CHAPTER IV
A SPLENDID TREE
The Christmas Eve dinner was set for an early hour, that the youngerFarrington children might take part in the festivities.
Beside Elise and Roger, there were two younger girls, Louise and Hester,and Bobby, aged ten.
When Patty went down to the drawing-room, she found these three eagerwith anticipation of the Christmas frolic about to begin.
Kenneth Harper was there too, but there were no other guests, as thisevening was to be a family celebration. Soon the other members of thehousehold appeared, and then dinner was announced, and they all went tothe dining-room.
Mr. Farrington offered his arm to Patty, and escorted her out first, asguest of honour. Mrs. Farrington followed with Kenneth, and then the fiveFarrington children came out less formally.
A burst of applause greeted their first sight of the dinner table. It wasindeed a Christmas feast to the eye as well as to the palate.
In the centre of the table was a Christmas tree, decorated with tinseland gay ornaments, and lighted by tiny electric bulbs.
At each plate also, was a tiny Christmas tree, whose box-shaped standardsbore the names of the diners.
"Here's mine!" cried Bobby, as he slid into his chair. "Oh, what a jollydinner!"
On the little place trees hung nuts and bonbons which were to be eaten,"at the pleasure of the performer," as Roger expressed it.
The table was also decked with holly and red ribbons, and the variousviands, as they were served, were shaped or decorated in keeping with theoccasion.
The Farrington household was conducted on a most elaborate plan, andtheir dinners were usually very formal and conventional. But to-night wasan exception, and, save for the solemn butler and grave footmen,everybody in the room was bubbling over with laughter and merriment.
"I'm not hungry any more," declared Bobby, after he had done full justiceto several courses; "let's hurry up, and have the tree."
"Wait, Bobs," advised Hester; "we haven't had the ice cream yet."
"Oh, that's so," said Bobby; "can't we have it now, mother, and skipthese flummerydiddles?"
He looked scornfully at the dainty salad that had just been placed beforehim, but Mrs. Farrington only smiled, not caring to remind him of thelaws of table etiquette on a festive occasion.
"Have patience, Bobby, dear," she said; "the ice cream will come next;and, too, you know the longer the dinner, the later you can sit up."
"That's so!" agreed Bobby. "My, but Christmas Eve is fun! Wish I could situp late every night."
"But it wouldn't be Christmas Eve every night," said Patty, smiling atthe chubby-faced boy.
"That's so! Neither no more it wouldn't! Well, I wish it was ChristmasEve every night, then!"
"That's right," laughed Patty. "Make a good big wish while you're aboutit."
Then the ice cream was served and of course it was in shapes of Christmastrees, and Santa Clauses, and sprigs of holly, and Christmas bells, andPatty's portion was a lovely spray of mistletoe bough.
"Ho, ho!" laughed Kenneth, seeing it across the table; "another goodchance lost! You know the penalty, Patty, if you're caught under themistletoe. But of course if you eat mistletoe, the charm fails."
"I'm willing it should," said Patty, as she took up her spoon. "I'm notpining for a rustic swain to kiss me 'neath the mistletoe bough."
Patty looked very roguish and provoking as she said this, and Mr.Farrington said, gallantly:
"Ah, no, perhaps not. But the swains are doing the pining, withoutdoubt."
Now Roger sat on the other side of Patty, and as his father finishedspeaking, he said, apparently apropos of nothing:
"Mother, are these your Spode plates, or are they Cauldon ware?"
"They're Spode, Roger; why do you want to know? Are you suddenly becominginterested in China?"
"Yes," he replied; "are you sure, mother, these are Spode?"
He lifted the handsome plate in front of him, and gazed intently at themark on its under side, as he held it just above the level of his eyes.
"Be careful, Roger, you'll spill your ice cream," admonished his father.
"No, I won't, sir," he said, as he replaced his plate. "But I never sawSpode with this decoration before. Let me look at yours, Patty."
He took up Patty's plate of ice cream, and lifting it quite high studiedthe stamp on that.
Suddenly he moved it, until the dish of mistletoe ice cream was directlyover Patty's head.
"Fairly caught!" he cried; "under the mistletoe!" And before Patty caughtthe jest, Roger had kissed her pretty pink cheek, and then calmlyrestored her plate of ice cream to its place in front of her.
"You villain!" she cried, glaring at him, and pretending to be greatlyoffended, but smiling in spite of herself at his clever ruse.
"Good for you, my boy!" cried Mr. Farrington, clapping his hands. "I wishI had thought of that myself. But it's a game that won't work twice."
"Indeed it won't!" said Patty, "I'll take care of that!" and she began toeat her mistletoe ice cream in proof of her words.
"It never can happen again," said Kenneth, in sad tones, as he watchedthe "mistletoe" disappear. "But I'll not give up all hope. It's stillChristmas Eve, and there are other mistletoes and other manners."
"And other girls," said Patty, glancing mischievously at Elise.
"Yes, there are four of us," said Louise, so innocently that they alllaughed.
"All right, Louise," said Kenneth, "you find a nice, big spray ofmistletoe, after dinner, and wear it in that big topknot bow of yours,and I'll promise to kiss you on both cheeks."
But Louise was too shy to respond to this repartee, and she dropped hereyes in confusion.
"Now," said Mrs. Farrington, as she rose from the table, "we'll have ourChristmas Waits sing carols, and then we'll have our tree."
The children understood this, and Hester and Bobby at once ran out of theroom. A few moments later they returned, dressed in trailing white robes,like surplices, and before they reached the drawing-room, their childishvoices could be heard singing old-fashioned carols.
They had been well trained, and sang very prettily, and as they appearedin the doorway, Patty could scarcely believe that these demure littlewhite-robed figures were the two merry children.
After two or three carols by the "Waits," the whole party joined in aChristmas chorus, and Patty's clear soprano rang out sweetly in theharmony.
"What a lovely voice you have, Patty, dear," said Mrs. Farrington, as thesong was done; "it has improved greatly since I heard you last. Are youtaking lessons?"
"I shall, Mrs. Farrington, after we get fairly settled. Father wants meto begin as soon as he can find the right teacher."
"Yes, indeed; you must do so. It would be a shame not to cultivate such atalent as that."
"You _have_ improved, Patty!" declared Kenneth. "My! but your voice isstunning. I expect we'll see you on the concert stage yet."
"More likely on a Fifth Avenue stage," said Patty, laughing.
"Now for the tree!" exclaimed Bobby, who had thrown aside his white robe,and was ready for the fun to begin.
The tree had been set up in the indoor tennis-court, which was in theCasino.
This Casino, practically another house, opened from the great hall of theFarrington mansion, and its various apartments were devoted to differentsorts of amusements.
The tennis court made a fine setting for the Christmas celebration, andhad been carefully prepared for the great event.
The floor was covered with white canton flannel, so arranged over slightridges and hummocks that it looked exactly like a field of drifted snow.
The tree, at the end of the room, was the largest that could be obtained,and was loaded with beautiful ornaments and decorations, and glitteringwith electric lights of all colours.
Patty had seen many Christmas trees, but never such a large or splendidone, and it almost took her breath away.
"I didn't know trees ever grew so big,
" she said. "How _did_ you get itinto the house?"
"It _was_ difficult," said Mr. Farrington. "I had to engineer the jobmyself. But Bobby asked for a big tree, and as the children are growingup so fast, I wanted to humour him."
As Patty had often said, "for a millionaire, Mr. Farrington was thekindest man she ever knew."
Though wealthy, he had no desire for display or ostentatiousextravagance, but he loved to please his children, and was sufficientlyrewarded by their enjoyment of the pleasures he provided.
Now, he was as frankly delighted with Bobby's enthusiasm as Bobby waswith his tree.
"Come on, old chappie," he cried; "you shall be Santa Claus, anddistribute the gifts."
Meantime, the older ones were admiring the decorations of the room. Roundthe walls were smaller evergreen trees of varying heights, giving theeffect of a clearing in a grove of evergreens. The ceiling had beendraped across with dark blue material, and was studded with stars, madeof tiny electric lights.
Bunches and wreaths of holly, tied with red ribbons, gave a touch ofcolour to the general effect, and in one corner beneath a green archedbower, a chime of bells pealed softly at intervals.
Altogether, the whole place breathed the very spirit of Christmas, and soperfect were the appointments, that no false note marred the harmony ofit all.
"Now for the presents!" cried Bobby. "Oh, daddy, there's my 'lectricrailroad! Won't you other people wait till I see how it works?"
The others all laughed at the eager, apologetic little face, as Bobbyfound it impossible to curb his impatience to see his new toy.
It was indeed a fine electric railway, and every one became interested asMr. Farrington began to take it from its box and put the parts together.
"This is the way it goes, dad," said Roger, kneeling on the floor besidehis father.
"No, this way," said Kenneth, as he adjusted some of the parts.
Quite content to wait for their gifts, Mrs. Farrington and the girlsstood round watching the proceedings with interest, and soon Patty andElise were down on the floor, too, breathlessly waiting the completion ofthe structure, and cheering gaily as the first train went successfullyround the long track. Other trains followed, switches were set, signalsopened or closed, bridges crossed, and all the manoeuvres of a realrailroad repeated in miniature.
"I haven't had so much fun since I was a kid," said Kenneth, rising fromthe floor and mopping his heated brow with his handkerchief.
"Nor I!" declared Mr. Farrington. "I'd rather rig up that toy for thatboy of mine than--than to own a real railroad!"
"I believe you would!" said his wife, laughing. "And now, suppose you seewhat Santa Claus has for the rest of us."
"Father's all in," said Roger. "You sit on that heap of snow, dad, andKenneth and I will unload these groaning branches."
Bobby was too absorbed in his cars to think of anything else, so thelittle girls acted as messengers to distribute the gifts from the tree.
And this performance was a lengthy one.
Parcel after parcel, daintily wrapped and tied, was given to Patty, and,of course, the Farringtons had many more.
But Patty had a great quantity, for knowing where she was to spend herChristmas, all her young friends had sent gifts to her at theFarringtons', and the accumulation was almost as great as Elise's.
"I'm helpless," said Patty, as she sat with her lap full of gifts, boxesand papers strewn all about her on the floor, and Louise or Hester stillbringing her more parcels.
"Let me help you," said Kenneth, as he picked up a lot of her belongings.
As he was only a dinner guest, of course Kenneth had no such array ofgifts, though the Farringtons had given him some pretty trifles, andPatty gave him a charming little Tanagra statuette she had brought fromFlorence.
"See what Elise gave me," he remarked, as he showed the bronzepaper-knife. "Jolly, isn't it?"
"Yes, indeed," returned Patty, relieved to see that Elise had not givenhim the ring after all. "It'll be fine to cut your briefs when you're areal out-and-out lawyer. What are briefs, anyway?"
"Little girls shouldn't use words of which they don't know the meaning,"said Kenneth, reprovingly.
"Well, anyway, if they're brief enough, they won't need cutting,"returned Patty, saucily, and then returned to the opening of her ownpresents.
She had pretty little gifts from Hilda Henderson, Lorraine Hamilton,Clementine Morse, and many of the other girls, some of whom she had notseen since her return to New York.
"Isn't it lovely to have so many friends?" said she, looking over herpile of gifts at Kenneth.
"Do you love them all?" he asked, smiling back at her happy face.
"Oh, indeed I do. Not exactly because they've given me all these prettythings, for I love the girls just as much in the summer time as atChristmas. But because they're my friends, and so,--I love them."
"Boys are your friends, too," suggested Kenneth.
"Of course they are!" Patty agreed; "and I love them, too. I guess I loveeverybody."
"Rather a big order," said Roger, coming up just then. "Loving everybody,you can't give a very large portion to each one."
"No," said Patty, pretending to look downcast. "Now, isn't that _too_bad! Well, never mind, I've plenty of gratitude to go round, anyway. AndI offer you a big share of that, Roger, for this silver box."
"Do you like it? Oh, please like it, Patty."
"Of course I do; it's exquisite workmanship, and I shall use itfor,--well, it seems most too prosaic,--but it's exactly the right shapeand size for hairpins!"
"Then use it for 'em! Why not?" cried Roger, evidently pleased that Pattycould find a use for his gift.
"And see what Ken gave me," went on Patty, as she held up a small crystalball. "I've long wanted a crystal, and this is a beauty."
"What's it for?" asked Roger, curiously; "it looks like a marble."
"Marble, indeed! Why, Roger, it's a crystal, a Japanese rock crystal."
"Isn't it glass?"
"No, ignorant one! 'Tis not glass, but a curio of rare and occult value.In it I read the future, the past, and the present."
"Yes, it is a present, I know," said Roger, and in the laugh at thissally the subject was dropped, but Roger secretly vowed to look up thesubject of crystals and find out why Patty was so pleased with a marble.
"Elise is simply snowed under," said Kenneth, as they heard rapturousexclamations from the other side of the room, where Elise was examiningher gifts.
"Think of it!" cried Patty; "she had everything a girl could possiblywant yesterday, and now to-day she has a few bushels more!"
It was literally true. Getting free, somehow, of her own impedimenta,Patty ran over to see Elise's things.
"You look like a fancy bazaar gone to smash," she declared, as she sawElise in the midst of her Christmas portion.
"I feel like an International Exhibition," returned Elise. "I've giftsfrom all parts of the known world!"
"And unknown!" said Kenneth, picking up various gimcracks of whose nameor use he had no idea.
"But this is what I like best," she went on, smiling at Kenneth, as sheheld up the dainty little card-case he had given her. "I shall use thisonly when calling on my dearest friends."
"Good for you!" he returned. "Glad you like it. And as I know you've lotsof dearest friends, I'll promise, when it's worn out, to give youanother."
Elise looked a trifle disappointed at this offhand response to her moreearnest speech, but she only smiled gaily, and turned the subject.