CHAPTER XIII
THE THURSDAY CLUB
As Patty was temporarily out of an "occupation," she went skating thenext day with the Farringtons and Kenneth. Indeed, the four were so oftentogether that they began to call themselves the Quartette.
After a jolly skate, which made their cheeks rosy, they all went back toPatty's, as they usually did after skating.
"I think you might come to my house, sometimes," said Elise.
"Oh, I have to go to Patty's to look after the goldfish," said Kenneth."I thought Darby swam lame, the last time I saw him. Does he, Patty?"
"No, not now. But Juliet has a cold, and I'm afraid of rheumatism settingin."
"No," said Kenneth; "she's too young for rheumatism. But she may have'housemaid's knee.' You must be very careful about draughts."
The goldfish were a never-failing source of fun for the Quartette. Thefish themselves were quiet, inoffensive little creatures, but the readyimagination of the young people invested them with all sorts of strangequalities, both physical and mental.
"Juliet's still sulky about that thimble," said Roger, as they all lookedinto the fishes' globe. "I gave her Patty's thimble yesterday to wear fora hat, and it didn't suit her at all."
"I should say not!" cried Patty. "She thought it was a helmet. You musttake her for Joan of Arc."
"She didn't wear a helmet," said Elise, laughing.
"Well, she wore armour. They belong together. Anyway, Juliet doesn't knowbut that Joan of Arc wore a helmet."
"Oh, is that what made her so sulky?" said Roger. "Nice disposition, Imust say."
"She's nervous," put in Kenneth, "and a little morbid, poor thing. Patty,I think a little iron in the water would do her good."
"Send for a flatiron, Patty," said Roger. "I know it would help her, ifyou set it carefully on top of her."
"I won't do it!" said Patty. "Poor Juliet is flat enough now. She doesn'teat enough to keep a bird alive. Let's go away and leave her to sleep.That will fatten her, maybe."
"Lullaby, Julie, in the fish-bowl," sang Roger.
"When the wind blows, the billows will roll," continued Elise, fanningthe water in the globe with a newspaper.
"When the bowl breaks, the fishes will fall," contributed Patty, and Kenwound up by singing:
"And the Cat will eat Juliet, Darby, and all!"
"Oh, horrible!" cried Patty. "Indeed she won't! My beautiful pets shallnever meet that cruel fate."
Leaving Juliet to her much needed nap, they all strolled into thelibrary.
"Let's be a club," said Elise. "Just us four, you know."
"All right," said Patty, who loved clubs. "What sort of a club?"
"Musical," said Elise. "We all sing."
"Musical clubs are foolish," said Roger. "Let's be a dramatic club."
"Dramatic clubs are too much work," said Patty; "and four isn't enoughfor that, anyway. Let's do good."
"Oh, Patty," groaned Kenneth, "you're getting so eleemosynary there's nofun in you!"
"Mercy, gracious!" cried Patty. "_What_ was that fearful word you said,Ken? No! don't say it over again! I can't stand all of it at once!"
"Well, we have to stand you!" grumbled Kenneth, "and you're _that_ allthe time, now. What foolishness are you going to fly at next, trying toearn a dishonest penny?"
"I'm thinking of going out as a cook," said Patty, her eyes twinkling."Cooking is the only thing I really know how to do. But I can do that."
"You'll be fine as cook," said Roger. "May I come round Thursdayafternoons and take you out?"
"I s'pose I'll only have every other Thursday," said Patty, demurely.
"And the other Thursday you won't be there! But what about this clubwe're organising?"
"Make it musical," said Kenneth, "and then while one of us is playing orsinging some classical selection, the others can indulge in merryconversation."
"You may as well make it the Patty Club," said Elise, "as I suppose itwill always meet here."
Though not really jealous of her friend's popularity, Elise alwaysresented the fact that the young people would rather be at Patty's thanat her own home.
The reason was, that the Fairfield house, though handsomely appointed,was not so formally grand as the Farringtons', and there was always anatmosphere of cordiality and hospitality at Patty's, while at Elise's itwas oppressively formal and dignified.
"Oh, pshaw," said Patty, ignoring Elise's unkind intent; "I won't haveyou always here. We'll take turns, of course."
"All right," said Elise; "every other week at my house and every otherweek here. But don't you think we ought to have more than four members?"
"No, I don't," declared Kenneth, promptly. "And we don't want any musicalnonsense, or any dramatic foolishness, either. Let's just have fun; ifit's pleasant weather, we'll go skating, or sleighing, or motoring, orwhatever you like; if it isn't, we'll stay indoors, or go to a matineeor concert, or something like that."
"Lovely!" cried Elise. "But if we're to go to matinees, we'll have tomeet Saturdays."
"Or Wednesdays," amended Patty. "Let's meet Wednesdays. I 'most alwayshave engagements on Saturdays."
"All right; shall we call it the Wednesday Club, then?"
"No, Elise," said Roger, gravely. "That's too obvious; we will call itthe Thursday Club, because we meet on Wednesday; see?"
"No, I don't see," said Elise, looking puzzled.
"Why," explained Roger, "you see we'll spend all day Thursday thinkingover the good time we had on Wednesday!"
"But that isn't the real reason," said Patty, giggling. "The real reasonwe call it the Thursday Club is because it meets on Wednesday!"
"That's it, Patsy!" said Ken, approvingly, for he and Patty had the samelove for nonsense, though more practical Elise couldn't always understandit.
"Well, then, the Thursday Club will meet here next Wednesday," saidPatty; "unless I am otherwise engaged."
For she just happened to think, that on that day she might be againattempting to earn her fifteen dollars.
"What's the Thursday Club? Mayn't I belong?" said a pleasant voice, andMr. Hepworth came in.
"Oh, how do you do?" cried Patty, jumping up, and offering both hands."I'm so glad to see you. Do sit down."
"I came round," said Mr. Hepworth, after greeting the others, "in hopes Icould corral a cup of tea. I thought you ran a five-o'clock tea-room."
"We do," said Patty, ringing a bell nearby. "That is, we always have teawhen Nan is home; and we can just as well have it when she isn't."
"I suppose you young people don't care for tea," went on Mr. Hepworth,looking a little enviously at the merry group, who, indeed, didn't carewhether they had tea or not.
"Oh, yes, we do," said Patty. "We love it. But we,--we just forgot it. Wewere so engrossed in organising a club."
But the others did not follow up this conversational beginning, and evenbefore the tea was brought, Elise said she must go.
"Nonsense!" said Patty; "don't go yet."
But Elise was decided, so away she went, and of course, Roger went too.
"And I'm going," said Kenneth, as Patty, having followed Elise out intothe hall, he joined them there.
"Oh; don't you go, Ken," said Patty.
"Yes, I'd rather. When Hepworth comes you get so grown-up all of asudden. With your 'Oh, how do you do?' and your _tea_."
Kenneth mimicked Patty's voice, which did sound different when she spoketo Mr. Hepworth.
"Ken, you're very unjust," said Patty, her cheeks flushing; "of course Ihave to give Mr. Hepworth tea when he asks for it; and if I seem more'grown-up' with him, it's because he's so much older than you are."
"He is, indeed! About twelve years older! Too old to be your friend. Heought to be calling on Mrs. Fairfield."
"He is. He calls on us both. I think you're very silly!"
This conversation had been in undertones, while Elise was donning her hatand furs, and great was her curiosity when Patty turned from Kenneth,with an offended or hurt
expression on her face.
"What's the matter with you two?" she asked, bluntly.
"Nothing," said Ken, looking humble. "Patty's been begging me to be morepolite to the goldfish."
"Nonsense!" laughed Patty; "your manners are above reproach, Ken."
"Thanks, fair lady," he replied, with a Chesterfieldian bow, and then thethree went away.
"Did I drive off your young friends, Patty?" said Mr. Hepworth, as shereturned to the library, where Jane was already setting forth the teathings.
Patty was nonplussed. He certainly had driven them away, but she couldn'texactly tell him so.
"You needn't answer," he said, laughing at her dismayed expression. "I amsorry they don't like me, but until you show that you don't, I shallcontinue to come here."
"I hope you will," said Patty, earnestly. "It isn't that they don't likeyou, Mr. Hepworth; it's that they think you don't like them."
"What?"
"Oh, I don't mean exactly that; but they think that you think they'rechildren,--almost, and you're bored by them."
"I'm not bored by you, and you're a child,--almost."
"Well, I don't know how it is," said Patty, throwing off allresponsibility in the matter; "but I like them and I like you, and yet,I'd rather have you at different times."
"Which do you like better?" asked Mr. Hepworth. He knew it was a foolishquestion, but it was uttered almost involuntarily.
"Them!" said Patty, but she gave him such a roguish smile as she said it,that he almost thought she meant the opposite.
"Still," she went on, with what was palpably a mock regret, "I shall haveto put up with you for the present; so be as young as you can. How manylumps, please?"
"Two; you see I can be very young."
"Yes," said Patty, approvingly; "it is young to take two lumps. But nowtell me something about Miss Farley. Have you heard from her or of herlately?"
"Yes, I have," said Mr. Hepworth, as he stirred his tea. "That is, I'veheard of her. My friend, down in Virginia, who knows Miss Farley, hassent me another of her sketches, and it proves more positively than everthat the girl has real genius. But, Patty, I want you to give up thisscheme of yours to help her. It was good of your father to make the offerhe did, but I don't want you racing around to these dreadful placeslooking for work. I'm going to get some other people interested in MissFarley, and I'm sure her art education can be managed in some way. I'dwillingly subscribe the whole sum needed, myself, but it would beimpossible to arrange it that way. She'd never accept it, if she knew;and it's difficult to deceive her."
Patty looked serious.
"I don't wonder you think I can't do what I set out to do," she saidslowly, "for I've made so many ridiculous failures already. But pleasedon't lose faith in me, yet. Give me one or two more chances."
Mr. Hepworth looked kindly into Patty's earnest eyes.
"Don't take this thing too seriously," he said.
"But I want to take it seriously. You think I'm a child,--a butterfly. Iassure you I am neither."
"I think you're adorable, whatever you are!" was on the tip of GilbertHepworth's tongue; but he did not say it.
Though he cared more for Patty than for anything on earth, he had vowedto himself the girl should never know it. He was thirty-five, and Pattybut eighteen, and he knew that was too great a discrepancy in years forhim ever to hope to win her affections.
So he contented himself with an occasional evening call, or once in awhile dropping in at tea time, resolved never to show to Patty herselfthe high regard he had for her.
She had told him of her various unsuccessful attempts at "earning herliving," and he deeply regretted that he had been the means of bringingabout the situation.
He did not share Mr. Fairfield's opinion that the experience was a goodone for Patty, and would broaden her views of humanity in general, andteach her a few worth-while lessons.
"Please give up the notion," he urged, after they had talked the matterover.
"Indeed I won't," returned Patty. "At least, not until I've proved to myown satisfaction that my theories are wrong. And I don't think yet thatthey are. I still believe I can earn fifteen dollars a week, withouthaving had special training for any work. Surely I ought to have time toprove myself right."
"Yes, you ought to have time," said Mr. Hepworth, gently, "but you oughtnot to do it at all. It's an absurd proposition, the whole thing. And asI, unfortunately, brought it about, I want to ask you, please, to dropit."
"No, sir!" said Patty, gravely, but wagging a roguish forefinger at him;"people can't undo their mistakes so easily. If, as you say, you broughtabout this painful situation, then you must sit patiently by and watch meas I flounder about in the various sloughs of despond."
"Oh, Patty, don't! Please drop it all,--for my sake!"
Patty looked up in surprise at his earnest tones, but she only laughedgaily, and said:
"Nixy! Not I! Not by no means! But I'll give in to this extent. I'llagree not to make more than three more attempts. If I can't succeed inthree more efforts, I'll give up the game, and confess myself a butterflyand an idiot."
"The only symptoms of idiocy are shown in your making three moreattempts," said Mr. Hepworth, who was almost angry at Patty'spersistence.
"Oh, pooh! I probably shan't make three more! I just somehow feel sureI'll succeed the very next time."
"A sanguine idiot is the most hopeless sort," said Mr. Hepworth, with aresigned air. "May I ask what you intend to attempt next?"
"You may ask, but you can't be answered, for I don't yet know, myself.I've two or three tempting plans, but I don't know which to choose. I'vethought of taking a place as cook."
"Patty! don't you dare do such a thing! To think of you in akitchen,--under orders! Oh, child, how _can_ you?"
Patty laughed outright at Mr. Hepworth's dismay.
"Cheer up!" she cried; "I didn't mean it! But you think skilled labour isnecessary, and truly, I'm skilled in cooking. I really am."
"Yes, chafing-dish trifles; and fancy desserts."
"Well, those are good things for a cook to know."
"Patty, promise me you won't take any sort of a servant's position."
"Oh, I can't promise that. I fancy I'd make a rather good lady's-maid orparlour-maid. But I promise you I won't be a cook. Much as I like to fusswith a chafing-dish, I shouldn't like to be kept in a kitchen and boiland roast things all the time."
"I should say not! Well, since I can't persuade you to give up yourfoolish notion, do go on, and get through with your three attempts assoon as possible. Remember, you've promised not more than three."
"I promise," said Patty, with much solemnity, and then Nan and Mr.Fairfield came in.
Mr. Hepworth appealed at once to Mr. Fairfield, telling him what he hadalready told Patty.
"Nonsense, Hepworth," said Patty's father, "I'm glad you started the ballrolling. It hasn't done Patty a bit of harm, so far, and it will be anexperience she'll always remember. Let her go ahead; she can't succeed,but she can have the satisfaction of knowing she tried."
"I'm not so sure she can't succeed," said Nan, standing up for Patty, wholooked a little crestfallen at the remarks of her father.
"Good for you, Nan!" cried Patty; "I'll justify your faith in me yet. Iknow Mr. Hepworth thinks I'm good for nothing, but Daddy ought to know mebetter."
Mr. Hepworth seemed not to notice this petulant outburst, and only said:
"Remember, you've promised to withdraw from the arena after three moreconflicts."
"They won't be conflicts," said Patty, "and there won't be but one,anyway!"
"So much the better," said Mr. Hepworth, calmly.