CHAPTER III
NEW FRIENDS
It was about four o'clock the next afternoon when the train came puffinginto the great train-shed in Jersey City.
It had passed through Elmbridge about an hour before, but being an expresstrain, it made no stop at such small places.
So Mr. St. Clair had arranged to meet Patty at Jersey City and take herback home with him.
Patty recognized her uncle as soon as he entered the car, and ran to greethim.
"Howdy, Uncle Robert," she said, in her pretty southern way, "are youlooking for me?"
"I am, if you're little Patty Fairfield. But you've grown so since I sawyou that I think I shall have to ask for your credentials."
Patty laughed, and answered: "My credentials are that I remember the dolland the candy you brought me five years ago, and I just _know_ you're myUncle Robert."
"I am indeed, and I've come to carry you off to a lot of other admiringrelatives."
Then Patty introduced Miss Powers, and after gathering up the various wrapsand bags they all left the train. Miss Powers was to cross the ferry to NewYork, so Patty and Uncle Robert escorted her to the ferry-boat and bade hergood-bye, with many thanks for her kind care of the little girl during thejourney.
Then Uncle Robert said: "Now we'll go out to Elmbridge as quick as we canskip, but first we must pick up Ethelyn, whom I left in the waiting-room."
"Oh, is Ethelyn here?" cried Patty. "I am so glad, I'm just crazy to seeher."
Apparently Ethelyn was crazy too, for she flew at her cousin as soon as sheentered the door.
"You dear thing!" she exclaimed, "I'm so delighted to see you. Oh, howpretty you are! We'll be awfully good chums, won't we?"
"I'm sure we shall," replied Patty, who was just a wee bit frightened bythis dashing young cousin.
Ethelyn was about Patty's age, but somewhat shorter and decidedly lessslender. Her yellow hair was not long, indeed it was cut evenly round justabove her shoulders, but it was crinkled and fluffed out until her head hadthe contour of a yellow pumpkin.
A huge black hat with a wide rolling brim was perched on top of the yellowmop, and ornamented with feathers and shining buckles.
Both the girls wore dark blue suits trimmed with fur, but Ethelyn's wasresplendent with wide lace-trimmed collars, and she wore clattering bangleson her wrists, and a fancy little muff hung round her neck by a silverchain.
Her skirts were as short as Patty's, and she seemed like a little girl, andyet she had a wise, grown-up air, and she began to patronize her cousin atonce.
"Your frock is nice," she said, "but it has no style to it. Well, I supposeyou couldn't get much in the way of dressmakers where you lived, but MadameMarsala will soon turn you out all right. Mamma says she'll just enjoyordering new clothes for you, and your papa told her to get whatever shechose. Oh, won't we have fun! We always go to New York for our things, andthe shops are just lovely."
"Come, come, children," said Uncle Robert, who had been looking afterPatty's trunks, "the train is made up, let us get aboard."
They went through one of a whole row of little gates in an iron fence, andPatty wondered at the numerous trains and the crowds of people movingswiftly towards them.
She wondered if everything at the North were conducted on such a wholesaleand such a hurrying plan. They hurried along the platform and hurried intoa car, then Uncle Robert put the two children into a seat together, whilehe sat behind them and devoted himself to his evening paper.
The girls chatted gaily and Patty learned much about the home she was goingto, and began to think of it as a very beautiful and attractive place.
The train stopped at Elmbridge, and without waiting for her father, Ethelynpiloted Patty off the car.
"Here's our carriage," she said, as a handsome pair of horses with jinglingchains came prancing up. A footman in livery handed the young ladies in,and Patty felt as if she had come among very grand people indeed.
While they waited for Mr. St. Clair, who was giving the checks to thebaggage-master, Patty admired the pretty little station of rough graystone, and the neatly kept grounds and paths all about it.
"Yes, they are pretty," assented Ethelyn, "but just wait till you see ourgrounds. We have the finest place in Elmbridge. In summer it's justlovely."
Then Mr. St. Clair came, and giving the coachman the order "Home," heseated himself opposite the two girls.
"Well, Patty, how do you like it, so far?" he asked, genially, of hisniece.
"Oh, Uncle Robert, I think it's beautiful, but I hoped we'd have asleigh-ride. I've never been in a sleigh."
"Bless you, child, we don't have much sleighing. However, perhaps we canscare up a sleigh-ride before the winter is over. We have a pretty finesleigh, eh, Ethelyn?"
"Yes, indeed, we have a beautiful great big one, and I have a littlecutter, all my own. I'll take you sleighing, Patty, if we get half achance."
Soon they reached the St. Clair home and drove up the long winding avenueto the house.
Patty saw a brilliantly lighted mansion, and as they drew near it, sheheard the most piercing shrieks and yells, as of a human being in desperatestraits of some kind.
Patty wondered if she were about to enter a Bluebeard's castle, but deemingit polite to take no notice of the uproar, she tried to appear unheedingthough the shrieks increased in violence as they came up to the house andthe carriage stopped at the front door.
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