CHAPTER V
AT RED CHIMNEYS
When Patty entered the dining-room, she found the rest already atbreakfast.
"'Scuse me for being late," she said, as she took her place, "but I wasup late last night."
She smiled gaily at Philip, whose somewhat frowning face relaxed intoan answering smile.
"Never mind that, Patty," said Mona, "listen to what we're planning.Philip thinks it would be a good idea to buy Red Chimneys for theKiddies' Home, and we're going to motor over to Spring Beach today tolook at it."
"Fine! but why go to look at it? We all know exactly what it lookslike----"
"Yes, Patty," said Philip, "but there are several matters to see about.I know the house, generally speaking, but I want to look it over withthe idea of a Home in mind. Count up the rooms, get measurements andso forth, to present in my report to the Board of Managers."
"All right, I'd like to go. I think it would be fun. Lunch at thehotel, I suppose."
"Yes, or take something with us and picnic at the house."
"Oh, that's lots nicer, don't you think so, Elise?"
"Well, you see, Patty, it doesn't matter to me which you do, as I'm notgoing. I'm sorry, but I've some engagements today that I must keep,so, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask to be left at home."
"All right, then it's up to us. What say, Mona? Picnic sandwiches?"
"Yes, and some Thermos stuff,--soup and chocolate. That will give usmore time to look over the house. There are some things I want to seeabout, if it's to leave my possession forever."
"Why don't you keep it, Mona? Why wouldn't you and Roger like it for asummer home?"
"We talked it over, and I'm rather tired of the place. And Rogerprefers going to different places each year. Father told me I couldhave the house, and do what I liked with it, sell it or keep it. Butif they want it for this Home arrangement, I think I'll be rather gladto let it go."
The quartet started off in high spirits at the prospect of a jolly day.The big limousine was most comfortable and well equipped. An ampleluncheon was stowed away in hampers, and a skilful and carefulchauffeur drove them at a speedy gait. It was a glorious, clear, cold,sunshiny day, and the open windows gave them plenty of fresh air.
Patty, enveloped in furs, nestled in one corner of the wide back seat,and Mona was in the other. The two men faced them. Not a word hadpassed between Patty and Philip about the night before, and Pattywondered if he intended to let the matter go by without furtherreference.
"You see it's this way," Philip began, addressing Patty; "I haven'treally had an opportunity of telling you about it yet. We don't wantto do anything much in the matter of the Home before Spring. But asMona's house is in the market, and as it seems like an ideal place tohave for the children, I thought we'd better look into it, and, ifadvisable, buy it and then wait a few months before doing anythingfurther."
"I think so, too, Phil," Patty agreed. "I counted up the rooms and itwill easily accommodate twenty or twenty-five kiddies, and that's asmany as we can take care of, isn't it?"
"I think so; for the present, anyway. And you know, Patty, all youhave to do is to approve or disapprove of the purchase, and what yousay, goes."
"What an important personage you are, Patty," said Roger. "Yourlightest word is law."
"It won't be a light word," and Patty looked serious. "I shallconsider the matter carefully, and with all the wisdom and forethoughtI can find in my brain. This matter was left to me as a trust, and I'mnot taking it lightly, I can tell you. This purchase of a house is apermanent move, not a trifling, temporary question. And unless theplace is the very right place,--righter than any other place,--why, wedon't want it, that's all."
"Bravo, Patty!" and Philip looked at her, admiringly. "You've got alot of good sense and judgment under that fur headpiece of yours."
"Fur headpiece!" cried Patty; "my new chinchilla toque! This is mydearest possession, if you please."
"It looks dear," observed Roger. "I believe that chinchilla animal isquite expensive."
"It is indeed," declared Mona, "my travelling suit is trimmed with it."
"Travelling suit?" asked Patty, innocently, "are you going away?"
"She says so," Roger answered for her. "She says she's going to----"
"Hush!" cried Mona, "isn't that just like a man! Why, you mustn't tellwhere you're going on your wedding trip! It isn't done."
"No, of course not," chimed in Patty; "but, all the same, after youreach Palm Beach, let us know, won't you?"
"I will," declared Roger, "but, do you know, it seems as if the timewould never come!"
"Nice boy," said Mona, approvingly; "doesn't he make pretty speeches,Patty?"
"Lovely. You'll have a beautiful time on your trip. I 'most wish Iwas going with you?"
"Come on, Patty," said Philip, "let's make it a double affair. Howabout it?"
"No, thank you. I haven't any suit trimmed with chinchilla."
"You've a whole chinchilla coat on now," said Mona. "You could wearthat."
"What! get married in old clothes! No-sir-ee! The best part of awedding is the trousseau. That's the only thing that would everpersuade _me_ to take the fatal step."
"It is fun," agreed Mona. "Oh, Patty, my green velvet came homeyesterday! It's simply wonderful! The tunic, you know----"
"Help! help!" cried Roger. "You girls have got us penned in here wherewe can't get away, but if you're going to talk about bias ruffling andside gores, I shall jump out the window! I warn you."
"You can't stop 'em, old man," said Van Reypen, gravely, "they've gotto go through with that green velvet, now they've begun on it.Proceed, Mona. The tunic was trimmed with peplum, wasn't it? and thebodice was cut _en train_----"
"You don't deserve to know," Mona told him, "and as for Roger, he'llsee enough of that green velvet, poor man! It's so beautiful, I expectto wear it on every possible occasion."
"All right, dear," said Roger, rolling his eyes in mock devotion."Whatever you say, goes, my queen, my--y que--ee--n!"
"Even if I wear a rig like Alla Blaney wore last night?" asked Mona,laughing.
"Well, I must draw the line somewhere, and I should say that was thevery place! If you elect to appear in a scarecrow costume of thattype, I shall send you back to your father."
"No danger," and Mona shook her head. "Why do people want to makethemselves such frights?"
"Their dress interprets their souls," said Van Reypen, sarcastically,"and their souls are frights."
"Nothing of the sort, Phil," flared out Patty; "I'd like you toremember those people are my friends."
"Well, my dear, if you choose to have friends with souls like frights,it is, of course, your privilege; but you must allow me to express myopinion of them."
"And so you may,--but not to me."
"Very well; consider I was talking to Mona,--which I really was."
"Then continue to talk to her, for I don't want to talk to you."
"All right, pretty Patty,--pretty little sunny-faced Patty,--all right."
Philip's voice was teasing and his smile was irritating, and Patty wasangry at him anyway, yet she couldn't help laughing at his speech, forshe looked as cross as a thunder cloud, and she knew it. That is, asnear to the crossness of a thunder cloud as Patty Fairfield couldmanage. Her cheeks were reddened by the cold wind and her blue eyesalways looked bluer in a frosty atmosphere. And now, as anuncontrollable smile parted her scarlet lips, and her white teethgleamed, and her dimples came into view, Patty justified Philip's termof "pretty Patty," but she quickly concealed her smile by sinking herchin deep into the great fur collar of her coat.
"Wasn't it a crazy party?" Mona went on, not realising she was on adangerous subject. "They all took themselves so seriously."
"Why shouldn't they?" said Patty, coming up out of her fur cave; "itmight be better if we all took ourselves more seriously,--such a lot oftriflers and sillyheads as we are!"
"And
such a lot of piffle-peddlers and hard-boiled eggs as they are!"said Philip, fairly snorting in disgust.
"Oh, very well!" and Patty sank again into the chinchilla cavern.
Roger touched Mona's foot with his own, and gave her an urgent,significant glance, as he said, with a determination to change thesubject, "We'll just about get to Red Chimneys in time for luncheon.Shall we have our picnic before we explore the house? I'm as hungry asthree bears and a hunter."
"So'm I," agreed Van Reypen, taking the cue. "What's in the hampers?Unless something pretty substantial, I vote we go to a hotel to feast."
"No," said Mona, "that wouldn't be half as much fun. It's thepicnicking that's so jolly. If you agree, Patty," she added, for ifPatty had any intention of sulking, there would be little fun in apicnic.
But Patty Fairfield was no spoilsport. She was annoyed at Philip, butthat was no reason for her to make the others uncomfortable, and sheresponded gaily, "Oh, yes, the picnic is lots more fun. But will thehouse be warm enough?"
"Yes," Mona answered, "we telephoned down last night for Mr. Bates, thecaretaker, to make some fires, and we can pile logs in the big hallfireplace till we roast alive. We can have the feast in the hall, ifthe dining-room is chilly."
But they found the whole house fairly warm and distinctly cheery andhomey-looking. Bates had aired and dusted it, and had built fires andaltogether the beautiful rooms looked so attractive, that Mona declaredshe was half inclined not to give it up, after all.
"We could rent it some years, Roger," she said, "and live in it someyears, if we wanted to."
"Just as you say, Mona," he replied; "it's your house. Wait untilspring to decide, if you prefer."
"All right," said Van Reypen, "but I fear we must decide on the housewe buy before that. For we want to get the place we're to have inorder as soon as Spring pokes her nose in."
"We'll have luncheon first," Mona decided, "and then discuss thematter."
The men opened the hampers, and the girls set the table in the greathall, near the roaring wood fire that filled the enormous fireplace.Salads and sandwiches, carefully packed, were in faultless condition,and the numerous Thermos bottles held hot soup, coffee, and chocolate.A small freezer of ice cream appeared from somewhere, and a box ofconfectionery contented the girls while the men smoked after the repast.
"It's this way," said Roger, at last, when they had talked over thewhole thing thoroughly, "Mona and I are considering our future,--yes,even our old age! And, so, there are some points that we want todiscuss alone. Therefore, and wherefore, my friends,--my future wifeand I will, if you please, go apart by ourselves for a bit ofconfidential chat."
"Good gracious, Roger," said Patty, "anybody would think you two weremarried already!"
"Same as," Roger retorted; "especially in matters of real estate, andfuture dwelling-houses and such things. But, really, what I'm going todo, is, to try to persuade, cajole, or coerce Mona into selling theplace; for I know she doesn't really want it, only today, in theglamour of this firelight glow, it seems attractive to her. So, I mustneeds convince her of my superior judgment."
The two went off, laughing, and Philip sat down again beside Patty.
"How happy they are together," he said, musingly.
"Yes; I'm thoroughly glad for them. I never saw a pair better suitedto one another. Roger adores the ground Mona walks on, yet he knowsjust how to manage her----"
"Do you think a man ought to 'manage' the woman he loves?"
"If necessary, yes. At least he should know how to."
"And do you think I know how to manage you?"
"I don't want to be managed,--I can manage myself," Patty smiled,roguishly. "But since you ask me, Phil, no, I don't think you do knowhow to manage me,--not the least little mite!"
"Teach me then, dear. I'll do just what you say."
"All right. First, you must not scold me if I like people whom youdon't like."
"Oh, hang! I had forgotten all about those bumptious lumps! Whyremind me?"
"Because it's a case in point. If you care for me, you must care forthe things or people that I care for."
"But, Patty,--since you've brought up the subject, let's have it out.You _can't_ like those humbugs,--those fake brainsters,--those sap-headpharisees----"
"Phil, suppose you stop calling them names, which mean nothing, andtell me just what it is you have against them."
"There's everything against them, Patty, and nothing for them. Theypretend to wisdom, knowledge, and genius that they don't possess. Theyfake up a lot of patter talk and pass it off for philosophy, orpsychology, or lord knows what! And there isn't an ounce of brains inthe whole fool bunch of them! That's what makes me mad! They fool youinto believing their drivel is wisdom, and it isn't!"
"How do you know? You haven't such a lot of that sort of knowledgeyourself."
"What sort of knowledge?"
"Soul lore----"
"Patty! Don't you ever use the word _soul_ in the silly way they do!You have a soul, of course,--an immortal soul. But they don't meanthat. By soul, they mean a puffball of hifalutin ideas, of nonsenseabout the occult and psychic, and all that balderdash. Oh, Patty, mylittle girl, _don't_ let those idiot people carry away your commonsense and your plain everyday sanity! Don't, I beg of you!"
"Look here, Phil," and Patty stared at him, thoughtfully; "I'm to giveyou an answer to a certain question in about a fortnight, I believe."
"You are, my Blessed Darling! To be exact, on the fifteenth ofDecember, this present month, you are to admit,--blushingly, if youlike, but unequivocally,--that I'm the one man in the world for you."
"Don't be too sure. Do you suppose I _can_ love a man who differs soin opinion on this matter of--of psychology----"
"Yes, you blessed goose! You sure can! For, you see, thispoppycock,--I beg your pardon,--this poppychology is but a flash in thepan, a rift in the lute, a fly in the ointment. Ahem, I'm gettingpoetical now! Well, in a short space of period, you will haveforgotten all this rubbish,--er,--soul-rubbish, you know,--and you'llbe thinking only of how glad you are that you love me and I loveyou,--just as Mona and Roger are, in these blissful days before theirmarriage. Oh, Patty, you are going to marry me, aren't you, dear? Ican't stand it, if you say no."
Patty looked at him, and a troubled expression filled her blue eyes.
"I don't know, Philip. Honestly, I don't know. But it seems to me ifI am going to love you such a lot two weeks from now, I ought to caremore than I do now."
"Oh, that's all right, darling. It'll come all at once. Why, someday, you'll suddenly discover you love me with every bit and corner ofyour dear little blessed heart, and you'll wonder that you only justrealised it."
"I don't know, Philip. I hope it _will_ be like that--but I don'tknow."
"Don't worry about it, dear, it will be all right," and Van Reypensmiled into the anxious eyes upraised to his.