous evening. She was furiously angry at Farnsworth. So
much so, that she could think of little else.
"How dared he?" she exclaimed to herself. "The idea of his thinking I
am the sort of girl he can pick up and kiss like that!"
And then her face grew pink with blushes and she buried it in a pillow
because she realised she was not nearly so indignant as she ought to be!
"Good heavens!" she thought, frantically. "Am I in love with Little
Billee? With a Westerner? A self-made man? Why, he can't hold a
candle to Phil for birth and name! And yet--oh, no, I'm not in love
with him! He's too--too--he takes too much for granted. It's got to
stop! Think how he carried me out of the Studio party! And last
night! No wonder he walked off home without seeing me again! I wonder
what he will offer by way of apology or explanation. I believe I'll
ask him!"
Patty reached out her hand for the telephone, and suddenly stopped.
"I can't!" she whispered to herself, shame-facedly, "I--I don't want
any apology from him. I--I--oh, fiddlesticks! I don't know _what_ to
do! Guess I'll have a talk with Nan--no, I won't. It was all very
well to talk to her about Phil,--because I didn't care about him. But
I do care about Billee. Oh! do I 'care for' him? I don't know--but
I'm not going to think about it. It gets me all mixed up. I wonder--I
wish I could go away. I will! I guess I can do as I've a mind to!"
After a little further thought, and a determined wag of the head, Patty
rang her bell, and when the maid came she said, "Bring my chocolate,
please, and then get out a suitcase, and pack it for me."
"Yes, Miss Patty," replied Jane, and until her breakfast came, Patty's
mind worked rapidly.
"Jane, I'm going to elope," she announced, as the maid reappeared with
a tray.
"Yes, Miss Patty," and though Jane's eyes flew wide open, she made no
verbal comment.
"Don't look as if you had been shot!" said Patty, laughing; "I'm going
alone, but you are to help me get off. Pack the things I tell you and
then order the little car for me. I'm not going to tell you where I'm
going, for I don't want any one to know. But after I'm gone, you may
give Mrs. Fairfield a note I will leave with you. Understand?"
"Yes, Miss Patty," and Jane began at once to lay out the desired
clothing.
"And," Patty went on, "if any one calls or telephones or asks for me in
any way, just say that I've gone away for a few days to recuperate
after the exertions of the House Sale."
She carried out her plan with no trouble at all. Jane took down the
suitcase, Patty went down, too, by the back stairs, and got into the
car unseen, and was driven to the Grand Central Station.
Admonishing the chauffeur to tell no one where he took her, Patty
bought a ticket for Fern Falls, and in a few hours amazed Adele
Kenerley by walking in at her front door.
"Patty Fairfield! You angel child! Where _did_ you drop from? The
blue skies?"
"Not quite. I flew up from New York to beg the hospitality of your
roof for a few days."
"For as long as we can keep you. You dear old thing! How well you
look!"
"Don't say that! I'm here to recuperate after a strenuous gay season
and a particularly tiring Bazaar thing last night."
"Oh, yes, Bazaars are the most tiresome things in the world! You ought
never to go to them."
"This one came to me. It was at our house. I'll tell you all about it
later. But, honestly, Adele, I was just ready to perfectly fly this
morning! My nerves gave out, my muscles are all lame and tired, and
then, my brain gave way. So, sez I, why not flee away to that haven of
rest what I wot of,--and here I am flewn!"
"Well, I'm jolly glad to see you. Jim will be overjoyed, too. Come
right up to your own room, and take off your things, while I go and
speak to Cook. Anything particular you want for lunch?"
"No, thank you. Any old thing, so long as it's good. As if you ever
had anything that wasn't salt of the earth!"
"Oh, Patty! You don't eat salt of the earth! Unless you're a
cannibal!"
"I'd like to know what kind of salt you do eat, then! Run along,
Adele, and order a dressy luncheon. I am pretty hungry."
Mrs. Kenerley went off, and Patty stood for a moment, looking out of
the window. "I did just the right thing," she said to herself. "Up
here, where it's so quiet and peaceful, I can think things out, and
know just where I stand. Down home, I shouldn't have had a minute to
myself. It is beautiful here. So peaceful and calm."
Patty turned, as some one entered her room, and saw a maid, ready to
unpack for her.
"I've only a suitcase, Tessie," she smiled. "I'm here but for two or
three days."
"Yes, Miss Fairfield. It's good to see you again. What will you put
on?"
"The little rose Georgette, please. Why, here are two of my frocks in
this wardrobe!"
"Yes, you left them last summer, and Mrs. Kenerley said to leave them
there against your next visit."
"Good work! Here's a white crepe de chine. Just the thing for
tomorrow. No guests, are there, Tessie?"
"None, Miss Fairfield. Some ladies left this morning."
"Now, tell me all about it," said Adele, coming back. "You may go,
Tessie. I'll look after Miss Fairfield."
Tessie went away, and the two friends sat down for a chat.
"First of all, Adele," Patty said, "I don't want any one to know where
I am. I want a few days of absolute freedom from interruption,--I've
some things to think out."
"H'm," said Adele. "Who is he?"
Patty turned pink. "Nobody," she returned; "or, if it's anybody, it's
Phil Van Reypen; he wants me to marry him, and I don't know whether to
or not."
Adele looked at Patty's transparent face, and knew she was not telling
the whole truth. "You won't," she said, astutely. "But never mind why
you came, dear; tell me as much or as little as you wish. And nobody
shall know of your whereabouts, I promise you that. We'll have a
lovely, comfy time, just by ourselves."
"And I'll tell you this much, Adele; if Bill Farnsworth telephones, on
no account tell him I'm here. Please tell him I'm _not_!"
"Oh, fie, fie, Patty; tell a naughty story?"
"Sometimes a naughty story is justifiable; or, well, if you can't
conscientiously do it, let me know if he threatens to come up here and
I'll scoot off somewhere else."
"I think I see you! I'll leave it to Jim. He'll manage it
diplomatically. And perhaps Bill won't telephone."
"No, most likely not. But he may. He doesn't know I'm here,--nobody
does,--but I suppose this will be the first place anybody would suspect
me of being."
"I think very likely. Come on, now, I'll help you dress for lunch.
What a beautiful kimono! Where did you get that?"
"At the Sale last night. Oh, we had wonderful things. Everybody
donated, you know, and then came and bought the things. Philip gave us
some of Aunty Van Reypen's bronzes and ivory carvings. I think we'll
make a lot of money."
"And you ran away the morning after! Didn't you want to know how the
funds summed up?"
"Oh, yes; but the house was in such a fearful state! Furniture all
moved and things every which way. I was glad to disappear until it
gets into shape again."
"And doesn't Mrs. Fairfield or your father know where you are?"
"Well, I left a note for Nan, and I didn't tell her just where I was
going, so she could tell people that I hadn't; but I gave her
sufficient hints, so she can form a fairly correct notion of my
destination."
"All right, Pattykins, I'll look after you, and no one shall learn from
me where you are,--least of all, that terrible ogre, Bill Farnsworth!"
Patty smiled, and the two friends went downstairs. Jim Kenerley was
beaming with welcomes, and declared that he, too, would keep the secret
of Patty's presence under his roof, even at the point of the bayonet.
But, alas, for good intentions!
That afternoon, Kenerley sought his wife, consternation in every line
of his good-looking countenance.
"Where's Patty?" he asked, abruptly.
"I sent her off for a nap. She's all tired out. Why?"
"Well, Farnsworth is on his way up here."
"What? Why did you let him come?"
"Couldn't help it. You see it was this way. The clerk, or somebody at
his hotel telephoned, and said that Mr. Farnsworth had suddenly decided
to run up here, and that he hadn't time to telephone and then get his
train. So he instructed the clerk to get me and tell me Bill was on
the way. He'll be here a little after seven. What shall we do?"
"Mercy! I don't know. Let me think. Patty is awfully angry with him
about something, and I've promised her not to let him know where she
is."
"Lovers' quarrel?"
"I don't know. I haven't had a real talk with Patty yet, she's so
fagged out. I want her to rest up. But she says she's bothered about
Philip Van Reypen."
"Then depend upon it, it's somebody else! Farnsworth, probably."
"She could do a lot worse than to marry Bill."
"Indeed she could! But, all the same, if Patty doesn't want him here,
he mustn't come."
"That's all very well, but how will you prevent it?"
"I don't know. Meet him with a shotgun?"
"Now, be serious, Jim. We must protect Patty at any cost. Can't we
telegraph him on the train?"
"Not a chance. Do you think he knows she's here?"
"He can't know it. He may suspect it. Well, he'll have to come, and
he'll have to stay over night; we can't send him packing, with no
decent excuse."
"Tell him Cook has the smallpox."
"Don't be silly! I can manage it, I think. Yes, with your help, it
can be done."
"My dear Adele, I offer my help in its entirety, and then some."
"I'll need all that--maybe more. It's no easy job, but I'll try it,
rather than have Patty disturbed."
"Might a mere man ask the nature of your plans?"
Adele Kenerley looked affectionately at her husband. "Yes, but you
mustn't hoot at them. Yours not to question why, yours not to make
objection."
"Mine only to do or die, like those other heroes, I suppose."
"Yes, but you're to do, not die. The die is cast! I've cast it. Now,
stop fooling, Jim, and listen to me. Those two people shall be in this
house at the same time, and neither will suspect that the other is
here."
"Impossible!"
"There was a gentleman once, named Napoleon. He remarked, 'If it is
possible, it must be done. If it is impossible, it _shall_ be done!'
That's my motto."
"Good for you, General! Go ahead. Command me, Madame!"
"Well, and now listen, Jim, and be serious. We'll have two dinners
tonight----"
"Whew! I can't stand everything!"
"Silence, sir! We'll have dinner at six; and then I'll tuck Patty in
bed early, to get her rest. Then, Bill will get here about seven, and
we'll have another dinner for him. I can look after tomorrow
morning,---- Patty will breakfast in her room. Then, about eleven
o'clock or noon, you must take Bill for a long motor ride, lunch
somewhere on the road. I'll have Patty lunch here with me. Then, I'll
put her away for an afternoon nap, and we must then have dinner for
Bill and,--make him go home. I couldn't keep it up any longer than
that."
"I should say not! Regular Box and Cox game. But it may be we can put
it over. I'll do all I can. But s'pose he won't go home tomorrow
afternoon?"
"Make him. Even if you have to telephone to his hotel to send a hurry
wire for him."
"Capital! I'll do that, if I have to. All right, little woman, you
act as Patty's jailer, and I'll look after Farnsworth."
And so, at five o'clock, Adele went to Patty's room. She found that
young woman, robed in her apple blossom gown, asleep, with her head on
a much crumpled pillow. There were traces of tears on the pink cheeks,
but the blue eyes were tightly closed.
"Wake up, Pattibelle," said Adele, gently patting her shoulder. "We're
to have an early dinner, 'cause Jim has to go off to some meeting or
other, and I thought you wouldn't mind."
"Mind? Of course not," and Patty sprang up, very wide-awake. "I won't
dress much, Adele."
"No; wear the same frock you had on for lunch. Twist up that yellow
mop of yours, and come along down, now. I want you to take a stroll
around the domain while there's a scrap of daylight left."
The hour before dinner soon passed, and then, laughing with merriment,
the hosts and guest went in to dinner.
The Kenerleys were in specially gay spirits, it seemed to Patty, and
she held her own in fun and repartee.
"You must stay a long time, Patty," Jim declared. "You're more fun
than a barrel of monkeys! I'm awfully glad you came."
"So'm I," assented Patty; "I wanted to get away from the giddy whirl,
and lead the simple life for a few days."
"Sometimes the simple life is very complicated," observed Kenerley, and
he glanced at the clock.
Adele took the hint. "You want to get away, don't you, dear?" she
said. "And we've been dawdling over dessert! Patty, I shan't give you
any coffee tonight. I'm afraid it will keep you awake, and you need
sleep. My, but you're hollow-eyed! I suppose you've kept late hours
all winter."
"Pretty much. But I sleep a good deal, too. And I feel all right,
now. I'm not going to bed before you come back, Jim."
"Indeed you are!" cried Adele. "Now, not a word from you, Miss! I'm
your nurse at present, and you will obey my orders!"
Kenerley started off to drive to the station for Farnsworth. He felt
sure his wife would have Patty out of the way when they returned, but
he didn't know just how she'd manage it.
Nor was it easy. But Adele wandered about the house with her guest,
and finally declared the moonlight view was prettier from Patty's
windows than anywhere else. She lured the girl upstairs, and then
cleverly persuaded her to don a dressing-gown and lie down, while she,
Adele, looked after some household matters, and she would then return
for a confab.