CHAPTER XVII
THE APPLE BLOSSOM DANCE
"Now I have a programme, Captain Sayre," Patty said. "If you reallywant a part of a dance--"
"I don't!" declared the captain, positively. "There are some ladies I'ddance half a dance with, but NOT with you."
"Then I suppose I'll have to give you a whole one," Patty sighed, "andI know I won't have enough to go 'round. You know it's late, and thereare only ten dances on the list."
"And they're half gone!" exclaimed Captain Sayre, as he looked at thecard Patty had handed him.
"What!" she cried, looking at it herself.
Sure enough there was a very big black B. F. written against everyother dance!
"Bill Farnsworth!" she exclaimed. "Well, if he hasn't a nerve! He wantsthe earth!"
"And the sea, and all that in them is!" said Captain Sayre. "Look here,Miss Fairfield, I'll be satisfied with the other five. Thus, you'redividing your dances evenly, don't you see?"
"Nonsense! I'll agree to no such highway robbery! You may have a dance,Captain Sayre,--take a waltz, if you like; and then give me my cardagain. Do you want one, Jack?"
"DO I? Does a squirrel want nuts? Only one, Sea Spirit?"
"Yes, only one. It's such a short programme to-night."
"And is Big Bill to have five?"
"Indeed, no! I shall cross those all off but one."
Learning, somehow, of what was going on, most of the men at the tablebegan to beg Patty for a dance, and in a few moments her card wasfilled.
She shook her head reprovingly at Farnsworth, who quite understood thereason.
Supper over, the dancing began, and as it was a summer evening, thedances alternated with cooling strolls on the long verandas of the clubhouse. Patty loved to dance, and greatly preferred good dancers forpartners.
Captain Sayre was especially proficient in the art, and as their dancewas followed by an "extra," he persuaded Patty to do a fancy dance withhim, like they had danced at the Sayres' garden party. Soon most of thedancers had paused to watch the two, swaying and pirouetting in adance, partly impromptu, and partly fashioned on some they hadpreviously learned. It was a pretty sight. Patty, whose step was lightas thistledown, followed any hint of Captain Sayre's, and so cleverwere his leads that the audience broke into loud applause. It wasalmost more than Farnsworth could bear. He stood looking at them withsuch a wistful expression that Patty concluded to stop.
"I'm a little tired," she whispered to her partner, "but I want todance a moment alone. Will you let me? And ask the orchestra to playthe Spring Song."
"I'll love to look at you," declared the captain, and at the end of ameasure, he gracefully danced away from her, and Patty stood alone.
The rest had all ceased dancing now, preferring to watch, and as theywere nearly all Patty's friends and acquaintances, she felt noembarrassment.
"The Apple Blossom Dance," she said, and flung herself into a series ofwonderful rhythmic motions that seemed to give hint of all the charmsof spring. One could almost see flowers and hear birds as the lightdraperies swayed like veils in a soft breeze. And then, with a fleetingglance and smile at Farnsworth, Patty plucked apple blossoms fromoverhanging boughs, and tossed them to the audience. There were notrees, and there were no blossoms, but so exquisite was her portrayalof blossom time, and so lovely her swaying arms and tossing hair thatmany were ready to declare they could even detect the fragrance of theflowers. But when Patty essayed to stop, the riotous applause thatfollowed and the cries of "Encore! encore!" persuaded her to dance oncemore, though very tired.
More languidly this time the apple blossoms were plucked from thebranches, more slowly the springtime steps were taken, and before shereached a point in the music where she could stop, Patty was swayingfrom faintness, not by design.
Farnsworth saw this, and acting on a sudden impulse, he swung the greatfolds of his trailing velvet over his arm, and with a few glidingsteps, reached her side, threw an arm round her, and suiting his stepsto hers, continued the figure she had begun. But he supported her wearylittle form, he held her in a strong, firm clasp, and, a fine dancerhimself, he completed the "Apple Blossom Dance" with her, which shenever could have done alone. Then, after bowing together to thedelighted and tumultuously applauding audience, he led her to a seat,and shielded her from the unthinking crowd, who begged her to dance forthem again.
"Little Billee, you're a dear!" said Patty, as the next dance took thepeople away again. "How did you know I was going to sink through thefloor in just one more minute?"
"I saw how tired you were, and though I hated to 'butt in' on yourperformance, I just felt I had to, to save you from collapse."
"You DIDN'T 'butt in'! You're a beautiful dancer, better than CaptainSayre, in some ways, though you don't know so many fancy steps. But youpicked up my idea of the apple blossom steps at once!"
"Because that's OUR dance. And you're my property to-night, anyway.Didn't Neptune crown the Spirit of the Sea?"
"Yes, and I haven't yet thanked you for this lovely wreath! It's themost beautiful thing! Where DID you get it?"
"I had it made, to replace the one I stole from you the night of thestorm."
"You didn't steal that,--I gave it to you."
"Well, and so I give you this one in return. Will you wear itsometimes?"
"I'll wear it often, it's so lovely. And SO becoming,--isn't it?"
Naughty Patty smiled most provokingly up into the big blue eyes thatlooked intently at her.
"Becoming?" he said. "Yes, it IS! What isn't becoming to you, youlittle beauty?"
"There, there, don't flatter me!" and Patty cast down her eyesdemurely. "Oh, Jack, is this our dance?" And with a saucy bow, Pattyleft Big Bill, and strolled away on Jack Pennington's arm.
"You're a regular out and out belle to-night, Patty," he said, frankly."All the men are crazy over you, and all the girls are envious."
"'Tisn't me," said Patty, meekly. "It's this ridiculous green rig andmy unkempt hair."
"Shouldn't wonder," returned Jack, teasingly; "girls always look bestin fancy dress."
"So do the boys," Patty retorted. "Isn't Bill Farnsworth stunning inthat Neptune toga,--or whatever it's called?"
"Pooh, you'd think he was stunning in anything, wouldn't you?"
"Oh,--I don't know--" and Patty put her fingertip in her mouth, andlooked so exaggeratedly shy that Jack burst into laughter.
"You're a rogue, Patty," he declared. "If you don't look out you'llgrow up a flirt."
"Am I flirting with you?" and Patty opened her eyes very wide in mockhorror at such an idea.
"No,--not exactly. But you may, if you like."
"I DON'T like!" said Patty, decidedly. "We're good chums, Jack, and Iwant to stay so. No flirt nonsense about us, is there?"
"No," said Jack; "let's dance," and away they whirled in a gay two-step.
When the dancing was over, the "Red Chimneys" party started for home invarious motors. Patty thought Bill would ask her to ride with him, buthe didn't come near her, and she wondered if he were annoyed oroffended in any way.
She confessed to feeling a little tired, and rode quietly beside AuntAdelaide, leaning her sunny head on that lady's shoulder.
"But it was lovely!" she said, with a sort of purr like a contentedkitten. "I'd like to have a Pageant every night!"
"Yes, you would!" exclaimed Roger, who sat in front of her in the bigmotor. "You'd be dancing in a sanitarium next thing you knew."
"Pooh!" retorted Patty. "I'm not a decrepit old invalid yet, am I, AuntAdelaide?"
"No, dearie; but you must take care of yourself. I think a coldcompress on your forehead to-night would do you good."
"And a hot compress on my chin, and two lukewarm ones on my ears,"teased Patty, laughing at the solicitous tones of the older lady. "No,sir-ee! I'll catch a nap or two, and tomorrow I'll be as right as a--asa--what's that thing that's so awfully right?"
"A trivet," said Mona.
"Yes, a trivet. I've no
idea what it is, but I'll be one!"
There was a light supper set out in the dining-room at "Red Chimneys,"but no one wanted any, so good-nights were said almost immediately andthe wearied revellers sought their rooms.
"No kimono parties to-night, girls," said Patty, firmly. "I'm goingstraight to bed."
"All right," agreed Mona and Daisy, "we'll save our gossip tillmorning."
But Patty didn't go straight to bed. She flashed on the lights in herrose-coloured boudoir, drew the curtains of the bay window, and thenthrew herself into a big easy-chair. She was thinking of Mr. WilliamFarnsworth. She wished he hadn't said what he had. It worried her,somehow. And when he said good-night just now, he had a look in hiseyes that meant,--well, perhaps it didn't mean anything after all.Perhaps he was only flirting,--as Patty herself was. But was she? Shehad just asked herself this question, really seriously, when a rosecame flying in at the window and fell at her feet. She looked upquickly,--she was SURE she had drawn the curtains. Yes, she had doneso, but there was just a little space between them, where they didn'tquite join.
Well, it must have been a good marksman who could throw so accurately!Westerners were accounted good marksmen,--it MIGHT be--
And then a second rose followed the first, and others, at intervals,until a good-sized heap lay at Patty's feet.
Laughing in spite of herself, she went to the window, and peeped outbetween the curtains.
"Why, it's you!" she exclaimed, as if she hadn't known it all the time.
"Yes," and Big Bill smiled at her over the armful of roses he stillheld. "I've completely stripped the rose garden, but I had to bombardyou with something!"
"Are you a bombardier?"
"No, I'm a beggar. I'm begging you to come out here for a few minutesand see the moonlight on the ocean."
"Why, there isn't any moon!"
"That's so! I mean the sun."
"Well, the sun isn't QUITE up yet!"
"That's so! Well, I mean the--the stars,--there, I knew SOMETHING wasshining!"
Bill's laugh was so infectious that Patty couldn't help joining it, butshe said:
"I can't, Little Billee. It's too late, and I'm too tired, and--"
"But I'm going away to-morrow."
"You are! I didn't know."
"Do you CARE? Oh, Patty, come out for a minute, I want to tell yousomething."
Still in her green draperies and silver wreath, Patty stepped out onthe veranda, saying, "Just for a tiny minute, then."
Bill had discarded his Neptune trappings, and in evening dress, was hishandsome self again.
"You were fine as Neptune," said Patty, looking at him critically as hestood against a veranda pillar, "but you're better as a plain man."
"Thank you!" said Bill, ironically.
"Fishing! Well, I DIDN'T mean that you're plain, but,--I won't say whatI did mean."
"Oh, dear! Another fond hope shattered! I WISH I knew what you DIDmean!"
"Don't be silly, or I'll run back. If you'll promise not to be silly,I'll stay another minute."
"But, you see, I never know when I am silly."
"Almost always! Now let's talk about the Pageant. Didn't Daisy lookpretty?"
"Yes. But I fancy blondes myself."
"Now that's ambiguous. I don't know whether you mean because you're oneor because I'm one."
"Why! So you ARE a blonde, aren't you? I never noticed it before!"
"Really? How nice! I've always wondered how I'd strike an entirestranger!"
"Why strike him at all?"
"Now you're silly again! But I mean, I'd like to know what an utterstranger would think of me."
"I hate to be called an utter stranger, but I haven't the leastobjection to saying what I think of you. In fact, I'd like to! May I?"
"Is it nice?" asked Patty, frightened a little at Bill's quiet tones.
"Judge for yourself. I think you are the most beautiful girl I haveever seen,--and the most fascinating. I think you have the sweetestnature and disposition imaginable. I think you have just enoughperversity to give you the Zip you need."
"What is Zip?"
"Never mind; don't interrupt. I think you are the most adorable fluffof femininity in the world,--and I KNOW I love you, and I want you forall my very own. Patty,--DARLING,--tell me now what you think of ME."
"Oh, Bill, DON'T say such things to me,--PLEASE, don't!" And Patty'soverstrung nerves gave way, and she began to cry.
"I won't, dear,--I won't, if it bothers you," and Big Bill's arm wentround her in such a comforting way that Patty wept on his broadshoulder.
"Don't,--don't think me a silly," she said, smiling up at him throughher tears, "but--I'm so tired, and sleepy,--if you could just wait tillmorning,--I'd tell you then what I think of you."
"Very well, dear, I'll wait."
"No, you needn't, I'll tell you now," and Patty suddenly drew away fromBill's arm and faced him bravely. "I'm a coward,--that's what I am! AndI cried because,--because I can't say what you want me to, and--and IHATE to hurt your feelings,--because I LIKE you so much."
"Patty! do you KNOW what you're talking about?"
"Yes, I do! But I can't seem to say it out plain, without hurting yournice, big, kind heart."
"Let me say it for you, little girl. Is it this? Is it that you like meas a friend, and a comrade--chum, but you don't love me as I love you,and you're afraid it will hurt me to know it?"
"Yes, yes, that's it! How did you know?"
"You told me yourself, unconsciously. Now, listen, my girl. I only loveyou MORE for being brave and honest about it. And I love you more stillfor your dear, kind heart that can't bear to hurt anybody. And to provethat love, I'm not going to say any more to you on this subject,--atleast, not now. Forget what I have said; let us go back to our goodcomradeship. I startled you; I spoke too soon, I know. So forget it, myapple blossom, and remember only that Little Billee is your friend, whowould do anything in the world for you."
"You're an awfully nice man," said Patty, not coyly, but sincerely, asshe laid her hand on his arm a moment.
"Now you HAVE told me what you think of me!" cried Farnsworth, gaily,and taking the little hand he held it lightly clasped in his own. "AndI thank you, lady, for those kind words! Now, you can look at the moonjust a minute longer, and then you must fly, little bird, to your nestin the tree."
"Yes, I must go. Tell me, Little Billee, where did you learn to danceso well?"
"It's mostly my natural grace! I took a few lessons of a wanderingminstrel, out home, but I don't know the technique of it, as you andthat ornamental captain do."
"But you could learn easily. Shall I teach you?"
"No,--Apple Blossom, I think not."
"Oh, there won't be time. You said you're leaving to-morrow! Must yougo?"
"It doesn't matter whether I must or not. If you look at me like that,I WON'T! There, there, Sea Witch, run away, or--or I'll flirt with you!"
"Yes, it's time I went," said Patty, demurely, gathering up herdraperies. "But, Billee, how can I thank you for the dear, sweet lovelywreath?"
"Well, there are several ways in which you COULD thank me,--though I'mnot sure you WOULD. Suppose we just consider me thanked?"
"That doesn't seem much. Shall I write you a note?"
"That doesn't seem VERY much. Why don't you give me a gift in return?"
"I will! What do you want? A penknife?"
"Mercy, no! I'll have to think it over. Wait! I have it! Have yourpicture taken--with the wreath on, and give me that."
"All right, I will. Or perhaps Mr. Cromer would sketch me in this wholerig."
"PERHAPS he WOULD!" and Farnsworth caught his breath, as he looked atthe vision of loveliness before him. "But we'll see about that later.Skip to bed now, Apple Blossom, and don't appear below decks beforenoon to-morrow."
"No, I won't. I'm awful tired. Good-night, Little Billee."
"Good-night, Apple Blossom Girl," and Farnsworth held aside the curtainas Patty stepped through the window.
A shower of flowers flew after her, for Bill had picked up hisremaining posies, and Patty laughed softly, as the curtain fell and shestood in her room, surrounded by a scattered heap of roses.
"Just like a theatrical lady," she said, smiling and bowing to animaginary audience, for Patty loved to "make-believe."
And then she took off her silver wreath and put it carefully away.
"Little Billee is SUCH a nice boy," she said, reflectively, as sheclosed the box.