CHAPTER XX
A FAIR EXCHANGE
"We didn't have to go to Philadelphia after all," explained Bob, aftergreetings had been exchanged. "We found we could get off at New Brunswickand come back from there."
"Why didn't you find out that before telegraphing?" laughed Patty.
"Never once thought of it," said Bob, "You know the Barlows are not notedfor ingenuity."
"Well, they're noted for better things than that," said Patty, as sheaffectionately squeezed Bumble's plump arm.
"We wouldn't have thought of it at all," said honest Bob, "if it hadn'tbeen for Nan. She suggested it."
"Well, I was sent along with instructions to look after you tworattle-pated youngsters," said Nan, "and so I had to do something to liveup to my privileges; and now, Bob, you look after the luggage, will you?"
"Let me help," said Kenneth. "Where are your checks, Miss Allen?"
"Here are the checks for the trunks, and there are three suit-cases; theone that hasn't any name on is mine, and you tell it by the fact that ithas an extra handle on the end. I'm very proud of that handle; I had itput on by special order, and it's so convenient, and it is identificationbesides. I didn't want my name painted on. I think it spoils a brand-newsuit-case to have letters all over it."
"We'll find them all right; come on, Barlow," said Kenneth, and the twoyoung men started off.
They returned in a few moments with the three suit-cases, Bob bringinghis own and his sister's, while Kenneth Harper carefully carried theimmaculate leather case with the handle on the end. These were depositedin the Fairfield carriage. Patty and her guests were also tucked in, andthey started for the house, while Kenneth followed on his wheel.
"Come over to-night," Patty called back to him, as they left him behind;and though his answer was lost in the distance, she had little doubt asto its tenor.
"What a nice young fellow!" said Nan. "Who is he?"
"He's the nephew of our next-door neighbour," said Patty; "and he'sspending his vacation with his aunt."
"He's a jolly all-round chap," said Bob.
"Yes, he's just that," said Patty. "I thought you'd like him. You'll likeall the young people here. They're an awfully nice crowd."
"I'm so glad to see _you_ again," said Bumble, "I don't care whether Ilike the other young people or not. And I want to see Uncle Fred, too. Ihaven't seen him for years and years."
"Oh, he's one of the young people," said Patty, laughing; "he goes 'mosteverywhere with us. I tell him he's more of a boy than Ken."
As they drove up to the house, Bumble exclaimed with delight at thebeautiful flowers and the well-kept appearance of the whole place.
"What a lovely home!" she cried. "I don't see how you ever put up withour tumble-down old place, Patty."
"Nonsense!" said Patty. "I had the time of my life down at theHurly-Burly last summer."
"Well, we're going to have the time of our life at Boxley Hall thissummer, I feel sure of that," said Bob, as he sprang out of the carriageand then helped the others out.
"I hope you will," said Patty. "You are very welcome to Boxley Hall, andI want you just to look upon it as your home and conduct yourselvesaccordingly."
"Nan can do that," said Bumble, "but I'm afraid, if Bob and I did it,your beautiful home would soon lose its present spick-and-span effect."
"All right, let it lose," said Patty. "We'll have a good time anyhow. Andnow," she went on, as she took the guests to their rooms, "there'll bejust about an hour before dinner time but if you get ready before thatcome down. You'll probably find me on the front veranda, if I'm not inthe kitchen."
Bob was the first one to reappear, and he found Patty and her fatherchatting on the front veranda.
"How do you do, Uncle Fred?" he said. "You may know my name, but I doubtif you remember my features."
"Hello, Bob, my boy," said Mr. Fairfield, cordially grasping the handheld out to him. "As I last saw you with features of infantile vacancy, Iam glad to start fresh and make your acquaintance all over again."
"Thank you, sir," said Bob, as he seated himself on the veranda railing."I didn't know you as an infant, but I dare say you were a veryattractive one."
"I think I was," said Mr. Fairfield; "at least I remember hearing mymother say so, and surely she ought to know."
Just then Bumble came out on the porch with her hair-ribbon in her hand.
"Please tie this for me, Patty," she said. "I cannot manage it myself,and get it on quick before Uncle Fred sees me."
"But I am so glad to see you, my dear Bumble," said Mr. Fairfield, "thateven that piece of pretty blue ribbon can't make me any gladder."
Bumble smiled back at him in her winning way, and Patty tied her cousin'shair-ribbon with a decided feeling of relief that in all other respectsBumble's costume was tidy and complete.
"Where's Nan?" she inquired; "isn't she ready yet?"
"Why, it's the funniest thing," said Bumble, "I tapped at her door as Icame by, but she told me to go on and not wait for her, she would comedown in a few minutes."
Just as Pansy appeared to announce dinner, Nan did come down, and Pattystared at her in amazement. Bob whistled, and Bumble exclaimed:
"Well, for goodness gracious sakes! What are you up to now?"
For Nan, instead of wearing the pretty gown which Bumble knew she hadbrought in her suitcase, was garbed in the complete costume of a trainednurse. A white pique skirt and linen shirt-waist of immaculate andstarched whiteness, an apron with regulation shoulder-straps, and a capthat betokened a graduate of St. Luke's Hospital, formed her surprising,but not at all unbecoming, outfit.
Nan's roguish face looked very demure under the white cap, and she smiledpleasantly when Patty at last recovered her wits sufficiently tointroduce her father.
"Nan," she said, "if this is really you, let me present my father; and,papa, this is supposed to be Miss Nan Allen, but I never saw her looklike this before."
"I am very glad to meet you, Miss Allen," said Mr. Fairfield, "and thoughwe are all apparently very well at present, one can never tell how soonthere may be need of your professional services."
"I hope not very soon," said Nan, laughing; "for my professionalknowledge is scarcely sufficient to enable me to adjust this costumeproperly."
"It seems to be on all right," said Patty, looking at it critically; "butwhere in the world did you get it? And what have you got it on for? We'renot going to a masquerade."
"I put it on," said Nan, "because I couldn't help myself. I wanted tochange my travelling gown, and when I opened my suit-case this is allthere was in it, except some combs and brushes and bottles."
"Whew!" said Bob. "When I picked up that suit-case I wasn't quite sure Ihad the right one. You know I went back for it after we left the train atNew Brunswick, and you said it was the only one in the world with ahandle on the end."
"I thought it was," said Nan, "but it seems somebody else was cleverenough to have an end-handle too, and she was a trained nurse,apparently."
"Many of the new suit-cases have handles on the end," said Mr. Fairfield,"though not common as yet I have seen a number of them. But just imaginehow the nurse feels who is obliged to wear your dinner gown instead ofher uniform."
"I hope she won't spoil it," exclaimed Bumble. "It was that lovely lightblue thing, one of the prettiest frocks you own."
"I can imagine her now," said Bob: "she is probably bathing the brow of asleepless patient, and the lace ruffles and turquoise bugles are helpingalong a lot. In fact, I think she's looking rather nice going around asick-room in that blue bombazine."
"It isn't bombazine, Bob," said his sister; "it's beautiful, lovelylight-blue chiffon."
"Well, beautiful, lovely light-blue chiffon, then; but anyway, I'msure the nurse is glad of a chance to wear it instead of her ownplain clothes."
"But her own plain clothes are not at all unpicturesque, and are verybecoming to Miss Allen," said Mr. Fairfield. "But haven't your trunkscome?" he added, as they all went
out to dinner.
"No," said Bob; "Mr. Harper and I investigated the baggage-room, butthey weren't there."
"Oh, call him Kenneth," said Patty. "You boys are too young for suchformality."
"I may be," said Bob, "but he isn't. He's a college man."
"He's a college boy," said Patty; "he's only nineteen, and you're sixteenyourself."
"Going on seventeen," said Bob proudly, "and so is Bumble."
"Twins often are the same age," observed Mr. Fairfield, "and after a fewyears, Bob, you'll have to be careful how you announce your own age,because it will reveal your sister's."
"Pooh! I don't care," said Bumble. "I'd just as lieve people would knowhow old I am. Nan is twenty-two, and she doesn't care who knows it."
"You look about fifty in those ridiculous clothes," said Patty.
"Do I?" said Nan, quite unconcernedly. "I don't mind that a bit, but Idon't think I can keep them at this stage of whiteness for many days.Can anything be done to coax our trunks this way?"
"We might do some telephoning after dinner," said Mr. Fairfield. "What isthe situation up to the present time?"
"Why, you see it was this way," said Bumble. "When the carriage came totake us to the station, the trunks weren't quite ready, and mamma saidfor us to go on and she'd finish packing them and send them down in timeto get that train or the next."
"And did they come for that train?"
"No, they didn't, and so, of course, they must have been sent on the nextone; but even so, they ought to be here now, because, you know, we wenton through and came back."
"But how did you get your checks if your trunks weren't put on thetrain?"
"Oh, the baggageman knows us," explained Bob, "and he gave us our checksand kept the duplicates to put on our trunks when they came down to thestation. He often does that."
"Yes," said Bumble, "we've never had our trunks ready yet when the mancame for them."
"Nan's was ready," put in Bob, who was a great stickler for justice,"but, of course, hers couldn't go till ours did. Oh, I guess they'll turnup all right."
They did turn up all right twenty-four hours later, but the exchange ofsuit-cases was not so easily effected.
However, after more or less correspondence between Nan and the nurse whoowned the uniform, the transfer was finally made, and Nan recovered herpretty blue gown, which certainly bore no evidence of having been worn ina sickroom.
"But I bet she wore it, all the same," said Bob. "She probablyneglected her patient and went to a party that night just because shehad the frock."