DAVID'S TREAT
"I haven't had my criticism yet, and if I don't get it next pose,
you'll have to go to the station without me," said Elinor to the other
two girls as she met them in the corridor the next morning. "Mr.
Benton's awfully slow, but I can't miss this first criticism, you know."
"David'll be fearfully disappointed," remarked Judith dispassionately.
"It's his first family spree, and I think it's your duty to go, Elinor."
"Oh, I'll be through in time for the luncheon," said Elinor, hastily.
"But if I'm not out here by eleven-fifteen, you'd better start without
me. I can meet you somewhere, or you all can come over here for me."
Doris Leighton, passing, stopped for a gay word with Patricia and
Judith as they loitered in the hall. She made a laughing little
gesture of envy when she heard their program for the day, which
Patricia, eager to make amends for the unspoken slight upon her, poured
out generously.
"What fun it will be," she said, with the faintest tinge of sadness in
her lovely voice. "It must be splendid to have a brother! I have
always so longed for one."
Patricia caught herself in the act of offering her a share in David
Francis, but remembering his cold criticism of other attractive girls
in the past, closed her lips in time.
"We didn't have one till this winter," she said cheerfully. "So I
guess we appreciate him for all he's worth."
Doris Leighton's pretty eyes widened. "What in the world do you mean?"
she asked with such real interest that Patricia gladly rushed into the
tale of the kidnaping of her five-year-old twin brother, and how he had
been given up as dead for all the long years until the chance discovery
of his identity revealed him to them at the very time when they were
most in need of him. She did not dwell on the financial reinforcement
that he brought to them, feeling instinctively that the knowledge of
their straitened means would lower them in Doris Leighton's estimation,
but drew a lively picture of the jolly Christmas party they had had at
Greycroft, and the happy future they were looking forward to in their
life together.
"He's at Prep now, but he'll enter Yale next year," she ended proudly.
"He's awfully clever, though he doesn't show it. He behaves just as
silly and stupid as other boys most of the time."
"He must be a nice boy," returned the Class Beauty, with lagging
interest and a shade of condescension in her manner. "Of course, he's
young yet. I thought he was Kendall Major's twin."
Judith, who had been scanning her narrowly, opened her eyes at this,
and asked innocently, "Is that why you thought you'd like him? Because
he was older and more grown-up?"
Doris Leighton laughed a rippling laugh that had no shade of the
annoyance which Patricia felt rise hotly at Judith's rather pert
question.
"Bless you, no, child," she said lightly. "I merely thought he would
be more apt to be like your oldest sister, whom I admire tremendously,
as everyone knows."
Patricia could scarcely wait till Miss Leighton was out of earshot.
"What in the world made you so disagreeable?" she demanded of the
unconcerned Judith. "Any blind bat could see that you wanted to be
nasty, in spite of your namby-pamby airs."
Judith merely smiled her superior smile. "I know more about Miss Doris
Leighton than you think," she said, nonchalantly. "Her little sister
is in my class at school, and I just got acquainted with her yesterday."
Patricia stamped her foot in vexation. "What _do_ you mean?" she
cried. "You're the most exasperating----"
The words died on her tongue, as Elinor suddenly emerged from the
portrait class door, her face radiant and with an exclamation of quick
pleasure at the sight of them.
"I got my criticism! And he said the work was good! Now I can write
to Bruce," and her voice rang with a thrilling note of joy that carried
Patricia with her.
"Good old Norn!" she cried, with a mighty hug. "I told you that you
were the real stuff! Ju and I are mighty proud of our big sister,
aren't we, Ju?"
Judith caught Elinor's hand, and pressed close, silently adoring.
"You girls are angels to wait for me till the very last moment,"
chatted Elinor, stuffing her things into her locker recklessly. "I
hated to run the risk of not going to the station, but, oh, it was
worth it!"
Patricia watched her with studious eyes as she pinned on her hat and
hurried into her wraps, holding forth the while in an exultation most
unusual to her.
"You're 'fair lifted,' aren't you, Norn?" she asked curiously. "I
didn't know you ever got so daffy over anything. I've never seen you
if you have."
Judith looked wise. "I know how she feels," she declared, sagely. "I
get awfully excited when I write something good. Why, sometimes I cry,
I'm so happy about it, and I jump up and down, too, all by myself."
Patricia grinned. "You two geniuses understand each other, I see.
Might a humdrum mortal remind you that David is just about sliding into
the train shed at this moment?"
"Mercy! Are we so late?" exclaimed Elinor, remorsefully. "Hurry,
Judith. Don't wait for me. I'll catch up to you before you get to the
corner."
Off they raced, and came panting into the station, to find the express
ten minutes late, and David just stepping from the platform of the
still moving line of cars.
Patricia, who denounced recklessness in others, flew to meet him with
loud reproaches, regardless of the thronging crowd of undergraduates
that were nimbly springing off after him.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, David Carson!" she cried, her big
gray eyes alight and a pretty flush on her cheeks. "You'll simply
_kill_ yourself some day, that's what you'll do! Why can't you wait
till it stops?"
David, grinning broadly, cast a rather sheepish glance at the hurrying
throng.
"Fellows were in a hurry," he explained good-naturedly, as he shook
hands with a grip that made her wince. "Couldn't keep you girls
waiting, anyway. Hullo, Elinor, how's the artist lady? Hullo, kid,
give us your paw. Don't need to ask you how you are--you look out of
sight."
Judith as she kissed him was wrinkling her smooth brows at him. "But I
thought you were going to bring Tom Hughes----" she began, hesitatingly.
David burst into a laugh. "Blest if I didn't forget all about Tommy,"
he cried, turning to search the platform with eager eyes. "He's here
somewhere, but he's a shy youth and I guess he was afraid you'd want to
kiss him, too, Judy. Oh, there he is. Hullo, Tommy! Step lively,
please!"
A tall dark-haired youth in a gray suit and overcoat, who had been
standing with his back to them a short distance away, turned and showed
a pleasant, homely face with two very lively eyes and a wide, firm
mouth.
"This is the famous Hughes Junior," said David, introducing him to them
collectively. "Collector of dead bugs, and trouble generally. He
looks mild, but you want to watch him."
Hughes Junior chuckled, in a slightly embarrassed fashion.
"Don't give me away too hard," he said, in an agreeable voice. "I
haven't taken any of your bugs yet. I won't tell on him, Miss
Kendall," he added with an admiring glance at Elinor, "although I could
make you shudder with tales of his dark deeds."
"Now, don't let's waste time," said David briskly. "Where are we bound
first? How about taking a peep at the art-joint? Do you allow
visitors in the morning?"
"Do you really want to go?" asked Patricia, beaming. "The modeling
room's open, and you can always see the antique."
"Let's look them over then," returned David, promptly. "We aren't keen
on antiques--got too many in our boarding-house, but we want to see
what you've been up to, Miss, so lead on. Tommy here does not care
much for female pursuits, but he'll have to put up with it for once."
"Female!" cried Patricia. "I like that! There are as many men as
there are girls, aren't there, Elinor? You're shockingly ignorant,
young man."
They started off, leaving Tom Hughes and Elinor to follow, and Judith,
as she cast a searching backward glance at David's chum, whispered to
Patricia that he must be very nice and sociable for he seemed just as
much at home with Elinor as if she'd been another boy.
"Think he'll do for that future helpmeet you're expecting to turn up
any old day, Judy?" Patricia mischievously whispered back.
"_Patricia_, he'll hear you!" gasped the scandalized Judith.
"What are you two mumbling about?" demanded David, shouldering his way
through the assembly at the station door. "No fair talking secrets
today. I've got to be in everything that's going on. 'Fess up now,
Judy, you were complaining that Tommy's nose was too long for the hero
of your next novel, weren't you?"
"I never said a word about his nose," cried Judith, relieved to evade
the real topic. "I'd be more polite than to criticize his linny-ments
like that."
Patricia joined in David's peal of laughter. "Shades of Hannah Ann
defend us!" she cried, gayly. "Don't spring any more bombs like that
on us, Infant. We've got to last till lunch time, anyway."
"Lunch time!" repeated David, warmly. "I'm aiming to survive till at
least five minutes after! Think of all the good things we're going to
massacre. Where does Elinor want to go, Miss Pat? She didn't nominate
it in her note!"
"We all want to go to the same place we had such fun in last spring,
when we thought we were so rich," said Judith quickly. "Elinor said
you were to have first choice, though, as it was your treat."
"Litz-Tarlton, wasn't it?" asked David. "O.K. for me, and Tommy is a
good-natured brute, who doesn't care where he feeds, so that he feeds."
They found the usual array of aproned students in the corridors and
work rooms, and although the boys tried to be enthusiastic it was plain
that the famous Academy did not appeal to them very strongly.
"Pretty smelly sort of a place, isn't it?" said Tom Hughes to Patricia,
with great cheerfulness. "I suppose you get awfully mussed up with
that clay, too. Isn't it hard to work in?"
Patricia, though a bit disappointed, felt delightfully superior as she
replied loftily, "It isn't so bad. We don't mind, you know, because
we're so interested in the work."
They all stood around on the sloppy floor of the clay room as she undid
the moist wrappings of her half-finished head. As the cloths were laid
aside, there was a disheartening silence.
"It looks sort of whopper-jawed, doesn't it, Miss Pat?" asked David,
hesitating. "I can see it's going to be a stunner when it's done, but
I guess I'm weak on sculpture anyway. I can't understand it in the
green stage."
"It looks like a foreigner, all right," ventured Tom Hughes, and was
rewarded for his courage by a flash of passionate gratitude from
Patricia's big gray eyes.
"He's a Russian refugee," she said, triumphantly, and as she quickly
covered her work again, and they passed out through the little side
entrance, she told them the tragic scrap of the model's history that
had sifted through the gossip of the work room.
"I see why Judy is so keen on the fine arts just now," teased David as
he dropped into step again. "Lots of material for current fiction, eh,
Ju?"
But Judith maintained a discreet silence, and David and Patricia fell
into talk of school and study till the door of the great hotel swung
wide to admit their little party.
"I say, this is fine!" declared David, as he looked about him in the
palm-shaded, pink and gold dining-room. "Beats our refectory at the
Prep, doesn't it, Tommy old boy?"
Hughes made a careful inventory of the delicate china and sparkling
silver before he delivered himself.
"I haven't had a sample of the food yet," he said, gravely, "but if it
comes up to the equipment, I'll be perfectly satisfied."
Patricia and Elinor, who, with Judith, had put on their best for the
little spree, were in the highest spirits and were delighted with
everything, remembering many of the chief features of the room and
pointing them out to each other until David protested.
"I say, you needn't rub it in that Tom and I are greenhorns," he said,
grinning. "Don't forget that once you were quite as unaccustomed to
all this magnificence as we are now."
"Listen to him!" exclaimed Patricia, gayly. "He's been abroad for
_months_ in all sorts of grandeur, and he pretends----"
She broke off suddenly at the swift remembrance of that futile search
for health that had led the gentle Mrs. Carson to her grave in far-away
Florence. She caught his hand under the table in a quick squeeze,
while Elinor hurried into comparisons that claimed Judith's and Tom's
close attention.
"I'm a horrid pig to forget," she whispered contritely. "Don't be
cross, Frad dear; you know how sorry I am."
David gave an answering squeeze that brought the tears to her eyes, as
he whispered in return, "That's all right, old lady. Don't you fret
about me."
He dropped her hand at the obsequious voice of the waiter at his elbow.
"Do you wish to order, sir?"
After the man had gone, Patricia, who had flushed, suddenly giggled.
"Did you see him looking at us, Frad?" she asked, in an undertone. "He
thought he'd caught us holding hands, like regular grown-up spoons!"
"Stuff and nonsense!" growled David, hotly. "He'd know better than
that."
Nevertheless, in spite of his protest, David took great care to behave
with the utmost frigidity to Patricia whenever the smiling waiter made
his appearance, and instead lavished his care on Judith, who took on
airs of importance that were delightful to behold.
"We caught our first view of Bruce Haydon here--remember, Norn?" said
Patricia, happily consuming her entrée. "Wouldn't it be fun if we'd
run across someone else this time?"
"I don't think so," said David resolutely. "We haven't such a lot of
time to be together that we need anyone else butting in. I'm satisfied
as we are."
"You must have had a thought wave, Miss Patricia," said Tom Hughes.
"The unexpected friend is here all right."
The girls swept a puzzled glance around the room, but could discern no
familiar face among the gay groups at the many little tables. David,
however, gave an exclamation, and half rose in his chair.
"Sure enough, Tommy. It's Hilton to the very life. Don't you see him,
Pat, coming in with that head waiter? Do you mind if we ask him to
join us, Elinor? He's coming right this way. He's English Lit., and a
dandy fellow, if he is a teacher."
Elinor gave a hasty assent, but Patricia was ardent.
"Oh, do ask him, David," she urged, taking in the attractive athletic
figure with its wholesome self-reliant air. "He looks awfully nice."
"He's all of that. He's the youngest professor in the school and no
end a good fellow," supplemented Tom Hughes, heartily.
David half rose again, and signaled to attract the other's attention,
and when Mr. Hilton saw who was hailing him, a pleased smile ran over
his face and he strode forward with outstretched hand.
"Well, this is luck!" he began, but paused, seeing the girls. "I'm in
for a bit of lunch before the matinee, and I can only say 'howdy.'
Going to take in the miracle play at the Globe,--finest thing in town,
they say. See you later, perhaps," and he bowed to them all, vaguely
including the three girls in his kindly glance.
"Not much you won't!" cried David. "You're going to have lunch with
us--we've only just begun. I want you to meet my sisters. That is, if
you haven't any other engagement," and here he snickered, for there was
a rumor current in the Prep that Hilton was secretly devoted to some
unknown charmer.
The insinuation fell harmless, as far as the young professor was
concerned.
"I shall be delighted, if you'll be so good as to let me," he said
gratefully, with his sincere gaze on the festive group about the dainty
table. "I've heard of your good luck in finding your family, and am
very glad to meet them."
A chair was brought and another luncheon ordered, and soon they were
chattering as gayly as though they had all known each other for ages.
Elinor inquired for Mr. Lindley, who by chance had been Mr. Hilton's
room-mate at college, and heard that he was in France on his belated
honeymoon.
"He expected to be married last fall, but there was a hitch in getting
out his book," said Mr. Hilton, as he finished his salad. "So he
couldn't get away till last month."
"We had a great interest in that book," said Elinor smiling, "for he
was compiling it when he boarded with us last summer. I'm glad to hear
it is out at last. We'll have to get a copy of it, for old times'
sake."
Tom Hughes, who had been surreptitiously glancing at his watch beneath
the table cover, spoke reluctantly.
"If you people don't want to miss the first act, we'll have to be
toddling," he said. "It's about five minutes after two."
"Where are you going, Kendall?" asked Mr. Hilton as they pushed back
their chairs, and stood waiting for the last button on Judith's glove
to come to terms. "If you haven't settled on anything special, I'd
like to have you all see the new play with me. It's said to be the
finest thing in America, and I'm sure your sisters would enjoy it."
David acquiesced, as far as the play was concerned. "But you are not
going to take us," he said firmly. "This is my spree and I can't let
any other fellow butt in. We'll get seats together, and have a bully
time, if you're willing to go with us. Come, Judy, we'll hustle on
ahead and secure the seats, while these elderly folks stroll after us
at their leisure."
Patricia found Tom Hughes a very agreeable companion on the walk to the
theater, and they discussed tennis and swimming with an ardor that was
most exhilarating, while Elinor and Mr. Hilton kept up as best they
could among the holiday crowds to the brisk pace that they maintained
in the lead.
The play was all that had been promised and they sat through its
mystic-scenes with rapt attention, comparing notes enthusiastically in
the intervals when the curtain was down, and when it was over they came
out into the daylight with that peculiar sensation of unreality in the
daylight world that follows an enthralling matinee.
"Don't the people seem funny-looking?" said Judith, blinking at the
gayly dressed crush at the theater entrance. "They all seem like
actors in a play, with the twinkly electric lights and the streaky
yellow sunset behind those big buildings."
They paused a moment on the corner for a look at the twilit streets
with their white pulsing points of electric lamps flickering above the
hurrying crowds, while behind the sky line, with its towers and
minarets and huge squares of office buildings, the clear topaz of the
winter sunset surged upward in the dimming turquoise sky.
"There's a picture for you, Elinor," said David, pointing to the
beautiful serrated mass of the great buildings looming misty-blue
against the gold. "Can't you remember that, and put it on canvas when
you get home?"
Elinor made no reply. Her eyes were fixed on the lovely fading
panorama of life that was shifting before them. The twilight, the
sunset, and the haunting magic of the miracle play still lingering with
them, touched them all into sudden seriousness, and they stood silent
and intent, forgetful of the whirl of pleasure and traffic that swept
about them.
"See how the sunset catches on the big cross on the tower!" said
Patricia softly. "It's the only thing up there in the sky that answers
the sun's signaling."
"'Light answering to light,'" quoted Mr. Hilton, and Patricia flashed
an eager glance of appreciation at his earnest face.
After the young men had waved their last farewells from the car windows
and the train had puffed its way out of the great arching dome,
Patricia spoke her mind with her usual frankness.
"Tom Hughes is an awfully nice boy," she said, slipping a hand into
Judith's and Elinor's arm, as they paced the platform, waiting for Miss
Jinny's train. "But for pure, sheer adorableness, give me Mr. Hilton,
every time. Don't you think he's a perfect duck, Elinor?"
Elinor laughed easily. "He seems to be very pleasant and he certainly
is popular with the boys," she admitted, "but I must say I like Tommy
Hughes immensely."
"Which have you selected for your future partner, Judy?" teased
Patricia, turning to her little sister. "I saw your speculative eye
upon them, and I knew you were weighing them well. Which is it to
be--Tommy or the Prof?"
"I'm getting too old to be treated like such a baby, Miss Pat," said
Judith with great dignity. "I wish you wouldn't be so silly! How
could I marry an old person like Mr. Hilton, anyway?"
"Then it's Tom," cried Patricia delightedly. "I wonder if he'll mind
being tagged. Shall you tell him his fate soon, Ju, or let him
gradually waken to it?"
Judith merely pursed her lips and tossed her head. "Don't you think
the train must be late?" she said to Elinor. "I do hope you can stay
till Miss Jinny gets here."
"I have to leave in just five minutes," said Elinor, glancing at the
big illuminated clock face. "I can't be late for criticism in the
night life, you know."
They paced for a minute or two in silence, and then Patricia gave a
little sigh.
"Haven't we had a gorgeous time?" she said, thoughtfully. "I didn't
realize that we could enjoy ourselves so much for such a long time.
It's been a whole month now, and getting nicer every day. We've been
always so pinched that it seems almost wicked to be so careless about
spending money, doesn't it, Norn?"
"I don't feel that way," said Elinor gratefully. "I'm thankful every
minute of the day for the happiness we have, and I feel that it has
come to us from the same Lord that made the world full of beauty and
joy."
Patricia gave her arm a quick squeeze. "If we weren't on a public
platform, I'd kiss you for that, Elinor Kendall," she said, ardently.
"You make things so comfortable for me."
"We don't waste anything, anyway, and we do all we can to be nice to
other people," said Judith, seriously. "And that ought to count,
oughtn't it?"
"Like a charm to keep off ghosts," laughed Patricia. "Perhaps we ought
to cross our fingers, Ju, when we remember to. That might help, too."
But Judith was not attending. Her eyes were fixed on the far side of
the great station.
"Why, there she is!" she cried in surprise. "She must have come in on
the wrong track! She's looking all around for us. Do hurry, Elinor!
I'll run on ahead and tell her you're coming."