Patty's Fortune

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER IX

  THE “SHOWER”

  The announcement party was great fun. In every way it was made to seemlike a formal party and not just the gathering of the clans.

  Adele received the guests in the ballroom, with Mona by her side. Adelewas gorgeous in her best evening gown, a rose-coloured velvet, and Mona,in white net, looked like a débutante.

  Patty took especial pains with her toilette, though it was not entirelynecessary, for Patty looked well in anything. She chose a white crêpe,whose bewildering masses of tulle ruchings veiled a skirt of silverlace. The bodice of silver lace was ruched and draped with the softcrêpe, and Patty’s pretty throat and dimpled arms emerged as from a waveof sea foam. Her golden hair was massed in the prevailing fashion,caught with two pins of carved jade.

  “Verra good, Eddie!” Patty remarked to Sarah, as she viewed hercompleted self in the mirror.

  “Miss?” said the maid, unfamiliar with Patty’s nonchalant use of catchphrases.

  “I said you done noble,” Patty returned, absently, as she rearranged thejade pins. She wore no other ornaments, and catching up a long floatingscarf of white tulle spangled with silver, she ran downstairs.

  But, remembering the occasion, she made a most dignified entrance to thereception room, and bowed exaggeratedly to Adele. “So pleased!” shemurmured, offering her fingertips. “And Miss Galbraith. May I wish youall joy and felicity and happiness and good——”

  “Come, come, Patty, give somebody else a chance. Don’t babble your goodwishes all night!” She turned to see Kit waiting his turn, and shelaughingly gave way to him.

  “Isn’t it fine to see the men in their evening togs?” she exclaimed,turning to Elise. “I’m so used to seeing them in flannels or golfthings, I scarcely recognise them.”

  “_Do_ recognise me,” implored Channing, “I’m the sweet young thing youpromised three extra dances to.”

  “Three nothing!” returned Patty, carelessly. “I’m not sure I shall dancetonight, anyway. I shall spend my time admiring Mona, she looks sosweet.”

  Mona did look sweet. The occasion brought a look of shyness to her face,which was as becoming as it was unusual. Roger stood by, proudly gazingat her, as he was, in turn, congratulated and chaffed by the men.

  Dinner was announced, and Jim Kenerley offered his arm to Mona, whileAdele followed the pair with Roger. The orchestra played the weddingmarch, and Channing, who stood next to Patty, escorted her. The rotationof the table seats had been changed for the occasion, and Adele and Jimsat opposite one another with their guests of honour at their righthands. The others sat where they chose, and Channing deftly manœuvred toplace Patty next to Kenerley, as he dropped into the chair at her left.

  “Who’s the great little old Machiavelli!” he said, chuckling. “Didn’t Iarrange that just about right! You see, if I put you next to Kenerley,you won’t give _him_ all your undivided attention, as you would, withany of the others.”

  “Well, if you aren’t the piggy-wig!”

  “I am, as far as you are concerned. I cheerfully admit it. And I’vepractically got you all to myself for the whole dinner time. You can’tget away! Oh, joy!”

  “Why is it such a feat? How do you know that I’m not equally crazy withjoy to sit by you?”

  “Oh, Patty! If I could believe that! What things you _do_ say to afellow! Do you _mean_ it?”

  “Considering I’ve only known you a few days, I couldn’t really mean it.You see, I make friendships very slowly. Moreover, I never mean anythingI say at dinner. Table talk is an art. I’m proficient in it, and I knowthe rules. And the first one is, never be sincere.”

  “Yes, I know that, too. But after dinner, say, out on that moonlitcorner of the veranda——”

  “There isn’t any moon now.”

  “That’s why I refer to it at the dinner table. I don’t mean it, you see.Well, out in that unmoonlit corner, then, will you tell me onething,—tell me truly?”

  “Certainly. I’ll tell you two things truly, even three, if you like. Butthey must be things of my own choosing.”

  “First, yes. Then it will be my turn. And I shall ask you something veryimportant.”

  “Then I shall run away. My mind is so full of important things just now,that it simply won’t hold another one.”

  “You don’t know me yet. I’m a man who always has his own way.”

  “How interesting! I don’t think I ever knew one before. All the men Ihave known have politely deferred to _my_ way.”

  “Indeed? You must be longing for a change.”

  “Not only that, but it is positively necessary that I talk to myother-side man now. Where are your manners, that you have so longneglected your other-side lady?”

  “With thee conversing, I forgot all manners. Also, the fair Miss Homeris absorbed in Mr. Peyton’s gay chat.”

  “Well, give her a change, then. Marie, please turn this way. Mr.Channing is dying to talk to you.”

  Marie turned, with a pretty smile, and Patty gave her attention to Jim.

  “You see, Jim,” she said, “this is a formal dinner, and you must observethe fifteen minute rule. It isn’t like our every-day meals. Mona, how doyou like being guest of honour?”

  “I’m a little embarrassed,” said Mona, who wasn’t at all; “but I’mgetting along somehow. Isn’t Roger splendid?”

  The naïveté of Mona’s gaze at her newly betrothed made Jim Kenerleychuckle. “You’ll do, Mona!” he said.

  The table decorations were as appropriate as they could be made withlittle to work with. Patty had contrived a chime of wedding bells, ofwhite tissue paper for the centrepiece, and at each plate was an orange,cored and holding a few flowers of various sorts.

  “These are orange blossoms,” Adele explained; “though not quite theconventional style, they show our good intentions.”

  The feast went on gaily, and after the dessert, the shower took place.

  The head waiter brought in a tray on which were the gifts the girls hadcollected for Mona. They were beautiful and worth-while things, and thepersonal element they represented endeared them to the pleasedrecipient.

  “You darling people!” she exclaimed. “You couldn’t have done anythingthat would please me more! It is heavenly kind of you and I love you forit. I shall use them all, at once.”

  So Mona slipped Patty’s ring on her finger, threw Adele’s scarf roundher shoulders, and tucking the wonderful lace handkerchief in her belt,she waved the fan to and fro. The centrepiece, which Marie managed toget finished in time, Mona calmly laid in place under her own dinnerplate, and she declared that she was perfectly happy.

  “Now, for _our_ shower,” said Jim. “It isn’t fair that the bride-electshould get all the loot, so we take pleasure in presenting to ourdistinguished,—at least, distinguished-looking friend, andfellow-traveller, some few tokens of our approval of his course. Myself,I offer these dainty boudoir slippers, knowing that they will beacceptable, not only for their artistic merit, but for their intrinsicvalue. Take them, Farrington, with my tearful wish for your happiness.”

  Kenerley gave Roger a good-sized parcel, tied up in tissue paper andribbons, which, when opened, disclosed a furiously gaudy andold-fashioned pair of “worsted-work” slippers. He had unearthed them atthe bazaar in the village, where they had doubtless been on sale sincethe early eighties.

  Everybody laughed at the grotesque things, but Roger, in the mood of themoment, made a gay and graceful speech of thanks.

  Then Bob Peyton presented a smoking set. This was an impossible affair,of “hand-painted” china. The ash tray bore the cheerful motto of “ashesto ashes!” and the tobacco jar was so clouded with artistic smokewreaths, that Kit declared it ought to be labelled “Dust to Dust.”

  Cameron’s gift was a tie case. Evidently fashioned by feminine fingers,it was of pink silk, a little faded, embroidered with blueforget-me-nots.

  “Tasty, isn’t it?” said
Kit, holding it up for general admiration. “Ihesitated a long time between this and a sponge bag. The other would bemore useful, but there’s something so fetching about this,—that Icouldn’t get away from it.”

  “Don’t let _me_ get you away from it, Cameron,” said Roger; “I’d hate todeprive you of anything you admire so sincerely. Take it from me——”

  “No, Roger,” said Kit, firmly. “I cannot take it from you. I give it toyou,—a little grudgingly, ’tis true,—but I give it. I may never haveanother chance to make you an announcement shower, and so, on this’spicious ’casion, I stop at nothing.”

  “You’re a noble fellow, Cameron,” and Roger’s voice was surcharged withemotion of some sort. “I accept your gift in the spirit in which it isgiven, and I trust I may some day have the opportunity to shower you inreturn.”

  “I hope to goodness you will, Farrington, and I now thank you inadvance.”

  “Postpone those thanks, please,” broke in Channing; “your time’s up. Isay, Old Top, here’s the best prize yet. I offer you this picture frame.But it is no ordinary picture frame. Observe. It is made of birch barkin neat pattern, and decorated with real pine cones, securely glued on.No danger of their fetching loose, I’ve tested ’em. Now, in this highlyartistic, if a trifle ponderous setting, you can place Miss Galbraith’sportrait, and wear it next your heart or dream with it beneath yourpillow. To be sure, it is pretty big and heavy for either of these uses,but’s what a bit of inconvenience compared to the sentiment of thething?”

  Channing held out an enormous and cumbersome frame of heavy pine cones,glued to a board back; a fright of a thing, made by some of the nativecountry people. As a matter of fact, these jesting gifts all came fromthe little village shop, where native talent was more in evidence thangood taste.

  “Heavenly!” exclaimed Roger, casting his eyes toward the ceiling. “Look,Mona, is it not a peach? Will you give me a miniature of your sweet faceto grace it? Oh, _say_ you will!”

  Roger’s absurd expression and exaggerated enthusiasm sent them all offinto paroxysms of laughter, and Mona had no need for reply.

  “Farrington, old man,” said Bill Farnsworth then, “brace yourself. Ihave the best gift yet, for you. The most appropriate, and combining agraceful sentiment with a charming usefulness. Behold!”

  From voluminous folds of white tissue paper, Bill shook out an Orientalrobe, of gold-embroidered silk. It was really gorgeous and looked as ifmade for a Chinese mandarin. There were Dragons in raised work andborders of chrysanthemums. Bill flung it round Roger, to whose stalwartform the strange garb was most becoming.

  Everybody exclaimed in admiration. Only foolish gifts had been lookedfor and this was worthy of real praise. The long loose sleeves hunggracefully down, and the obi or sash was fringed with silk tassels.

  “A stunning thing!” exclaimed Adele. “Where _did_ you get it, Bill?”

  “San Francisco,” returned Farnsworth, “but my heart is broken. You havenone of you noticed the real sentiment, the reason for the gift. Oh, howdense you are!”

  “What do you mean?” asked Adele, puzzled.

  “Can’t you see?” cried Farnsworth. “Where are your wits? Why should Igive that thing to Farrington, _today_?”

  They all looked blank, till suddenly it dawned on Patty.

  “Oh, Little Billee!” she cried, “oh, you clever, clever thing! Oh,girls, don’t you see? It’s a _Ki-Mona_!”

  Then they did see, and they cheered and complimented Farnsworth on hiswitty gift.

  “It’s so clever and so beautiful, I think I shall take it myself,” Monadeclared, and Roger tossed it over to her. “With all my worldlygoods—may as well begin at once,” he said with a mock air ofresignation.

  The shower over, they went to the ballroom to dance. Of course “SirRoger de Coverly” was first on the programme, and after that the moremodern dances.

  Patty tried to evade Chick Channing, for he was growing a bit insistentin his attentions.

  “Take me for a veranda stroll, Kit,” she said, as she saw Channingapproaching. “I want you to tell me all about that fortune business. Butfirst, how did you ever come to think of it?”

  “Oh, you know my fatal facility for practical jokes. Come, sit in thispalmy bower, and I’ll tell you all I know, and then some.”

  They sauntered in to the pretty glass-enclosed nook, and sat down amongthe palms. “You see,” Kit went on, “I haven’t played a joke in I dunnowhen, and I just _had_ to get one off. So when I was prowling around,and struck that empty shack, the idea sprang full-fledged to my o’erclever brain. I fixed it up with Bobbink,—and the rest is history.Bobsy is a great boy, though a little fresh. He got the make-up for myface, and the rugs and things. He fixed them all in the old shanty, andthen he carried out the toothache farce in accordance with my orders.”

  “Yes, he did very well. But I mean about the fortunes. How did you knowabout the man Daisy is so interested in,—the one who wants to be Mayorof——”

  “Sh! that’s a state secret. I know lots of things, but I keep them tomyself.”

  “All right,” said Patty, seeing he was in earnest. “But about somebodyleaving me money. Did you make _that_ up?”

  “Not entirely,” and Kit still looked serious. “Perhaps you will receivea legacy some day. But did you note what I told you about your fate?”

  “No,” said Patty, as she ran away back to the house.