MONA INTERFERES
Patty found Kenneth in the doorway, awaiting her.
“Here you are,” he called out, cheerily enough, and Patty hoped it was
only her imagination that made her think his manner a little
constrained. He was gentle and kindly as ever, but he was not in merry
mood, and Patty felt this at once.
They began to dance. Their steps suited perfectly, and, though Patty
herself was such an accomplished dancer that she could adapt her step to
any one, yet she always specially enjoyed a turn with Kenneth. But now
he seemed different, and, though he danced as perfectly as usual, and so
did Patty, there was a certain constraint in his manner and he spoke
only occasionally, and then the merest commonplaces. Patty realised
fully that there was something wrong, but she also knew she could do
nothing then and there to set it right. She couldn’t ask Kenneth what
Elise had said to him, and she couldn’t think of any other way to open
the subject.
So, after a few turns round the room, she was really glad that another
partner claimed her, for this was one of the dances that she had
divided.
Kenneth left her, with a simple “Thank you, Patty,” and, turning on his
heel, went out of the dancing-room. In the hall he met Mona, who said,
abruptly and impulsively: “Oh, Mr. Harper! I haven’t any partner for
this dance. Come for a walk round the lawn, won’t you?”
“Wouldn’t you rather dance?” asked Kenneth, who was in no mood for
conversation.
“No,” said Mona, smiling wilfully, “I want to walk out under the
lanterns on the lawn. They’re so lovely and Japanesy.”
Mona had a wheedling way with her, and Kenneth smiled a little as he
escorted her down the steps and along a side path through the grounds.
“You think I’m a queer girl, don’t you, Mr. Harper?” she began, as they
strolled along under the trees.
“If I did, you couldn’t expect me to tell you so, Miss Galbraith,” he
parried.
“Well, even if you haven’t thought so before, you will now;” and Mona
gave a determined shake of her head. “But I don’t care if you do. I want
you to answer me a question. What did Miss Farrington tell you that
Patty Fairfield had said, and you returned that you didn’t believe Patty
said it?”
Now Kenneth was an exceedingly well-mannered young man, but he was
certainly taken aback by this question flung at him so suddenly by a
comparative stranger, and he was tempted to reply so plainly that she
must think him rude. But, after a moment’s hesitation, he modified his
intentions, and only said:
“I’m sorry to have you think _me_ queer, Miss Galbraith, but, even at
that risk, I must decline to answer such a very personal question. And,
too——”
“And, too,” repeated Mona, stopping and turning to look squarely at him,
“you were going to say, that I’m an eavesdropper, and, except for your
inability to be so rude, you would tell me so.”
Kenneth was amazed at the girl’s intuition, but he said honestly, “You
are very nearly right, Miss Galbraith.”
“Very nearly right? I’m exactly right, and you know it! Now let me tell
you, Mr. Kenneth Harper, I don’t care one snip-jack for your opinion of
me, and you may think just exactly what you choose! But I have another’s
interest at heart, and I’m perfectly justified in asking you the
question I did ask. Please tell me.”
At the last words Mona’s voice sank to a pleading whisper, and there was
such heartfelt urgency in her voice that he was moved against his will.
“Why do you want to know, Miss Galbraith?” he asked, more gently.
They were walking on again now, and Mona looked straight before her as
she replied: “I cannot tell you that, but I beg of you to tell me what I
ask. Was it anything about me?” Mona had no idea that it was, and this
was a purely strategic enquiry.
“No, it was not about you,—and now I hope you’re satisfied.”
“No, I’m not satisfied. Was it about you?”
“Yes, it was.”
“And was it something mean Patty had said about you?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Mr. Harper, you are not a true friend. You know Patty Fairfield
couldn’t say a mean thing to save her life! And especially about you,
one of her best friends!”
“Oh, I don’t think I’m that,” said Kenneth, in a cynical tone.
“You are, too! Now, are you sure Patty said this thing?”
“Elise said so,” muttered Kenneth, who had forgotten he was talking to a
stranger, because Mona had assumed such compelling intimacy.
“And are you sure it was mean?”
“Well, rather! You can judge for yourself!” Kenneth’s indignation got
the better of his self-restraint, and he told Mona frankly the truth.
“Once, when Patty went away, I gave her a little locket as a parting
gift, and she thanked me and said she liked it. Now, Elise tells me that
Patty told her she didn’t care a snap about that locket, and she only
wore it once or twice.”
“And you told Miss Farrington that you didn’t believe Patty said that?”
“Yes; but Elise insisted that she did say it, and somehow I believe
Elise. Her words had the ring of truth.”
“Thank you, Mr. Harper, for your confidence;” Mona spoke very earnestly.
“Believe me, you have done no harm in telling me this. You think it is
none of my business, but it is. You think me a queer girl, and I am. But
let me tell you one thing, Patty Fairfield is a true, sweet, loyal
nature, sound to the core; and Elise Farrington is not above a trifling
deception, now and then, if she wishes to gain a point. Please take me
back to the house.”
They walked the short distance in silence, Kenneth secretly thinking
that Miss Galbraith was certainly queer; and at the same time wondering
if Elise could have made up that story. But, as he had said, there was
something in the tone of Elise’s voice, as she repeated Patty’s words,
that convinced him they were true. With a sigh, he went up the steps by
Miss Galbraith’s side, and then they separated, to join other partners.
The dance went on, with its merriment and gaiety, and of course no one
would have known that either Patty or Kenneth had a troubled mind. Elise
was in specially gay spirits, and Mona seemed to be enjoying herself
thoroughly.
* * * * *
“It was a lovely party!” declared Elise, after it was over and the last
guest gone. “It was just perfect. There wasn’t a flaw! Isn’t that so,
Patty?”
“I had a good time,” said Patty, a little wearily; “but I’m awfully
tired, and I’m going right straight to bed. Good-night, everybody;
good-night, Roger,—good-night, Ken.”
She nodded pleasantly to the young men, and started up the stairs at
once. Elise and Christine followed, and, when they reached the upper
hall, Patty bade them a brief but pleasant good-night and went straight
to her own room.
“I don’t know what to do,” she thought to herself, as she took off her
pretty blue frock. “I can’t let the matter go without saying a
word,—and I can’t say anything, because that would put Elise in the
wrong, and she is my guest! I’ll just have to live it down, I suppose.”
But it wasn’t so easily lived down. The next morning, though Patty tried
to be especially cordial to Kenneth, he avoided her whenever possible.
Not noticeably to the others,—but Patty realised that he did not seek
her company, or sit by her on the veranda, or ask to ride with her in
the motor.
The morning dragged along, nobody seeming to have energy enough to
propose any sort of fun.
“Patty’s birthday seems to have been too much for this crowd,” said Nan,
laughingly. “I propose that you men all go for a swim, and let these
exhausted girlies take a little nap. I think they danced too late, and I
sha’n’t allow such dissipation again.”
“I feel fine, Mrs. Fairfield,” declared Elise. “I never get tired
dancing. Do you, Christine?”
“No, I didn’t get tired,—I thought it was a lovely party. I very seldom
have an opportunity to be in such gaieties.”
“But you’re tired, aren’t you, Patty?” asked Elise, as Patty sat on the
veranda rail, leaning listlessly against a pillar. Before she had time
to answer, however, a servant came walking along the drive, whom Patty
recognised as one of the “Red Chimneys” footmen. He brought a note,
which he handed to Patty, and then, with a deferential bow, he went
away.
Patty asked permission to read the note, glanced it over, and then
tossed it to Roger, saying, “We seem to be especially favoured!”
The note was an invitation for Patty and Roger to come over to “Red
Chimneys” at once, but no one else was asked.
“Come on, Patty,” said Roger; “the others will excuse us for a little
while, I’m sure.”
So Patty and Roger walked away by the shortcut across the two lawns, and
found Mona in the doorway awaiting them.
She smiled as she put her arm around Patty, and said, “You’re the one I
want,—I asked Mr. Farrington for a blind.”
“Well, I like that!” exclaimed Roger, looking incredulous.
“Well, I’ll tell you,” went on Mona, smiling at him; “the truth is, I
want to see Patty privately on a _very_ important matter. I didn’t want
to send for her alone, because it looked so conspicuous. But our private
conference won’t last more than ten minutes, and, if you can entertain
yourself that long, I’ll take care of you afterward. Here’s the morning
paper, and do try to be patient.”
Mona didn’t wait for Roger’s response, but, with her arm still around
Patty, led her to the library, took her in, and closed the door.
“Patty,” she began, “I’m a queer girl, and you know it,—and I know it.
You don’t like me very much, but I like you, and I’d do anything for
you.”
“Good gracious, Mona! What _are_ you getting at?”
“I’ll tell you exactly what I’m getting at,—and I’ll tell you right
now. I may be queer, but I can see a hole through a millstone when
anybody I love is concerned. Now, you know when you and Mr. Van Reypen
and I were in the little arbour last night, we overheard somebody
talking on the other side of the thick vines.”
“Really, Mona, I must beg of you not to go too far, or I may lose my
temper!”
“Oh, no, you won’t, Patty Fairfield! You just sit still and listen. Now
you know, as well as I do, we weren’t eavesdropping,—any of us,—but we
all heard what Mr. Harper said to Miss Farrington.”
“Well, what of it?” Patty’s face was pale and her lips were set hard
together. She was thoroughly angry at what she considered Mona’s
unwarrantable interference, and she felt she could stand but little
more.
“Just this of it! I asked Mr. Harper what it was that Miss Farrington
told him about you.”
“Mona Galbraith! You didn’t!”
“I certainly did; and, what’s more, he told me.”
“Kenneth told you?” said Patty, incredulously.
“Yes, he did. And this was it. But perhaps you don’t want to know what
it was.”
“Of course I do! Mona, tell me, quick!”
“Well, he said that Miss Farrington told him that you didn’t care a snap
about the locket he gave you and that you only wore it once or twice.”
“What?” exclaimed Patty. “I don’t quite understand. The locket Kenneth
gave me?”
“That’s what she said.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake! I understand now! That locket! Why, the idea!
Say, Mona, you’re a trump to find this all out!”
“You didn’t think so at first.”
“No, I didn’t; and I’m sorry! You have played the part of a real friend,
and you’ve done more for me than you realise! But, oh, Mona! how _could_
Elise do a thing like that?”
“She’s that sort, that’s all. You know as well as I do she likes Kenneth
Harper an awful lot, and she knows that he likes you better than he does
her, so she’s trying to set him against you.”
“Set Kenneth against me? She couldn’t do it! Dear old Ken, we’re too
good friends for that! But, Mona, how did you find out all this? You
scarcely know these people.”
“Oh, I sized up that Farrington girl the minute I saw her! She isn’t a
bit like her brother. He’s an all-round, good sort. And the poor chappie
is still out there reading the paper! He must be devouring the
advertisements by this time. Now, Patty, forget _my_ part in this
affair, skip over home, make it up with Mr. Harper, and do whatever you
think best with that Farrington girl.”
“I can’t do anything with her, because she’s my guest; but I can make it
up with Ken in just about two minutes! And, as for you, Mona, I don’t
know how to thank you!”
“Oh, cut it out! I’d do heaps more than that for you, if I only had the
chance! Fly now, for you must know how impatient I am to go and talk to
my new beau, Mr. Farrington.”
So, after an embrace that was hearty enough at least to indicate her
gratitude, Patty flew.