CHAPTER XX
THE BAZAAR
Elise tried hard to follow Patty's directions, but she did notrepresent a very haughty type of duchess as she tremblingly followedPatty into the shop.
But Patty herself held her head high, and assumed the dignity of awhole line of duchesses as she stalked toward the counter. She choseher French with much care, and in exceedingly formal diction informedthe young man that she desired to call a cab.
Without expressing astonishment at this, the young man politely assuredher that he would call a cab for her at once; that it would take sometime to procure one, as there were none save at a considerable distance.
There being nothing else to do, poor Patty expressed herself as willingto wait, but coldly desired that all possible haste be made.
The fifteen minutes that the girls waited was perhaps the mostuncomfortable quarter of an hour they had ever spent in their lives,and indeed it seemed more like fifteen hours than fifteen minutes. Theyscarcely spoke to one another; Patty, feeling the responsibility of thewhole affair, was thinking what she should do in case a cab didn'tcome, while Elise was entirely absorbed in her earnest endeavours notto cry.
But at last a cab appeared and the two girls got in.
Patty gave the order to drive back to the great shop from which theyhad started on their adventure.
It seemed an interminable distance through the unpleasant streets, butwhen at last they reached the Magasins du Louvre and drew up to theentrance Elise gave a delighted cry, and said: "Oh, there's our car,and Jules in it!"
The car was across the street, and the chauffeur sat with his armsfolded, in an attitude of patient waiting. The girls got out of thecab, Patty paid the cabman, and as they beckoned to Jules, he startedthe car across the street toward them.
"Where have you been?" inquired Elise, in a reproving tone.
But the chauffeur declared that he had sat the whole afternoon in thatone spot, waiting for the young ladies.
When Elise said that they had come to the door and looked for him invain, he only asseverated that he had not moved from the spot oppositethe entrance, but had been there all the time watching the door fortheir reappearance.
As she had never known Jules to be untruthful, Elise was bewildered atthis statement, but presently a light dawned on Patty.
"I see, Elise," she cried; "it's the other entrance! The doors arealmost exactly the same! This is the one where we went in, but we cameout at the door on the other street, and we were such idiots we didn'tknow the difference!"
"And we flattered ourselves that we knew Paris!" exclaimed Elise."Well, Patty, let's go home. We're not fit to be trusted out alone."
So home the girls went, feeling decidedly light-hearted that they wereso well out of their scrape.
Patty went at once to Mrs. Farrington and gave her an exact narrativeof the whole affair. She took all the blame on herself, and it wasrightfully hers, saying that she had persuaded Elise against her willto go in the cab across the Seine to the perfumer's.
Mrs. Farrington laughed at Patty's extremely penitential air, and said:"My dear child, don't take it quite so seriously. You're not to blamefor mistaking the doors. That big shop is very confusing, and afterwaiting for Jules, and telephoning, and all that, you did quite rightto take a cab, as it was really an emergency. But you did not do rightto go exploring an unfamiliar quarter of Paris on an uncertain errand.However, you certainly had punishment enough in your bewilderment andanxiety, and I think you have learned your lesson, and nothing moreneed be said about it."
Nothing more was said about it by way of reprimand, but many timesPatty was joked by the Farrington family, and often when she startedout anywhere was advised not to try to buy Cyclamen perfumery.
Toward the end of January the Van Ness girls came to call. They hadreturned to Paris as they expected, and were truly glad to see Pattyand Elise again.
"We've had a lovely trip," Doris declared; "but we're awfully glad toget back to Paris. And oh, girls, I want to tell you about a plan inwhich we're awfully interested. There's a poor girl, an American, andher name is Leila Hunt."
"Let me tell," broke in Alicia; "she's an art student, and she's tryingto support herself in Paris while she studies. And the other day wewere walking through the Louvre, and we saw her there."
"Copying a picture," chimed in Doris.
"Yes, copying a picture," went on Alicia; "and she was so faint,because she doesn't have enough to eat, you know, that she fell off thestool and fainted away from sheer exhaustion."
"How dreadful!" cried Patty; "can't we help her?"
"That's just it," said Doris; "we want to help her, and we're gettingup a bazaar for her benefit. But she mustn't know it, for she's awfullyproud, and wouldn't like it a bit."
"You know her personally, then?" asked Elise.
"Yes; we hunted up her address and went to see her, and the poor thingis so weak and thin, but awfully brave and plucky. And papa says he'llgive some money, and I thought perhaps Mr. Farrington would, too; andthen we thought it might help to have a bazaar and make some money thatway, and then we'll send it to her anonymously, for I don't believeshe'd take it any other way."
Rosamond Barstow was present at this conversation, and she said: "Ithink it's a lovely plan, and I'll be glad to help. Where are you goingto hold the bazaar?"
"That's the trouble," said Alicia; "we don't know any place that's justright. You see, we're at a hotel, and a bazaar in a hotel is so public.I suppose there isn't room in this house?"
"No," said Elise; "there are plenty of rooms, but no one is big enoughfor an affair of that kind."
"But we have one," exclaimed Rosamond eagerly. "Our house has animmense ballroom. We almost never use it, but it would be just theplace for a bazaar."
"Would your people like to have us use it?"
"Oh, yes; mother lets me do anything I like. And, anyway, she'll beawfully glad to help an American girl--you said an American girl,didn't you?"
"Yes, Miss Hunt is from New England. Oh, it will be lovely if we canhave the bazaar in your house, and all the American colony will come,and we'll make a lot of money."
The plan was laid before Mrs. Farrington, who entirely approved of it,and then the five girls went over to Rosamond's to ask Mrs. Barstow'sconsent, and to look at the ballroom.
Mrs. Barstow was greatly pleased with the idea and consented at oncethat the bazaar should be held in the ballroom, and she went with thegirls to look at the big apartment and to make plans.
As the Van Ness party were only to remain in Paris a week, it wasnecessary that the affair should be arranged speedily and the planquickly carried out.
Mrs. Van Ness, Mrs. Farrington, and Mrs. Barstow were to bepatronesses, but the girls, the two Van Ness boys, and Martin Barstowwere to do the actual work and make all arrangements.
It was a somewhat original scheme of entertainment, and as Aliciadescribed it the rest all agreed that it would be great fun.
It was to last only one afternoon, from three to six, and it was calledthe "Bazaar of Arts and Manufactures."
The girls called upon many members of the American colony and askedthem to donate material of any kind, such as silks, satins, ribbons,fancy paper, materials or fabrics of any sort.
They responded generously, and also gave many articles to be sold atthe bazaar, and promised to send contributions for the refreshment room.
The boys declared that their part was the decoration of the ballroom,and they not only ornamented the room, but built various little boothsand arranged such counters and tables as were needed.
When the day of the bazaar came nobody knew quite what theentertainment was to be, but were prepared for an original amusement ofsome kind.
After a large crowd of people had assembled Guy Van Ness mounted aplatform and announced that there would now be held a contest of artsand manufactures. Everybody present, on the payment of a certain sum,would be allowed to compete, and prizes were offered to the successfulcompetitors
in each department.
Then, greatly to the amusement of the audience, he announced that thevarious achievements arranged for were such easily accomplished featsas the trimming of hats, the painting of pictures, modelling in clay,making paper flowers, and various other arts and handicrafts, amongwhich each might select a preference.
After every competitor had qualified, and was fully prepared to begin,a gong would be sounded. Exactly at the end of a half hour another gongwould sound, when every one must cease at once, whether the work wasfinished or not.
As soon as the guests thoroughly understood what they were to do greatinterest was displayed and competitors were rapidly entered for thedifferent contests.
Those who were artists took their places at a table provided with watercolors, oil paints, pastels, and drawing materials. The clay modellerswere at another table, with ample provision for their art.
Many ladies who declared they had no talents prepared to trim hats. Allsorts of material, such as velvet, lace, flowers, feathers, and ribbonswere provided, as well as the untrimmed shapes.
In another booth ladies prepared to make Japanese kimonos ordressing-jackets, and in another booth were materials for paper flowers.
There was a burnt-wood outfit and sets of woodcarvers' tools, andRobert Van Ness declared that he knew he could take the prize forwhittling.
Another booth held crepe paper for lampshades or other fancy work, andit was not long before every one had selected an occupation and wasprepared to begin work.
Elise, of course, was going to draw a picture, and Patty concluded shewould trim a hat.
As it neared the time, Patty threaded her needle and put on herthimble, but was not allowed to touch her material until the signal wasgiven.
Henri Labesse was at the bazaar, and though his arm was still a littlestiff, he entered the competition and was to model a figure of clay.
The gong struck, and everybody flew madly at their work, anxious tocomplete it within the half hour.
Elise, who was methodical, began her drawing as slowly and carefully asif she had the whole day for it, reasoning to herself that she wouldrather hurry the finishing than the beginning.
Patty, on the other hand, dashed impatiently at her hat-trimming,pinning things on here and there, thinking she would sew them if shehad time, and if not they could stay pinned.
Both the Van Ness girls were making paper lamp-shades, and Rosamond wasalready well along on a picturesque Japanese kimono. She sewed up thebreadths like a wind-mill, and whipped on the bordering rapidly, butwith strong, firm stitches.
She would easily have taken the prize in her department, but the girlshad agreed among themselves that they would accept no prizes, even ifthey won them.
When the gong struck at the close of the half hour some of the work wasstill unfinished, but most of the articles were completed. And it wasindeed marvellous to see what could be done by people working at theirutmost speed.
Elise's picture was charming, and Patty's hat was among the prettiest.Competent judges awarded the prizes, and then the articles, whetherfinished or unfinished, were sold at auction. And they brought largeprices, for many of them were well worth having; and, too, the buyerswere quite ready to give liberally in aid of the worthy charity.
Henri Labesse had made a clay model of an American girl, which was agem in its characteristic effect and its skilful workmanship. It wasnot quite finished, but of course was offered at auction along with theother things.
There was lively bidding for the little figure, as everybody seemed torecognise its artistic value. But, after being bidden up to a highprice, it was finally sold to a young man who, it turned out, wasmerely acting as an agent for Henri Labesse himself. He had instructedthis young man to buy the figure in at any price, with a result that agoodly sum went into the charitable treasury.
After receiving his own work back again Mr. Labesse took it across towhere Patty sat, and begged her acceptance of it, adding that he wouldtake it home and complete it before sending it to her.
Patty was delighted to have the little statuette as a souvenir of theoccasion, and also as a memento of Mr. Labesse, whom she thoroughlyliked.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in serving ices and cakes and fruitto the patrons of the bazaar, and after it was all over the girls weredelighted to find that they had realised about twice as much money asthey had hoped for.
Alicia Van Ness was ecstatic, and declared it would make Miss Huntindependent, and free of all financial worry during the rest of herterm in the art school. And as it was to be sent to her without a hintas to its source, she could not refuse to accept it.
"I do think it was lovely of those Van Ness girls," said Patty, as theydiscussed the bazaar at dinner-time, "to do all that for a perfectstranger."
"I do, too," said Elise; "they're awfully good-hearted girls. When Ifirst met them I didn't like them much; they were so unconventional intheir manners. But travelling about has improved them, and theycertainly are generous and kind-hearted."
"Yes, they are," said Patty; "and I like them, anyway. I'm sorry theyare going away from Paris so soon."
"Well, I'm glad we're not going away," said Elise; "at any rate, notjust yet. How much longer do you suppose we shall stay here, mother?"
"I don't know, my child; but I'm getting about ready to go home. Whatdo you think, Patty?"
"Since you ask me, I must confess I should like to stay a while longer.But if you're going home, Mrs. Farrington, I feel pretty sure we shallall travel on the same boat."