CHAPTER IX
FERN FALLS
Christmas would be on Wednesday, and it was arranged that Patty andMona should go up to Fern Falls on Monday. Roger and Philip Van Reypenwere to go up on Tuesday for the Christmas Eve celebration; and therest of the house-party were already at the Kenerleys'.
The girls started off early in the afternoon, and a train ride ofthree hours brought them to the pretty little New England village ofFern Falls.
Jim Kenerley met them with a motor.
"We hoped for snow," he said, as he cordially greeted the befurredyoung women who stepped off the train at the little station. "So muchmore Christmassy, you know. But, at any rate, we have cold, clearweather, and that's something. Hop in, now. Adele didn't come to meetyou,--sent all kinds of excuses, which I've forgotten, but she cantell you herself, when we reach the house. Here, I'll sit between you,and keep you from shaking around and perhaps spilling out."
Cheery Jim Kenerley bustled them into the tonneau, looked after theirluggage, and then, taking his own place, drew up the fur robes snugly,and the chauffeur started off. It was a four-mile spin to the house,for the village itself was distant from the station, and theKenerleys' house a mile or so beyond.
It was cold, but the girls were warmly wrapped up and didn't a bitmind the clear, frosty air, though in an open car. "Didn't bring thelimousine," Mr. Kenerley rattled on. "Can't abide to be shut up in astuffy glass house, and then, you know, people who ride in glasshouses mustn't throw stones."
"But, you see, we girls couldn't hit anything if we did throw astone," said Patty. "At least, women have that reputation."
"That's so," agreed Jim. "Can't even hit the side of a barn, so theysay. But I expect you girls that grow up with athletics and basketball, and such things, put the old proverbs to rout."
"How's Daisy?" asked Mona. "Same as ever?"
"Yep; same as ever. Daisy's all right, you know, if things go her way.But if not----"
"If not, she makes them go her way," said Mona, and Jim laughed andagreed, "She sure does!"
At last they reached the house, which Jim informed them they haddubbed the Kenerley Kennel, for no particular reason, except that itsounded well.
"But you have dogs?" asked Patty, as they rolled up the driveway.
"Yes, but we didn't exactly name it after them. Hello, here are thegirls!"
Adele and Daisy appeared in the doorway, and greeted the visitors intruly feminine fashion, which included much laughter and exclamation.
"Where do I come in?" said a laughing voice, and a big, laughing manleft his seat by the fireplace and came toward them.
"This is my brother," said Adele, "by name, Mr. Harold Ferris,--butcommonly called Chub."
The name was not inapt, for Mr. Ferris showed a round, chubby face,with big, dancing black eyes and ringlets of dark hair clustered onhis brow. Only his enormous size prevented his appearance beingpositively infantile, and his round, dimpled face was as good-naturedas that of a laughing baby.
"And so you're the two girls who are to spend Christmas with us," hesaid, beaming down on them from his great height. "Well, you'll do!"
He looked approvingly from Patty's flower face to Mona's glowingbeauty, and truly it would have been hard to find two more attractivelooking girls. The sudden transition from the cold out-of-doors to thewarmth of the blazing fire had flushed their cheeks and brightenedtheir eyes, and the hearty welcome they received brought smiles ofdelight to their faces.
"Now, come away with me," said Adele, "and get off your furs andwraps, and make yourselves pretty for tea."
"Oh, I know what you'll do," said Chub, in an aggrieved tone. "You'lljust go upstairs and hob-nob and talk and gossip and chatter andbabble, and never get down here again! I know girls! Why, first thingI know, you'll be having your tea sent up there!"
"Great idea!" exclaimed Patty, twinkling her eyes at him. "Let's dothat, Adele; kimono party, you know. We'll see you at dinner time,Mr. Ferris."
"Dinner time, nothing! If you're not back here in fifteen minutes, thewhole crowd of you, I'll--I'll----"
"Well, what will you do?" laughed Mona.
"Never you mind,--you'll find out all too soon. Now, skip, andremember, tea will be served in just fifteen minutes."
The girls had really no intention of not returning, and it was notmuch more than the allotted time before Patty and Mona were arrayed insoft, pretty house-dresses and reappeared in the great hall, where teawas already being placed for them.
The big fireplace had cosy seats on either side, and the cracklinglogs and flickering blaze made all the light that was needed save fora pair of tall cathedral candles in their antique standards.
"What a duck of a house!" exclaimed Patty, as she came down the broadstaircase, her soft, rose-coloured chiffon gown shimmering in thefirelight. She cuddled up in a corner near the fire, and Hal Ferrisbrought a cushion to put behind her.
"It ought to be a rose-coloured one," he said, apologetically; "but Ididn't see one handy to grab, and really this old blue isn't half badfor a background."
"Much obliged for your kind colour-scheme," said Patty, smiling athim, "and I'll have one lump, please, and a bit of lemon."
Big Mr. Ferris proved himself tactful as well as kind, for he dividedhis attentions impartially among the four ladies.
"A little shy of men; aren't we, Adele?" he said to his sister. "EvenJim seems to have disappeared. Not that I mind being the only pebbleon the beach,--far from it,--but I'm afraid I can't prove entertainingenough for four."
"You're doing nobly so far," said Patty, cuddling into her cushion,for she loved luxurious warmth, like a kitten.
"Two more men are coming to dinner, girls," said their hostess; "andto-morrow, you know, we'll have two more house-party guests. Don'tworry, Chub, you shan't be overworked, I promise you."
After a pleasant tea hour, the girls went again to their rooms,ostensibly to rest before dinner, but really to have what Patty calleda kimono party.
All in their pretty negligees, they gathered in Adele's room andtalked as rapidly and interruptingly as any four girls can.
"Do you hear from Bill Farnsworth often?" asked Daisy of Patty,_apropos_ of nothing but her own curiosity.
"Not often, Daisy," returned Patty, of no mind to pursue the subject.
"But don't you ever hear from him?" persisted the other.
"Oh, sometimes," said Patty, carelessly. "He sent me flowers for mycoming-out party."
"I hear from Bill sometimes," said Adele. "I asked him to come tothis party, but he couldn't possibly leave just now. He's awfullybusy."
"What's he doing?" asked Mona.
"I don't know exactly," answered Adele. "Jim can tell you, but it hassomething to do with prospecting of mines. Say, girls, do you want tosee the baby before she's put to bed?"
Of course they did, and they all trooped into the nursery to admirethe tiny mite of humanity, who looked a picture, with her tumbledcurls and her laughing face, just ready for bed.
She remembered Patty and Mona, and greeted them without shyness,clinging to Patty's neck and begging her to stay and sing her tosleep.
This Patty would have done, but Adele wouldn't allow it, and orderedthe girls back to their rooms to dress for dinner.
"Eight o'clock sharp," she warned them, "and don't put on yourprettiest gowns; save those for to-morrow night."
Patty wandered around her room, singing softly, as she dressed.Looking over her dinner gowns, she decided upon her second best, awhite marquisette with a garniture of pearl beads and knots of paleblue velvet. When the maid came to assist her she was nearly dressed,and ten minutes before the dinner hour she was quite ready to godownstairs. "I may as well go on down," she thought to herself. "I canexplore the house a little."
She looked in at Mona's door as she passed, but as that young womanwas just having her gown put over her head, she didn't see Patty, andso Patty went on downstairs.
There was no one about, so she strolled through the va
rious rooms,admiring the big, pleasant living-room, the cosy library, and thendrifted back to the great hall, which was very large, even for amodern country house. It was wainscoted in dark wood, and containedmany antique bits of furniture and some fine specimens of old armourand other curios. Jim Kenerley's father had been rather a notedcollector, and had left his treasures to his only son. They had chosenthis house as being roomy and well-fitted for their belongings.
Patty came back to the great fireplace, and stood there, leaning hergolden head against one of the massive uprights.
"Adele told me you were a peach," exclaimed a laughing voice, "butshe didn't half tell me how much of a one you are!"
Patty turned her head slowly, and looked at Mr. Hal Ferris.
"And I thought you were a mannerly boy!" she said, in a tone of gravereproach.
"I beg your pardon," he exclaimed. "I do indeed! I'm almost a strangerto you, I know; I ought to have waited until I know you better to sayanything of that sort to you! May I take it back, and then say it toyou again after I do know you better?"
Patty couldn't help smiling at his mock dismay.
"And how well shall I have to know you," he went on, "before I can sayit to you properly?"
"I can't answer that question at once," said Patty. "We'll have to letour acquaintance proceed, and see----"
"And see how the cat jumps," he suggested.
"Yes," agreed Patty. "And, by the way, what a jumper that cat mustbe."
"Small wonder, with everybody waiting to see how she jumps! Oh, pshaw!here comes a horde of people, and our pleasant tete-a-tete isspoiled!"
"Never mind; we'll have another some time," and Patty gave him adimpled smile that quite completed the undoing of Mr. Harold Ferris.
The "horde" proved to be two young men from nearby country houses, Mr.Collins and Mr. Hoyt. And then the other members of the householdappeared, and soon dinner was announced.
"We haven't any especial guest of honour," said Mrs. Kenerley, "foryou're all so very honourable. So pair off just as you like."
Hal Ferris jumped a low chair and two footstools to reach Patty beforeany one else could. "Come in with me," he said. "I know the way to thedining-room."
"I'm glad to be shown," said Patty. "You see, I've never been herebefore."
"I know it; that's why I'm being so kind to you. To-morrow I'll takeyou up in the tower--it's great."
"Why, is this place a castle?"
"Not exactly, but it's modelled after an old chateau. Really, it's amost interesting house."
"All right. To-morrow we'll explore it thoroughly."
And then they took their seats at the table, and as the party wassmall, conversation became general.
Suddenly Patty became aware that Mr. Collins, who sat on the other sideof her, was trying to attract her attention. He was a mild-manneredyoung man, and he looked at her reproachfully.
"I've asked you a question three times, Miss Fairfield," he said, "andyou never even heard it."
"Then you certainly can't expect me to answer it, Mr. Collins," andPatty laughed gaily. "Won't you repeat it for me, please? I'll promiseto hear it this time."
"I said, did you ever make a lemon pig?"
"A lemon pig! No, I never did. How do you make it?"
"Oh, they're the maddest fun! I say, Mrs. Kenerley, mayn't we have alemon?"
"Certainly, Mr. Collins."
"And, oh, I say, Mrs. Kenerley, if it isn't too much trouble, mayn'twe have a box of matches, and two black pins, and a bit of paper?"
"And a colander and a tack hammer and a bar of soap?" asked Ferris,but Mr. Collins said, gravely: "No, we don't want those."
The articles he had asked for were soon provided, and in the slow,grave way in which he did everything, Mr. Collins began to make thestrange animal of which he had spoken. The lemon formed the whole pig,with four matches for his legs, two black pins for his eyes, and anarrow strip of paper, first curled round a match, for his tail. Itwas neither artistic nor realistic, but it was an exceedingly comicalpig, and soon it began to squeak in an astonishingly pig-like voice.Then a tap at the window was heard, and a farmer's gruff voiceshouted: "Have you my pig in there? My little Lemmy pig?"
"Yes," responded Mr. Collins, "we have; and we mean to keep him, too."
"I'll have the law of ye," shouted the farmer. "Me pig escaped fromthe sty, and I call upon ye to give him up!"
"We won't do it!" shouted several of the men in chorus.
"Then, kape him!" returned the voice of the farmer, and they heard hisheavy tramp as he strode away.
Patty looked puzzled. She couldn't understand what it all meant, untilHal Ferris whispered, "It was only Collins; he's a ventriloquist."
"Oh," said Patty, turning to Mr. Collins, delightedly, "was it reallyyou? Oh, how do you do it? I've always wanted to hear a ventriloquist,and I never did before."
"Oh, yes, you did!" said a voice from the other end of the table, andPatty looked up, saying earnestly, "No, I didn't!" when she realisedthat the accusation had really come from Mr. Collins.
"Oh, what fun!" she cried, clapping her hands. "Do some more!"
"I'd rather he wouldn't," said Adele, and Patty looked at her insurprise. "Why not, Adele?" she asked.
Everybody laughed, and Adele said: "You're too easily fooled, Patty.That was Mr. Collins speaking like me. He knows my voice so well hecan imitate it."
"He'd better stop it!" came in a deep growl from Jim Kenerley's end ofthe table, and Patty was surprised at such a speech from her urbanehost. Then she realised that that, too, was Mr. Collins speaking.
"I just love it!" she exclaimed. "I've always wanted to know how to doit. Won't you teach me?"
"You couldn't learn," said Mr. Collins, smiling at her.
And then Patty _heard herself_ say: "I could so! I think you're realmean!"
Her bewildered look changed to admiration at his wonderful imitationof her voice, and the natural, petulant tone of the remark.
"It's too wonderful!" she said. "Some other time, Mr. Collins, afterdinner, maybe, will you teach me just a little about it?"
"I'll try," he said, kindly; "but I warn you, Miss Fairfield, it isn'teasy to learn, unless one has a natural gift for it, and a peculiarthroat formation."
"Don't teach her," begged Daisy Dow. "She'll be keeping us awake allnight with her practising."
It was like Daisy to say something unpleasant; but Patty only smiledat her, and said, "I'll practise being an angel, and sing you tosleep, Daisy."
"You sing like an angel without any practice," said Mona, who wasalways irritated when Daisy was what Patty called snippy.
"Oh, do you sing, Miss Fairfield?" said Mr. Hoyt, from across thetable. "You must join our Christmas choir, then. We're going to have aglorious old carolling time to-morrow night."
"I'll be glad to," replied Patty, "if I know your music."
But after dinner, when they tried some of the music, they discoveredthat Patty could sing readily at sight, and she was gladly welcomed tothe musical circle of Fern Falls.
"How long are you staying here?" asked Mr. Hoyt.
"A month, at least," Adele answered for Patty.
"Oh, no, not so long as that," Patty protested. "A fortnight, atmost."
But Adele only smiled, and said, "We'll see about that, my dear."
After a time, Hal Ferris came to Patty, and tried to draw her awayfrom the group around the piano.
"You're neglecting me shamefully," he said; "and I'm the brother ofyour hostess! Guests should always be especially kind to the Brotherof a Hostess."
"What can I do for you?" asked Patty, smiling, as she walked out tothe hall with him.
"Quit talking to the other people, and devote yourself to me," was theprompt response.
"Do all your sister's guests do that?"
"I don't want 'em all to; I only want you to."
"And what about _my_ wants?"
"Yes; _what_ about them? You want to talk to me, _don't_ you?"
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sp; His tone and smile were so roguishly eager that Patty felt a strongliking for this big, boyish chap.
"I'll talk for ten minutes," she said, "and then we're going to dance,I believe."
"Oh, and then they'll all be after you! I say," and he drew her towarda window, from where the moonlight could be plainly seen, "Let's goout and skate. The ice is fine!"
"Skate! You must be crazy!"
"Yes; I supposed you'd say so! But to-morrow more people are coming,and I'll never see anything of you. Say, how about this? Are you gameto get up and go for an early morning skate, just with me, and not letanybody else know?"
"I'd like that!" and Patty's eyes sparkled, for she dearly loved earlymorning fresh air. "Of course, we'll tell Adele."
"Yes; so she'll have some breakfast made for us. But nobody else. Howabout eight o'clock? Regular breakfast will be at nine-thirty."
"Good! I'll be ready at eight."
"Meet me in the breakfast-room at eight, then. Do you know where itis? Just off the big dining-room."
"What are you two hob-nobbing about?" asked Daisy, curiously, as shestrolled over toward them.
"I'm just telling Miss Fairfield about the plan of the house," saidFerris, innocently. "It's well planned, isn't it?"
"Very," said Patty.