OLD CHINA
A few doors away from the country store in front of which the automobile
stood, the girls saw a quaint old house, with a few toys and candies
displayed for sale in a front window.
"Isn't it funny?" said Elise, looking in at the unattractive collection.
"See that old-fashioned doll, and just look at that funny jumping-jack!"
"Yes," said Patty, whose quick eye had caught sight of something more
interesting, "but just look at that plate of peppermint candies. The
plate, I mean. Why, Elise, it's a Millennium plate!"
"What's that?" said Elise, looking blank.
"A Millennium plate? Why, Elise, it's about the most valuable bit of old
china there is in this country! Why, Nan would go raving crazy over that.
I'd rather take it home to her than any present I could buy in the city
shop. Elise, do you suppose whoever keeps this little store would sell
that plate?"
"No harm in trying," said Elise, "there's plenty of time, for it will
take Roger half an hour to fix that belt. Let's go in and ask her."
"No, no," said Patty, "that isn't the way. Wait a minute. I've been china
hunting before, with Nan, and with other people, and you mustn't go about
it like that. We must go in as if we were going to buy some of her other
goods, and then we'll work around to the plate by degrees. You buy
something else, Elise, and leave the plate part to me."
"Very well, I think I'll buy that rag doll, though I'm sure I don't know
what I'll ever do with it. No self-respecting child would accept it as a
gift."
"Well, buy something," said Patty, as they went in.
The opening of the door caused a big bell to jingle, and this apparently
called an old woman in from the back room. She was not very tidy, but she
was a good-natured body, and smiled pleasantly at the two girls.
"What is it, young ladies?" she asked, "can I sell you anything to-day?"
"Yes," said Elise, gravely, "I was passing your window, and I noticed a
doll there,--that one with the blue gingham dress. How much is it,
please?"
"That one," said the old lady, "is fifty cents. Seems sorter high, I
know, but that 'ere doll was made by a blind girl, that lives a piece up
the road; and though the sewin' ain't very good, it's a nine-days' wonder
that she can do it at all. And them dolls is her only support, and land
knows she don't sell hardly any!"
"I'll give you a dollar for it," said Elise, impulsively, for her
generous heart was touched. "Have you any more of them?"
"No," said the woman, in some amazement. "Malviny, she don't make many,
'cause they don't sell very rapid. But be you goin' her way? She might
have one to home, purty nigh finished."
"I don't know," said Elise, "where does she live?"
"Straight along, on the main road. You can't miss it, an old yaller
house, with the back burnt off."
It was Patty's turn now, and she said she would buy the peppermint
candies that were in the window.
"All of 'em?" asked the storekeeper, in surprise.
"Yes," said Patty, "all of them," and as the old woman lifted the plate
in from the window, Patty added, "And if you care to part with it, I'll
buy the plate too."
"Land, Miss, that 'ere old plate ain't no good; it's got a crack in it,
but if so be's you admire that pattern, I've got another in the
keeping-room that's just like it, only 'tain't cracked. 'Tain't even
chipped."
"Would you care to part with them both?" asked Patty, remembering that
this phrase was the preferred formula of all china hunters.
"Laws, yes, Miss, if you care to pay for 'em. Of course, I can't sell 'em
for nothin', for there's sometimes ladies as comes here, as has a fancy
to them old things. But these two plates is so humbly, that I didn't have
the face to show 'em to anybody as was lookin' for anteeks."
Patty's sense of honesty would not allow her to ignore the old woman's
mistake.
"They may seem homely to you," she said, "but I think it only right to
tell you that these plates are probably the most valuable of any you have
ever owned."
"Well, for the land o' goodness, ef you ain't honest! 'Tain't many as
would speak up like that! Jest come in the back room, and look at the
other plate."
The girls followed the old woman as she raised a calico curtain of a
flowered pattern, and let them through into the "keeping-room."
"There," she said with some pride as she took down a plate from the high
mantel. "There, you can see for yourself, there ain't no chip or crack
into it."
Sure enough, Patty held in her hand a perfect specimen of the Millennium
plate, so highly prized by collectors, and there was also the one she had
seen in the window, which though slightly cracked, was still in fair
condition.
"How much do you want for them?" asked Patty.
The old woman hesitated. It was not difficult to see that, although she
wanted to get as high a price as possible for her plates, yet she did not
want to ask so much that Patty would refuse to take them.
"You tell me," she said, insinuatingly, "'bout what you think them plates
is worth."
"No," said Patty, firmly, "I never buy things that way. You tell me your
price, and then I will buy them or not as I choose."
"Well," said the old woman, slowly, "the last lady that I sold plates to,
she give me fifty cents apiece for three of 'em, and though I think they
was purtier than these here, yet you tell me these is more vallyble, and
so," here the old woman made a great show of firmness, "and so my price
for these plates is a dollar apiece."
As soon as she had said it, she looked at Patty in alarm, greatly fearing
that she would not pay so much.
But Patty replied, "I will give you five dollars for the two,--because I
know that is nearer their value than the price you set."
"Bless your good heart, and your purty face, Miss," said the old woman,
as the tears came into her eyes. "I'm that obliged to you! I'll send the
money straight to my son John. He's in the hospital, poor chap, and he
needs it sore."
Elise had rarely been brought in contact with poverty and want, and her
generous heart was touched at once. She emptied her little purse out upon
the table, and was rejoiced to discover that it contained something over
ten dollars.
"Please accept that," she cried, "to buy things for your son, or for
yourself, as you choose."
[Illustration: "'There, you can see for yourself, there ain't no chip or
crack into it'"]
The old woman was quite overcome at this kindness, and was endeavouring
brokenly to express her thanks, when the bell on the shop door jangled
loudly.
Patty being nearest to the calico curtain drew it aside, to find Roger in
the little shop, looking very breathless and worried.
"Well, of all things," he exclaimed. "You girls have given us a scare.
We've hunted high and low through the whole of this metropolis. And if it
hadn't been that a little girl said she saw you come in here, I suppose
we'd now be dragging the brook. Come along, quick, we're all ready to
start."
"How could you get that belt mended so quickly?" asked Elise.
"Never mind that," said Roger, "just come along."
"Wait a minute," said Patty, hastily gathering up her precious plates,
while the old woman provided some newspaper wrapping.
Roger hurried the two girls back to the motor-car, saying as they went,
"We're not in any hurry to start, but Mother thinks you're drowned, and I
want to prove to her that she is mistaken."
The sight of the car caused Patty to go off into peals of laughter.
In front of the beautiful machine was an old farm wagon, and in front of
that were four horses. On the seat of the wagon sat a nonchalant-looking
farmer who seemed to take little interest in the proceedings.
"I wouldn't ask what's the matter for anything," said Patty, looking at
Roger, demurely, "but I suppose I am safe in assuming that you have those
horses there merely because you think they look well."
"That's it," said Roger. "Nothing adds to the good effect of a motor-car
like having a few fine horses attached to it. Jump in, girls."
The girls jumped in, and the caravan started. It was at a decidedly
different rate of speed from the way they had travelled before. But Patty
soon learned that Roger had found it impossible to fix the belt without
going to a repair shop, and there was none nearer than Hartford. With
some difficulty, and at considerable expense, he had persuaded the gruff
old farmer to tow them over the intervening ten miles.
Patty would have supposed that this would greatly humiliate the proud and
sensitive boy, but, to her surprise, Roger treated the affair as a good
joke. He leaned back in his seat, apparently pleased with his enforced
idleness, and chatted merrily as they slowly crawled along. Occasionally
he would plead with the old farmer to urge his horses a trifle faster,
and even hint at certain rewards if they should reach Hartford in a given
time. But the grumpy old man was proof against coaxing or even bribing,
and they jogged along, almost at a snail's pace.
Perceiving that there was no way of improving the situation, Roger gave
up trying, and turning partly around in his seat, proceeded to entertain
the girls to the best of his ability.
Patty hadn't known before what a jolly, good-natured boy Elise's brother
was, and she came to the conclusion that he had a good sense of
proportion, to be able to take things so easily, and to keep his temper
under such trying circumstances.
Only once did the surly old farmer address himself to his employers.
Turning around to face the occupants of the motor-car he bawled out:
"Whar do ye wanter go in Hartford?"
"To the largest repair shop for automobiles," answered Roger.
"Thought ye wanted ter go ter the State Insane Asylum," was the response
to this, and a suppressed chuckle could be heard, as the old man again
turned his attention to his not over-speedy steeds.
Though not a very subtle jest, this greatly amused the motor party, and
soon they entered the outskirts of the beautiful city of Hartford.
Mr. Farrington looked at his watch. "I suppose," he said, "it will take
the best part of an hour to have the machine attended to, for there are
two or three little matters which I want to have put in order, besides
the belt. I will stay and look after it, and the rest of you can take
your choice of two proceedings. One is, to go to a hotel, rest and
freshen yourselves up a bit, and have some luncheon. The other is, to
take a carriage and drive around the city. Hartford is a beautiful place,
and if Patty has never seen it, I am sure she will enjoy it."
"It doesn't matter to me," said Mrs. Farrington, "which we do; but I'm
quite sure I don't care to eat anything more just at present. We had our
picnic not so very long ago, you know."
"I know," said Mr. Farrington, "but consider this. When we start from
here with the car in good order, I hope to run straight through to
Warner's. But at best we cannot reach there before ten o'clock to-night.
So it's really advisable that you should fortify yourselves against the
long ride, for I should hate to delay matters further by stopping again
for dinner."
"Ten o'clock!" exclaimed Mrs. Farrington, "why, they expect us by seven,
at latest. It is too bad to keep them waiting like that. Can't we
telephone to them?"
"Yes," said Mr. Farrington, "and I will attend to that while I am waiting
for the car to be fixed. Now what would you people rather do?"
Both the girls declared they could not eat another luncheon at present,
and they thought it would be delightful to drive around and see the town.
So Mrs. Farrington settled the matter by deciding to take the drive. And
then she said, "We can leave the luncheon-kit at some hotel to be filled,
then we can pick it up again, and take it along with us, and when we get
hungry we can eat a light supper in the car."
"Great head, Mother!" cried Roger, "you are truly a genius!"
An open landau was engaged, and Roger and the three ladies started for
the drive. They spent a delightful hour viewing the points of interest in
the city, which the obliging driver pointed out to them.
They smiled when they came to the Insane Asylum, and though the grounds
looked attractive, they concluded not to go there to stay, even though
their old farmer friend had seemed to think it an appropriate place for
them.
"It's a strange thing," said Roger, "that people who do not ride in
automobiles always think that people who do are crazy. I'm sure I don't
know why."
"I wouldn't blame anybody for thinking Mr. Phelps crazy, if they had seen
him this morning," said Patty.
"That's only because you're not accustomed to seeing men in racing
costume," said Roger. "After you've seen a few more rigs like that, you
won't think anything of them."
"That's so," said Patty thoughtfully, "and if I had never before seen a
farmer in the queer overalls, and big straw hat, that our old country
gentleman wore, I daresay I should have thought his appearance quite as
crazy as that of Mr. Phelps."
"You have a logical mind, Patty," said Mrs. Farrington, "and on the whole
I think you are right."