CHAPTER VI
A FAIR PROPOSITION
It was on the afternoon of New Year's Day that Mr. Hepworth came to callon Patty. She was at home again, having returned from her visit to Elisea few days after Christmas.
"You know I am old-fashioned," he said, as he greeted the Fairfieldfamily, and joined their circle round the library fire. "But I don'tsuppose you thought I was quite so old-fashioned as to make calls on NewYear's Day. However, I'm not quite doing that, as this is the only call Ishall make to-day."
"We're glad to see you any day in the year," said Nan, cordially, andPatty added:
"Indeed we are. I've been wondering why you didn't come round."
"Busy," said Mr. Hepworth, smiling at her. "An artist's life is not aleisure one."
"Is anybody's now-a-days?" asked Mr. Fairfield. "The tendency of the ageis to rush and hurry all the time. What a contrast to a hundred yearsago!"
"And a good contrast, too," declared Nan. "If the world still joggedalong at a hundred years ago rate, we would have no motor-cars, noaeroplanes, no----"
"No North Pole," suggested her husband. "True enough, Nan, to accomplishthings we must be busy."
"I want to get busy," said Patty. "No, I don't mean that for slang,"--asher father looked at her reprovingly,--"but I want to do something thatis really worth while."
"The usual ambition of extreme youth," said Mr. Hepworth, looking at herkindly, if quizzically. "Do you want to reform the world, and in whatway?"
"Not exactly reform it," said Patty, smiling back at him; "reform hassuch a serious sound. But I do want to make it brighter and better."
"That's a good phrase, too," observed Mr. Hepworth, still teasingly."But, Patty, you do make the world brighter and better, just by being init."
"That's too easy; and, anyway, I expect to remain in it for some severalyears yet; and I want to do something beside just _be_."
"Ah, well, you can doubtless find some outlet for your enthusiasms."
"What she really wants," said her father, "is to be an operatic star."
"And sing into phonographs," added Nan, mischievously.
"Yes," smiled Patty, "and have my picture in the backs of magazines!"
"That's right," said Mr. Hepworth, "aim high, while you're about it."
"I can aim high enough," returned Patty, "but I'm not sure I can singhigh enough."
"Oh, you only need to come high enough, to be an operatic star," said Mr.Hepworth, who was in merry mood to-day.
"But, seriously," said Patty, who was in earnest mood, "I do want to dogood. I don't mean in a public way, but in a charity way."
"Oh, soup-kitchens and bread-lines?"
"No; not exactly. I mean to help people who have no sweetness and lightin their lives."
"Oh, Patty," groaned Nan, "if you're on that tack, you're hopeless. Whathave you been reading? 'The Young Maiden's Own Ruskin,' or 'Look Up andNot Down'?"
"And lend a ten," supplemented Mr. Fairfield.
"You needn't laugh," began Patty, pouting a little. Then she laughedherself, and went on: "Yes, you may laugh if you want to,--I know I soundridiculous. But I tell you, people, I'm going to make good!"
"You may make good," said her father, "but you'll never be good until youstop using slang. How often, my daughter, have I told you----"
"Oh, cut it out, daddy," said Patty, dimpling with laughter, for she knewher occasional slang phrases amused her father, even though they annoyedhim. "If you'll help me 'do noble things, not dream them all day long,'I'll promise to talk only in purest English undefiled."
"Goodness, Patty!" said Nan, "you're a walking cyclopaedia of poeticalquotations to-day."
"And you're a running commentary on them," returned Patty, promptly,which remark sent Mr. Hepworth off in peals of laughter.
"Oh, Patty!" he exclaimed, "I'm afraid you're going to grow up clever!That would be fatal to your ambition! Be good, sweet child, and let whowill be clever. Nobody can be both."
"I can," declared Patty; "I'll show you Missouri people yet!"
Mr. Fairfield groaned at this new burst of slang, but Mr. Hepworth onlylaughed.
"She'll get over it," he said. "A few years of these 'noble aims' of herswill make her so serious-minded that she won't even see the meaning of aslang phrase. Though, I must admit, I think some of them very apt,myself."
"They sure are!" said irrepressible Patty, giggling at her father'sfrown.
"But I'll tell you one thing," went on Mr. Hepworth: "Whatever line youdecide upon, let it be something that needs no training. I mean, if youchoose to go in for organised charity or settlement work, well and good.But don't attempt Red Cross nursing or kindergarten teaching, or anythingthat requires technical knowledge. For in these days, only trained laboursucceeds, and only expert, at that."
"Oh, pshaw," said Patty; "I don't mean to earn money. Though if I wantedto, I'm sure I could. Why, if I _had_ to earn my own living, I could doit as easy as anything!"
"I'm not so sure of that," said Mr. Hepworth, gravely. "It isn't so easyfor a young woman to earn her living without a technical education insome line."
"Well, Patty, you'll never have to earn your own living," said herfather, smiling; "so don't worry about that. But I agree with our friend,that you couldn't do it, if you did have to."
"That sounds so Irish, daddy, that I think it's as bad as slang. However,I see you are all of unsympathetic nature, so I won't confide in youfurther as to my aims or ambitions."
"I haven't noticed any confidences yet," murmured Nan; "only appeals forhelp."
Patty gave her a withering glance.
"The subject is dropped," she said; "let us now talk about the weather."
"No," said Hepworth; "let me tell you a story. Let me tell you of a girlI met down South, who, if she only had Patty's determination and force ofcharacter, might achieve success, and even renown."
"Do tell us about her," said Nan, for Mr. Hepworth was always aninteresting talker.
"She lives in Virginia, and her name is Christine Farley. A friend ofmine, down there, asked me to look at some of her drawings, and I saw atonce that the girl has real talent, if not genius."
"Of course you would know," said Nan, for Mr. Hepworth himself was aportrait painter of high repute.
"Yes, she really has done some remarkable work. But she is poor and livesin a small country town. She has already learned all the local teacherscan give her, and needs the technical training of a good art school. Witha year of such training she could easily become, I am sure, a successfulillustrator. At least, after a year's study, I know she could get goodwork to do, and then she would rapidly become known."
"Can't she manage to do this, in some way?" asked Mr. Fairfield.
"No; she is ambitious in her work, but in no other way. She is shy andtimid; a country girl, inexperienced in the ways of the world, ignorantof city life, and desperately afraid of New York, which to her is a namefor all unknown terrors."
"Goose!" said Patty. "Oh, I'm sorry for her, of course; but as anAmerican girl, she ought to have more spunk."
"Southern girls don't have spunk, Patty," said her father, with a merrytwinkle in his eye.
"Don't they! Well, I guess I ought to know! I'm a Southern girl, myself.At least, I was until I was fourteen."
"Perhaps you've achieved your spunk since you came North, then," saidHepworth; "for I agree with your father, Southern girls do not have muchenergy of character. At least, Miss Farley hasn't. She's about nineteenor twenty, but she's as childish as a girl of fourteen,--except in herwork; there she excels any one of her age I've ever known."
"Can nothing be done in the matter?" asked Nan.
"I don't know. I'm told they're very proud people, and would not acceptcharity. Of course she never can earn anything by her work if she staysat home; and as she can't get away, it seems to be a deadlock."
"I'd like to help her," said Patty, slowly. "I do think she ought to haveingenuity enough to help herself, but if she hasn't, I'
d like to helpher."
"How can you?" asked Nan.
"I don't know. But the way to find out how to do things is to do them."
"Oh, dear," moaned Mr. Hepworth, in mock despair. "I said I feared youwere clever. Don't say those things, Patty, you'll ruin your reputationas a beauty."
"Pooh!" said Patty, who sometimes didn't know whether Mr. Hepworth wasteasing her or not, "that isn't a clever thing to say."
"Well, if you don't mean it for an epigram, I'll forgive you,--but don'tlet it happen again. Now, as to Christine Farley. I'll let you be cleverfor once, if you'll turn your cleverness to devising some way to aid herto an art education. Can you think of any way?"
"I can think of dozens," returned Patty, "but the only thing to do is forher to come to New York, get a scholarship at the Art School, and thenboard in a hall bedroom,--art students always do that,--and they havejolly good times with chafing dishes and palette knives, and such things.I've read about 'em."
"Yes," said Mr. Hepworth, "but how is she to pay the board for the hallbedroom? They are really quite poor, I'm told."
"Well!" said Patty, scornfully, "anybody,--the merest infant,--could earnenough money outside class hours to pay a small sum like that, I shouldhope! Why, how much would such board cost?"
"Patty, child," said her father, "you don't know much of socialeconomics, do you? I fancy the young woman could board properly for abouttwelve or fifteen dollars a week; eh, Hepworth?"
"Yes; I daresay fifteen dollars a week would cover her expenses,including her art materials. Of course this would mean literally the'hall bedroom' in a very modest boarding-house."
"Well!" went on Patty, "and do you mean to say that this girl couldn'tearn fifteen dollars a week, and attend her classes, too?"
"I mean to say just that," said Mr. Hepworth, seriously.
"I agree with you," said Nan. "Why, I couldn't earn fifteen dollars aweek, and stay at home from the classes."
"Oh, Nan!" cried Patty, "you could! I'm sure you could! Why, I'll bet Icould earn fifteen dollars a week, and have plenty of time left for mypractising, my club meetings, motoring, skating, and all the things Iwant to do beside. Fifteen dollars a week is _nothing_!"
"Gently, gently, my girl," said her father, for Patty's cheeks were pinkwith the earnestness of her argument. "Fifteen dollars a week seemsnothing to you, because you have all the money you want. But where isyour sense of proportion? Your idea of relative values? The value offifteen dollars handed out to you willingly by a loving father, or thevalue of fifteen dollars earned from a grudging employer, are totallydifferent matters."
"I don't care," said Patty. "I know I could earn that much a week, and Ibelieve this other girl could do so, if she had somebody to make herthink she could."
"There's a good deal in that," said Hepworth, thoughtfully. "Miss Farleydoes need somebody to make her think she can do things. But the life ofan art student is a busy one, and I'm sure she couldn't earn much moneywhile she's studying."
"But fifteen dollars a week isn't much," persisted Patty. "Anybody couldearn that."
"Look here, Puss," said her father: "sometimes you show a bravery ofassertion that ought to be put to the test. Now I'll make a propositionto you in the presence of these two witnesses. If you'll earn fifteendollars in one week,--any week,--I'll agree to pay the board of this MissFarley in New York, for a year, while she pursues her art studies."
"Oh, father, will you?" cried Patty. "What a duck you are! Of course Ican earn the money, easily."
"Wait a moment; there are conditions, or rather stipulations. You mustnot do anything unbecoming a quiet, refined girl,--but I know youwouldn't do that, anyway. You must not engage in any pursuit that keepsyou away from your home after five o'clock in the afternoon----"
"Oh," interrupted Patty, "I don't propose to go out washing! I shall dolight work of some sort at home. But never you mind what I do,--of courseit will be nothing you could possibly object to,--I'll earn fifteendollars in less than a week."
"A week, though, is the proposition. When you bring me fifteen dollars,earned by yourself, unassisted, in the space of seven days, I'll carryout my part of the bargain."
"But the girl won't accept it," said Patty, regretfully.
"I'm trusting to your tact, and Nan's, to offer the opportunity to her insuch a way that she will accept it. Couldn't that be done, Hepworth?"
"Why, yes; I daresay it could be managed. And you are very generous, Mr.Fairfield, but I can't say I have much hope of Patty's success."
"'Patty's success' is always a foregone conclusion," said that youngwoman, saucily; "and now, at last, I have an aim in life! I shall beginto-morrow,--and we'll see!"
The others laughed, for no one could take pretty Patty very seriously,except herself.
"But don't tell anybody," she added, as the doorbell rang.
They all promised they wouldn't, and then Elise and Roger came in tobring New Year's greetings, and the conversation took a lighter andmerrier turn.