CHAPTER V
HAPPY GUESTS
Elise came in, bringing her guest with her. The three girls waiting inthe sitting-room were surprised to see the small, dainty person whomElise introduced as Miss Anna Gorman. She had a sweet, sad littleface, and wore a simple one-piece gown of dove-grey voile. Her hat wasgrey, also; a turban shape, with a small knot of pink roses at oneside. Anna was not pretty, but she had a refined air, and a gentlemanner. Though embarrassed, she strove not to show it, and tried toappear at ease.
Mona greeted her cordially: "How do you do, Anna?" she said, for theyhad agreed to call the girls informally, by their Christian names. "Iam glad to see you. Come with me into the boudoir, and lay off yourcoat." Mona herself assisted, for she thought it better not to haveher maid about.
"I'm well, thank you," said Anna, in response to Mona's inquiry, andthen she broke out, impulsively: "Oh, I'm so happy to be here! It wasso heavenly kind of you young ladies to ask me. You don't _know_ whatit means to me!"
"Why, I'm very glad," said Mona, touched at the girl's gratitude."Now, I hope you'll just have the time of your life!"
"Oh, I shall, indeed! I know it. I'm enjoying every minute, just beingin these lovely rooms, and seeing you kind ladies."
Then Mona's manicure girl came. Her name was Celeste Arleson, and shewas a tall, slender young woman, garbed all in black. It was the gownshe always wore at her work, and, being of French descent, she had anair of charm that made her attractive.
"Good-morning, Celeste; come right in," said Mona, and then sheintroduced her to Anna.
The two looked at each other a little shyly, and then Anna said,"Good-morning," in a timid way.
Mona felt embarrassed, too, and began to wonder if their party wouldbe a failure, after all.
But Patty came in then and, with her ever-ready tact, took the twovisitors to the drawing-room, and began to show them some pictures andcurios.
Then Jenny Bisbee came, the girl from the ribbon counter, whomClementine had invited.
"My, isn't this fine!" she exclaimed, as she met the others. "I justdo think it's fine!"
"I'm glad we could arrange for you to come," said Clementine,cordially.
"Glad! My gracious, I guess I'm glad! Well! if you measured ribbonfrom morning till night, I guess you'd be glad to get away from it foronce. Why, I measure ribbon in my dreams, from night till morning. Ican't seem to get away from that everlasting stretching out ofthirty-six inches, over and over again."
"But the ribbons are so pretty," said Clementine, by way of beingagreeable.
"Yes; when they first come in. But after a few weeks you get so tiredof the patterns. My, I feel as if I could throw that Dresden sashribbon on the floor and stamp on it, I'm so tired of seeing it! Andthere's one piece of gay brocade that hits me in the eye everymorning. I can't stand that piece much longer."
"I'll come round some day, and buy it," said Patty, laughinggood-naturedly. "I didn't know the ribbons were so individual to you."
"Yes, they are. There's one piece of light blue satin ribbon, plainand wide, that I just love. It's a real comfort to me."
Jenny gave a little sigh, as she thought of her favourite ribbon, andPatty looked at her in wonderment, that she should be so sensitive tocolour and texture. But her taste in colours did not seem to extend toher clothes. Jenny was a pale little thing, with ashy blonde hair, andlarge, light blue eyes. She wore a nondescript tan-coloured dress,without tone or shape; and she had a weary, exhausted air, as ifchronically tired.
Conversation was a little difficult. The four hostesses tried theirbest to be entertaining without being patronising, but it was not aneasy task. At least, their advances were not easily received, and theguests seemed to be on the alert to resent anything that savoured ofpatronage. But help came from an unexpected quarter. Just at oneo'clock Mrs. Greene arrived.
"My land!" she exclaimed, as she entered the room, "if this isn't grand!I wouldn't of missed it for a farm! You see, I waited out on the corner,till it was just one o'clock. I know enough to get to a party just onthe minute. My bringin' up was good, if I have fell off a little since.But my folks was always awful particular people,--wouldn't even taketheir pie in their hands. My husband, now, he was different. He wasn't afool, nor he wasn't much else. But I only had him a year, and then he upand got killed in a rolling mill. Nice man, John, but not veryforth-putting. So I've shifted for myself ever since. Not that I've doneso awful well. I'm slow, I am. I never was one o' those to sew with ahot needle and a scorching thread, but I do my stent right along. But,my! how I do rattle on! You might think I don't often go in goodsociety. Well, I don't! So I must make the most of this chance."
Mrs. Greene's chatter had been broken in upon by introductions andgreetings, but that bothered her not at all. She nodded her headaffably at the different ones, but kept right on talking.
So Mona was fairly obliged to interrupt her.
"Now, let us go out to luncheon," she said, after the maid hadannounced it twice.
"Glad to," said Mrs. Greene. "Oh, my land! what a pretty sight!"
She stood stock still in the doorway, and had to be urged forward, inorder that the others might follow.
"Well, I didn't know a table _could_ look so handsome!" she went on."My land! I s'pose it's been thirty years since I've went to a realparty feast, and then, I can tell you, it wasn't much like this!"
Probably not, for Mona's table, with the coloured electric lightsblazing from the pretty Christmas tree, the soft radiance of the room,the fragrance of flowers, the exquisite table appointments, and thepretty, kindly hostesses, was a scene well worthy of praise.
Anna Gorman trembled a little as she took her seat, and sat,wide-eyed, looking almost as if in a trance of delight. CelesteArleson was less embarrassed, as her profession took her into finemansions and in presence of fashionable people every day.
Jenny Bisbee looked rapturous. "Oh," she said, "Oh! I am _so_ happy!"
The guests all looked a trifle awestruck when the first courseappeared, of grapefruit, served in tall, slender ice-glasses, eachwith a red ribbon tied round its stem, and a sprig of holly in thebow.
"Well, did you ever!" exclaimed Mrs. Greene. "And is this the way theydo things now? Well, well! It does look 'most too good to eat, but I'mready to tackle it."
Anna Gorman looked a little pained, as if this homely enthusiasmjarred upon her sense of fitness. But Mona said hospitably, "Yes,indeed, Mrs. Greene,--it's here to be eaten."
"Now, I'm free to confess, I don't know what spoon to take," Mrs.Greene acknowledged, looking blankly at the row of flat silver beforeher.
"I know," spoke up Jenny Bisbee, eagerly; "I read it in a Sundaypaper. You begin at the outside of the row, and eat in!"
"Land! are you sure to come out right, that way? S'pose you had a forkleft for your ice cream!"
"We'll risk it," said Mona, smiling. "Let's use this spoon at theoutside, as Jenny suggests."
The second course was clam bouillon, and after it was served, a maidpassed a dish of whipped cream.
Mrs. Greene watched carefully as Mona placed a spoonful on the top ofher soup, and then she exclaimed:
"Well, if that don't beat all! What is that, might I ask?"
"Whipped cream," said Mona. "Won't you have some?"
"Well, I will,--as you took some. But if that ain't the greatest! Now,just let me tell you. A friend of mine,--she has seen some highsociety,--she was telling me a little how to behave. And she told meof a country person she knew, who had some soup in a cup once. And hethought it was tea, and he ca'mly puts in milk and sugar! Well, he wasjust kerflum-mixed, that poor man, when he found it was soup! So, myfriend says, says she: 'Now, Almira, whatever you do, _don't_ put milkin your soup!' And, I declare to goodness, here you're doin' just thatvery thing!"
"Well, we won't put any sugar in," said Mona, pleasantly; "but I thinkthe cream improves it. You like it, don't you, Jenny?"
"Heavenly!" said Jenny, rolling her eyes up with such a comic
allyblissful expression that Elise nearly choked.
As Patty had agreed, the luncheon was good and substantial, ratherthan elaborate. The broiled chicken, dainty vegetables, and prettysalad all met the guests' hearty approval and appreciation; and whenthe ice cream was served, Mrs. Greene discovered she had both a forkand a spoon at her disposal.
"Well, I never!" she observed. "Ain't that handy, now? I s'pose youtake whichever one you like."
"Yes," said Mona. "You see, there is strawberry sauce for the icecream, and that makes it seem more like a pudding."
"So it does, so it does," agreed Mrs. Greene, "though, land knows, itain't much like the puddin's I'm accustomed to. Cottage, rice, andbread is about the variety we get, in the puddin' line. Not but whatI'm mighty grateful to get those."
"I like chocolate pudding," said Jenny, in a low voice, and apparentlywith great effort. Patty knew she made the remark because she thoughtit her duty to join in the conversation; and she felt such heroismdeserved recognition.
"So do I," she said, smiling kindly at Jenny. "In fact, I likeanything with chocolate in it."
"So do I," returned Jenny, a little bolder under this expressedsympathy of tastes. "Once I had a whole box of chocolate candies,--apound box it was. I've got the box yet. I'm awful careful of the lacepaper."
"I often get boxes of candy," said Celeste, unable to repress this bitof vanity. "My customers give them to me."
"My," said Jenny, "that must be fine. Is it grand to be a manicure?"
"I like it," said Celeste, "because it takes me among nice people.They're mostly good to me."
"My ladies are nice to me, too," observed Anna. "I only sew in nicehouses. But I don't see the ladies much. It's different with you, MissArleson."
"Well, I don't see nice ladies," broke in Jenny. "My, how those queensof society can snap at you! Seems 'if they blame me for everything:the stock, the price, the slow cash boys,--whatever bothers 'em, it'sall my fault."
"That is unkind," said Clementine. "But shopping does make some peoplecross."
"Indeed it does!" returned Jenny. "But I'm going to forget it just forto-day. When I sit here and see these things, all so beautiful andsparkly and bright, I pretend there isn't any shop or shopping in allthe world."
Jenny's smile was almost roguish, and lighted up her pale face tillshe looked almost pretty.
Then they had coffee, and snapping crackers with caps inside, and theyput on the caps and laughed at each other's grotesque appearance.
Mrs. Greene's cap was a tri-corne, with a gay cockade, which gave hera militant air, quite in keeping with her strong face. Patty had aruffled night-cap, which made her look grotesque, and Anna Gorman hada frilled sunbonnet.
Celeste had a Tam o' Shanter, which just suited her piquant face, andJenny had a Scotch cap, which became her well.
"Now," said Mona, as she rose from the table, "I'm going to give youeach a bunch of these carnations----"
"To take home?" broke in Jenny, unable to repress her eagerness.
"Yes; and I'll have them put in boxes for you, along with your cardsand souvenirs, which, of course, you must take home also. And, ifthere's room, I'll put in some of these Christmas tree thingamajigs,and you can use them for something at Christmas time."
"Oh!" exclaimed Jenny; "maybe my two kid brothers won't just about gocrazy over 'em! Says I to myself, just the other day, 'What's going inthem kids' stockings is more'n I know; but something there must be.'And,--here you are!"
"Here you are!" said Mona, tucking an extra snapping cracker or two inJenny's box.
"We plan to go for a motor ride, now," said Mona. "I wonder if yougirls are dressed warmly enough."
All declared that they were, but Mona provided several extra cloaksand wraps, lest any one should take cold.
"We have two cars for our trip," she explained; "Miss Farrington'slimousine and my own. Has any one any preference which way we shallgo?"
"Well," said Mrs. Greene, "if you ask me, I'd like best to ride upFifth Avenue. There ought to be some fine show of dress, a brightafternoon like this. And there ain't anything I admire like stylishclothes. That's a real handsome gown you got on, Miss Fairfield."
"Do you like it?" said Patty, smiling.
"Yes, I do. It's fashionable of cut, and yet it ain't drawed so tightas some. And a becomin' colour, too."
"It's a dandy," observed Jenny. "I see lots of good clothes on mycustomers, but they don't all have such taste as Miss Fairfield's. Andall you other ladies here," she added, politely, glancing round.
"Now, are we all ready?" asked Mona, looking over the group. "Mrs.Greene, I fear you won't be warm enough, though your jacket _is_thick, isn't it? But I'm going to throw this boa round your neck, byway of precaution. Please wear it; I have another."
"My land! if this ain't luxuriant," and Mrs. Greene smoothed theneckpiece and muff that Mona put on her. "What is this fur, MissGalbraith?"
"That is caracul. Do you like it?"
"Like it? Well, I think it's just too scrumptious for anything. I'llremember the feel of it for a year. And so genteel looking, too."
"Yes, it's a good fur," said Mona, carelessly throwing a sable scarfround her own throat. "Now, let us start."
Down went the eight in an elevator, and Mrs. Greene was overjoyed tofind that she was attended with quite as much deference as Monaherself. Elise and Clementine took their guests in the Farrington car,leaving Patty and Mona, with their guests, for the Galbraith car.
Celeste Arleson enjoyed the ride, but she was not so openly enthusiasticas Mrs. Greene.
"My!" exclaimed that worthy, as she bobbed up and down on the springycushions; "to think it's come at last! Why, I _never_ expected to ridein one of these. I saved up once for a taxicab ride, but I had to usemy savings for a case of grippe, so I never felt to try it again."
"Did you have grippe?" said Patty, sympathetically; "that was toobad."
"Well, no; it wasn't _my_ grippe. Leastways, I didn't have it. It wasa lady that lived in the same boardin' house, along with me. But she'dhad misfortune, and lost her money, so I couldn't do no less than tohelp her. Poor thing! she was crossed in love and it made her queer.But that Rosy,--you know, that redhead boy, Miss Fairfield?"
"Yes, I do," returned Patty, smiling.
"Well, he says she was queered in love, and it made her cross! Sheworks in our place, you know. Well, cross she is; and, my land! if shewasn't cross when she had the grippe! You know, it ain't soothin' onfolks' nerves."
"No," said Patty; "so I've understood. Well, Mrs. Greene, now you cansee plenty of fashionable costumes. Do you enjoy it?"
"My! I'm just drinkin' 'em in! Furs is worn a lot this year, ain'tthey? Well, I don't wonder. Why, I feel real regal in this fur ofyours, Miss Galbraith. I don't know when I've had such a pleasure asthe wearin' of this fur."
"Now, we'll go through the park and up Riverside Drive," said Mona, asthey neared Eighty-sixth Street. It was pleasant in the Park, and thefine motors, with their smartly-apparelled occupants, delighted Mrs.Greene's very soul.
"Where would you like to go, Celeste?" asked Mona; "or do you like thePark and the River drive?"
"If I might, Miss Galbraith, I'd like to go to Grant's Tomb. I'vealways wanted to go there, but I never can get a spare hour,--or if Ido, I'm too tired for the trip."
"Certainly, you shall. Would you like that, Mrs. Greene?"
"Oh, land, yes! I've never been there, either. Quite some few timesI've thought to go, but something always interferes."
So to Grant's Tomb they went. The other car followed, and all went into look at the impressive mausoleum.
"Makes you feel kind o' solemn," said Mrs. Greene, as they came out."Think of lyin' there in that eternal rock, as you might say, and thewhole nation comin' to weep over your bier."
"They don't all weep," observed Celeste.
"Well, in a manner o' speakin', they do," said Mrs. Greene, gently."Not real tears, maybe; but, you know, to weep over a bier, is afigger of speech;
and so far as its meanin' goes, Grant's got it. And,after all, it's the meanin' that counts."
It was nearing sundown as they started down the Drive, and Monaproposed that they go to a tea room, and then take their guests totheir several homes.
"Oh, how pretty!" said Mrs. Greene, as they all went into the MarieJeannette Tea Room.
The younger girls chose chocolate, but Mrs. Greene said, "Give me acup of tea. There's nothing like it, to my mind. And to think ofhaving tea in this beautiful place, all decked with posies. I'll justthrow this fur a little open, but keep it over my shoulders. It looksso luxuriant that way."
Mona ordered dainty sandwiches and little fancy cakes--and after apleasant half-hour they started homeward. They left Celeste at herhome first, and then took Mrs. Greene to hers.
"I live way down on East Eleventh Street," she said, apologetically;"and I oughtn't to let you go clear down there with me. But,--oh,well, I might as well own up,--I'd just love to roll up to our door inthis car!"
"And so you shall," said Mona, appreciating this bit of femininevanity. "And, Mrs. Greene, if you'll accept them, I'd like to make youa present of those furs. I don't need them, for I have several othersets, and you're very welcome to them."
"My land!" said Mrs. Greene, and then could say no more, for her voicechoked, and two tears rolled down her cheeks.
"And to think I thought you ladies were stuck up!" she said, in avoice of contrition. "Why, two angels straight from Heaven couldn't bemore kind or whole-soulder than you two are. But, Miss Galbraith, Ican't accept such a gift,--I--I ought not to."
Mrs. Greene was caressing the fur as she spoke, and Mona patted herhand, saying laughingly:
"I couldn't take it away from anybody who loves it as you do. Pleasekeep it. I'm more glad to give it to you than you can possibly be tohave it."
So Mrs. Greene kept the furs,--and her beaming face proved the depthof thankfulness which she tried, all inadequately, to express.