CHAPTER IV
BOXLEY HALL
After consultation with various real estate agents, and after dueconsideration of the desirable houses they had to offer, Mr. Fairfieldcame to the conclusion that the Bigelow house, which Marian hadsuggested, was perhaps the most attractive of any.
And so, one afternoon, a party of very interested people went over tolook at it.
The procession was headed by Patty and Marian, followed by Mr. Fairfieldand Aunt Alice, while Frank and his father brought up the rear. But asthey were going out of the Elliotts' front gate, Laura Russell cameflying across the street.
"Where are all you people going?" she cried. "I know you're going to lookat a house. Which one?"
"The Bigelow house," said Marian, "and I'm almost sure Uncle Fred willdecide to take it. Come on with us; we're going all through it."
"No," said Laura, looking disappointed, "I don't want to go; and I don'twant the Fairfields to live in that house anyway. If they would only lookat that little cottage next-door to us, I know they'd like it ever somuch better. Oh, please, Mr. Fairfield, won't you come over and look atit now? It's so pretty and cunning, and it has the loveliest garden andchicken-coop and everything."
"I don't want a chicken-coop," said Patty, laughing; "I've no chickens,and I don't want any."
"Our chickens are over there most of the time," said Laura.
"Then, of course, we ought to have a coop to keep our neighbours'chickens in," said Mr. Fairfield; "and if this cottage is as delightfulas Miss Russell makes it out, I think it's our duty at least to go andlook at it. If the rest of you are willing, suppose we go over therefirst, and then if we _should_ decide not to take it, we'll have time toinvestigate the Bigelow afterward"
Marian looked so woe-begone that Patty laughed.
"Cheer up, girl," she said; "there isn't one chance in a million of ourtaking that doll's house, but Laura will never give us a minute's peaceuntil we go and look at it; so we may as well go now, and get it over."
"All right," said Marian; and Patty, with her two girl friends on eitherside of her, started in the direction of the cottage.
But when they reached it, Mr. Fairfield exclaimed in amazement. "Thatlittle house?" he said. "Oh, I see; that's the chicken-coop you spoke of.Well, where is the house?"
"This is the house," said Laura; "but, somehow, it does look smaller thanusual; still, it's a great deal bigger inside."
"No doubt," said Frank. "I've often noticed that the inside of a house ismuch larger than the outside. Of course, we can't all go in at once, butI'm willing to wait my turn. Who will go first?"
"Very well, you may stay outside," said Laura. "I think the rest of uscan all squeeze in at once, if we try."
But Frank followed the rest of the party, and, passing through the narrowhall, they entered the tiny parlour.
"I never was in such a crowded room," said Marian. "I can scarcely get mybreath. I had no idea there were so many of us."
"Well, you're not going to live here," said Laura. "There's room enoughfor just Patty and her father."
"There is, if we each take a room to ourself," said Mr. Fairfield. "Youmay have this parlour, my daughter, and I'll take the library. Where isthe library, Miss Russell?"
"I think it has just stepped out," said Frank; "at any rate, it isn't onthis floor; there's only this room, and the dining-room, and a kitchencupboard."
"Very likely the library is on the third floor," said Marian; "that wouldbe convenient."
"There isn't any third floor," explained Laura. "This is what they calla story-and-a-half house."
"It would have to be expanded into a serial story, then, before it woulddo for us," said Mr. Fairfield. "We may not be such big people, but Pattyand I have a pretty large estimate of ourselves, and I am sure we nevercould live in such a short-story-and-a-half as this seems to be."
"Indeed, we couldn't, papa," said Patty. "Just look at this dining-room.I'm sure it's only big enough for one. We would have to have our mealsalternately; you could have breakfast, and I would have dinner one day,and the next day we'd reverse the order."
"Come, look at the kitchen, Patty," called out Frank; "or at least stickyour head in; there isn't room for all of you. See the stationary tubs.Two of them, you see; each just the size of a good comfortablecoffee-cup."
"Just exactly," said Patty, laughing; "why, I never saw such a house.Laura Russell, what were you thinking of?"
"Oh, of course, you could add to it," said Laura. "You could build onas many more rooms as you wanted, and you could run it up another storyand a half, and that would make three stories; and I do want you tolive near me."
"We're sorry not to live near you, Miss Laura," said Mr. Fairfield; "butI can't see my way clear to do it unless you would move into thisbandbox, and let us have your roomy and comfortable mansion next door."
"Oh, there wouldn't be room for our family here," said Laura.
"But you could build on a whole lot of rooms," said Frank, "and addenough stories to make it a sky-scraper; and put in an elevator, and itwould be perfectly lovely."
Laura laughed with the rest, and then, at Mrs. Elliott's suggestion, theyall started back to the Bigelow house.
"Now, this is something like," said Marian, as they went in at the gateand up the broad front walk.
"Like what?" said Frank.
"Like a home for the Fairfields. What shall you call it--Fairfield Hall,Fairfield Place, or what?"
"I don't know," cried Patty, dashing up the veranda steps. "But isn't ita dear house! I feel at home here already. This big piazza will be lovelyin warm weather. There's room for hammocks, and big chairs, and littletables, and everything."
Inside, the house proved very attractive. The large square hall openedinto a parlour on one side and a library on the other. Back of thelibrary was a little conservatory, and beyond that a large, lightdining-room with an open fireplace.
"Here's a kitchen worth having," said Aunt Alice, who was investigatingahead of the rest; "and such convenient pantries and cupboards."
"And this back veranda is great," said Frank, opening the door from alittle hall.
"Oh, yes," said Patty; "see the dead vines. In the summer it must havehoneysuckles all over it. And there's the little arbour at the foot ofthe garden. I'm going down to see it."
Marian started to follow her, but Laura called her back to show her somenew attraction, and Patty ran alone down the veranda steps, and throughthe box-bordered paths to the little rustic arbour.
"Goodness!" she exclaimed, as she reached it. "Who in the world are you?"
For inside the arbour sat a strange-looking girl of about Patty's ownage. She was a tall, thin child, with a pale face, large black eyes, andstraight black hair, which hung in wisps about her ears.
"I'm Pansy," she said, clasping her hands in front of her, and lookingstraight into Patty's face.
"You're Pansy, are you?" said Patty, looking puzzled. "And what are youdoing here, Pansy?"
"Well, miss, you see it's this way. I want to go out to service; and whenI heard you was going to have a house of your own, I thought maybe you'dtake me to work for you."
"Oh, you did! Well, why didn't you come and apply to me, then, in properfashion, and not sit out here waiting for me to come to you? Suppose Ihadn't come?"
"I was sure you'd come, miss. Everybody who looks at this house comes outto look at the arbour; but there hasn't been anybody before that I wantedto work for. Please take me, miss; I'll be faithful and true."
"What can you do?" asked Patty, half laughing, and half pitying thestrange-looking girl. "Can you cook?"
"No, ma'am, I can't cook; but I might learn it. But I didn't mean that. Ithought you'd have a cook, and you'd take me for a table girl, you know;and to tidy up after you."
"I do want a waitress; but have you had any experience?"
"No, ma'am," said the girl very earnestly, "I haven't, but I'm just sureI could learn. If you just tell me a thing once, you needn't ever tell
itto me again. That's something, isn't it?"
"Indeed it is," said Patty, remembering a certain careless waitress atMrs. Elliott's. "Have you any references?"
"No," said the girl, smiling; "you see, I've never lived anywhere excepthome, and I suppose mother's reference wouldn't count."
"It would with me," said Patty decidedly. "I think your mother oughtto know more about you than anybody else. What would she say if Iasked her?"
"She'd say I was careless and heedless and thoughtless, and didn't knowanything," replied the girl cheerfully; "and I am that way at home, but Iwouldn't be if I worked for you, because I want to be a waitress, and agood one; and you'd see how quick I'd learn. Oh, do take me, miss. You'llnever be sorry, and that's sure!"
This statement was accompanied by such decided gestures of head and handsthat Patty was very nearly convinced to the contrary, but she only said,"I'm sorry, Pansy,--you said your name was Pansy, didn't you?"
"Yes, miss,--Pansy Potts."
"What an extraordinary name!"
"Is it, miss? Well, you see, my father's name was Potts; and mother namedme Pansy, because she's so fond of the flower. You don't think the namewill interfere with my being a waitress, do you?"
"Not so far as I'm concerned," said Patty, laughing; "but, you see, Ishall be a very inexperienced housekeeper, and if I have an inexperiencedwaitress also, I don't know what might happen."
"Why, now, miss; it seems to me that that would work out just right.You're a young housekeeper, but I expect you know just about what awaitress ought to do, and you could teach me; and I know a lot abouthousekeeping, and I could teach you."
The sincerity in Pansy's voice and manner impressed Patty, and she lookedat her closely, as she said:
"It does seem good proportion."
"It is," said Pansy; "and you've no idea how quickly I can learn."
"Can you?" said Patty. "Well, then, learn first to call me Miss Patty. Itwould suit me much better than to hear you say 'miss' so often."
"Yes, Miss Patty."
"And don't wring your hands in that absurd fashion, and don't standfirst on one foot and then on the other, as if you were scared out ofyour wits."
"No, Miss Patty."
Pansy ceased shuffling, dropped her hands naturally to her sides, andstood in the quiet, respectful attitude that Patty had unconsciouslyassumed while speaking.
Delighted at this quick-witted mimicry, Patty exclaimed:
"I believe you will do. I believe you are just the one; but I can'tdecide positively, now. You go home, Pansy, and come to-morrow afternoonto see me at Mrs. Elliott's. Do you know where I live?"
"Yes, Miss Patty," and, with a respectful little bob of her head, PansyPotts disappeared, and Patty ran back to the house.
"Well, chickadee," said Mr. Fairfield, "I have about decided thatyou and I can make ourselves comfortable within these four walls,and, if it suits your ladyship, I think we'll consider that we havetaken the house."
"It does suit me," said Patty. "I'm perfectly satisfied; and _I_ havetaken a house-maid."
"Where did you get her?" exclaimed Frank. "Do they grow on trees in thegarden? I saw you out in the arbour with one."
"Yes," said Patty; "I picked her off a tree. She isn't quite ripe, butshe's not so very green; and I think she'll do. Never mind about her now.I can't decide until I've had a talk with Aunt Alice. I'm so glad youdecided on this house, papa. Oh, isn't it lovely to have a home! It looksrather bare, to be sure, but, be it ever so empty, there's no place likehome. Now, what shall we name it? I do like a nice name for a place."
"It has so many of those little boxwood Hedges," said Aunt Alice, lookingout of the window, "that you might call it The Boxwood House."
"Oh, don't call it a wood-house," said Uncle Charley.
"Call it the wood-box, and be done with it," Frank.
"I like 'Hall,'" said Patty. "How is Boxwood Hall?"
"Sounds like Locksley Hall," said Marian.
"More like Boxley Hall," said Frank.
"Boxley Hall!" cried Patty. "That's just the thing! I like that."
"Rather a pretentious name to live up to," said Mr. Fairfield.
"Never mind," said Patty. "With Pansy Potts for a waitress, we can liveup to any name."
And so Patty's new home was chosen, and its name was Boxley Hall.