CHAPTER XIV
PINE BRANCHES
There were still many miles to cover before they reached theirdestination, but there were no more railroad tracks to cross, and asthere was little danger of meeting anyone, Roger let the car fly along ata high rate of speed. The storm continued and though the partyendeavoured to keep cheerful, yet the situation was depressing, and eachfound it difficult not to show it.
Roger, of course, devoted his exclusive attention to driving the car, andPatty scarcely dared to breathe, lest she should disturb him in some way.
The three on the back seat became rather silent also, and at lasteverybody was rejoiced when Roger said, "Those lights ahead are at theentrance gate of Pine Branches."
Then the whole party waxed cheerful again.
Mr. Farrington looked at his watch. "It's quarter of two," he said, "doyou suppose we can get in at this hour?"
"Indeed we will get in," declared Roger, "if I have to drive this carsmash through the gates, and _bang_ in at the front door!"
The strain was beginning to tell on the boy, who had really had a fearfulnight of it, and he went dashing up to the large gates with a feeling ofgreat relief that the end of the journey was at hand.
When they reached the entrance, the rain was coming down in torrents.Great lanterns hung either side of the portal, and disclosed the factthat the gates were shut and locked.
Roger had expected this, for he felt sure the Warners had long ago givenup all thought of seeing their guests that night.
Repeated soundings of the horn failed to bring any response from thelodge-keeper, and Roger was just about to get out of the car, and ringthe bell at the large door, when Patty's quick eye discerned a faintlight at one of the windows.
"Sure enough," said Roger, as she called his attention to this, and aftera few moments the large door was opened, and the porter gazed out intothe storm.
"All right, sir, all right," he called, seeing the car; and donning agreat raincoat, he came out to open the gates.
"Well, well, sir," he said, as Mr. Farrington leaned out to speak withhim, "this is a night, sure enough! Mr. Warner, sir, he gave up lookingfor you at midnight."
"I don't wonder," said Mr. Farrington, "and now, my man, can you ringyour people up, and is there anybody to take care of the car?"
"Yes, sir, yes, sir," said the porter, "just you drive on up to thehouse, and I'll go back to the lodge and ring up the chauffeur, and assoon as he can get around he'll take care of your car. I'll ring up thehousekeeper too, but she's a slow old body, and you'd best sound yourhorn all the way up the drive."
Roger acted on this advice and The Fact went tooting up the driveway, andfinally came to a standstill at the front entrance of Pine Branches.
They were under a _porte-cochere_, and as soon as they stopped, Elisejumped out, and began a vigorous onslaught on the doorbell. Roger keptthe horn sounding, and after a few moments the door was opened by asomewhat sleepy-looking butler. As they entered, Mr. Warner, whoseappearance gave evidence of a hasty toilet, came flying down thestaircase, three steps at a time.
"Well, well, my friends," he exclaimed, "I'm glad to see you, I amoverjoyed to see you! We were expecting you just at this particularminute, and I am so glad that you arrived on time. How do you do, Mrs.Farrington? And Elise, my dear child, how you've grown since I saw youlast! This is Patty Fairfield, is it? How do you do, Patty? I am veryglad to see you. Roger, my boy, you look exhausted. Has your car beencutting up jinks?"
As Mr. Warner talked, he bustled around shaking hands with his guests,assisting them out of their wraps, and disposing of them in comfortablechairs.
Meantime the rest of the family appeared.
Bertha Warner, a merry-looking girl of about Patty's age, came flyingdownstairs, pinning her collar as she ran.
"How jolly of you," she cried, "to come in the middle of the night! Suchfun! I'm so glad to see you, Elise; and this is Patty Fairfield? Patty, Ithink you're lovely."
The impulsive Bertha kissed Patty on both cheeks, and then turned to makeway for her mother.
Mrs. Warner was as merry and as hearty in her welcome as the others. Sheacted as if it were an ordinary occurrence to be wakened from sleep attwo o'clock in the morning, to greet newly arrived guests, and shegreeted Patty quite as warmly as the others.
Suddenly a wild whoop was heard, and Winthrop Warner, the son of thehouse, came running downstairs.
"Jolly old crowd!" he cried, "you wouldn't let a little thing like atornado stop your progress, would you? I'm glad you persevered andreached here, even though a trifle late."
Winthrop was a broad-shouldered, athletic young man, of perhapstwenty-four, and though he chaffed Roger merrily, he greeted the ladieswith hospitable courtesy, and looked about to see what he could do fortheir further comfort. They were still in the great square entrance hall,which was one of the most attractive rooms at Pine Branches. A hugecorner fireplace showed the charred logs of a fire which had onlyrecently gone out, and Winthrop rapidly twisted up some paper, which helighted, and procuring a few small sticks, soon had a crackling blaze.
"You must be damp and chilly," he said, "and a little fire will thaw youout. Mother, will you get something ready for a feast?"
"We should have waited dinner," began Mrs. Warner, "and we did wait untilafter ten, and then we gave you up."
"It's nearer time for breakfast than for dinner," said Elise.
"I don't want breakfast," declared Roger, "I don't like that meal anyway.No shredded whisk brooms for me."
"We'll have a nondescript meal," said Mrs. Warner, gaily, "and each onemay call it by whatever name he chooses."
In a short time they were all invited to the dining-room, and found thetable filled with a variety of delicious viands.
Such a merry tableful of people as partook of the feast! The Warnersseemed to enjoy the fact that their guests arrived at such anunconventional hour, and the Farrington party were so glad to havereached their destination safely that they were in the highest ofspirits.
Of course the details of the trip had to be explained, and Roger wasunmercifully chaffed by Winthrop and his father for having taken thewrong road. But so good-naturedly did the boy take the teasing, and sosuccessfully did he pretend that he came around that way merely for thepurpose of extending a pleasant tour, that he got the best of them afterall.
At last Mrs. Warner declared that people who had been through suchthrilling experiences must be in immediate need of rest, and she gaveorders that they must all start for bed forthwith.
It is needless to say that breakfast was not early next morning. Nor didit consist as Roger had intimated, of "shredded whisk brooms," but was adelightful meal, at which Patty became better acquainted with the Warnerfamily, and confirmed the pleasant impressions she had received the nightbefore.
After breakfast Mrs. Warner announced that everybody was to do exactly ashe or she pleased until the luncheon hour, but she had plans herself fortheir entertainment in the afternoon.
So Winthrop and Roger went off on some affairs of their own, and Berthadevoted herself to the amusement of the two girls.
First, she suggested they should all walk around the place, and thisproved a delightful occupation.
Pine Branches was an immense estate, covering hundreds of acres, andthere was a brook, a grove, golf grounds, tennis court and everythingthat could by any possibility add to the interest or pleasure of itsoccupants.
"But my chief and dearest possession," said Bertha, smiling, "is Abiram."
"A dog?" asked Patty.
"No," said Bertha, "but come, and I will show him to you. He lives downhere, in this little house."
The little house was very like a large-sized dog-kennel, but when theyreached it, its occupant proved to be a woolly black bear cub.
"He's a perfect dear, Abiram is," said Bertha, as she opened the door,and the fat little bear came waddling out. He was fastened to a longchain, and his antics were funny beyond description.
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bsp; "He's a real picture-bear," said Bertha; "see, his poses are just likethose of the bears in the funny papers."
And so they were. Patty and Elise laughed heartily to see Abiram sit upand cross his paws over his fat little body.
"How old is he?" asked Patty.
"Oh, very young, he's just a cub. And of course, we can't keep him long.Nobody wants a big bear around. At the end of the summer, Papa says,he'll have to be sent to the Zoo. But we have lots of fun looking at himnow, and I take pictures of him with my camera. He's a dear old thing."Bertha was sitting down by the bear, playing with him as with a puppy,and indeed the soft little creature showed no trace of wild animalhabits, or even of mischievous intent.
"He's just like a big baby," said Patty. "Wouldn't it be fun to dress himup as one?"
"Let's do it," cried Bertha, gleefully. "Come on, girls, let's fly up tothe house, and get the things."
Leaving Abiram sitting in the sun, the three girls scampered back to thehouse. Bertha procured two large white aprons and declared they wouldmake a lovely baby dress.
And so they did. By sewing the sides together nearly to the top, andtying the strings in great bows to answer as shoulder straps, the dresswas declared perfect. A dainty sunbonnet, with a wide fluffy ruffle,which was a part of Bertha's own wardrobe, was taken also, and with astring of large blue beads, and an enormous baby's rattle which Berthaunearthed from her treasure-chest, the costume was complete.
Bertha got her camera, and giving Elise a small, light chair to carry,they all ran back to Abiram's kennel.
They found the little bear peacefully sleeping in the sun, and whenBertha shook him awake he showed no resentment, and graciously allowedhimself to be put into the clothes they had brought. His forepaws werethrust through the openings left for the purpose, and the stiff whitebows sticking up from his black shoulders, made the girls scream withlaughter. The ruffled sunbonnet was put on his head, and coquettishlytied on one side, and the string of blue beads was clasped around his fatneck.
Although Abiram seemed willing to submit to the greatness that was beingthrust upon him, he experienced some difficulty in sitting up in thechair in the position which Bertha insisted upon.
However, by dint of Patty's holding his head up from behind, she herselfbeing screened from view by a tree trunk, they induced Abiram to hold therattle long enough for Bertha to get a picture.
"Although a successful snapshot was only achieved aftermany attempts"]
Although a successful snapshot was only achieved after many attempts, yetthe girls had great fun, and so silly and ridiculous did the little bearbehave that Patty afterward declared she had never laughed so much in allher life.
After luncheon Mrs. Warner took her guests for a drive, declaring thatafter their automobile tour she felt sure that a carriage drive would bea pleasant change.
After the drive there was afternoon tea in the library, when the menappeared, and everybody chatted gaily over the events of the day.
Then they all dispersed to dress for dinner, and Patty suddenly realisedthat she was living in a very grown-up atmosphere, greatly in contrast toher schoolgirl life.
Bertha was a year or two older than Patty, and though as merry and fullof fun as a child, she seemed to have the ways and effects of a grown-upyoung lady.
Elise also had lived a life which had accustomed her to formality andceremony, and though only a year older than Patty in reality, she was farmore advanced in worldly wisdom and ceremonious observances.
But Patty was adaptable by nature, and when in Rome she was quite readyto do as the Romans did.
So she put on one of her prettiest frocks for dinner, and allowed Berthato do her hair in a new way which seemed to add a year or so to herappearance.
There were a few other guests at dinner, and as Patty always enjoyedmeeting strangers, she took great interest in all the details ofentertainment at Pine Branches.
At the table she found herself seated between Bertha and Winthrop. Thispleased her, for she was glad of an opportunity to get better acquaintedwith the young man, of whom she had seen little during the day.
Although frank and boyish in some ways, Winthrop Warner gave her theimpression of being very wise and scholarly.
She said as much to him, whereupon he explained that he was a student,and was making a specialty of certain branches of scientific lore. Theseincluded ethnology and anthropology, which names caused Patty to feel asudden awe of the young man beside her.
But Winthrop only laughed, and said, "Don't let those long words frightenyou. I assure you that they stand for most interesting subjects, and someday if you will come to my study, I will promise to prove that to you.Meantime we will ignore my scientific side, and just consider that we aretwo gay young people enjoying a summer holiday."
The young man's affable manner and kind smile put Patty quite at herease, and she chatted so merrily that when the dinner hour was over sheand Winthrop had become good friends and comrades.