things.
She found the boy still on the front veranda talking to Nan, with whom he was a great favourite. Indeed, all Patty’s boy friends were favourites with Nan, and she was so charming and attractive herself that they all liked to chat with her.
Kenneth Harper she looked upon as her especial protégé, for he was alone in the city; and Mr. Hepworth, of course, was one of her old friends.
As for Philip Van Reypen, Nan had liked him from the first, and they had established a very chummy acquaintance. So, on the whole, the house party bade fair to be a great success, and Nan expected to enjoy its fun almost as much as Patty herself.
“You’re getting brown, Patty,” said Roger, looking admiringly at the tanned face.
“Yes, it’s outdoorsiness as does it! I swim and walk, and play tennis and go motoring all day long, and I sleep on a veranda at night.”
“So you get tanned by the moon as well as by the sun,” said Roger. “Well, it’s very becoming, and you look a whole lot healthier than you did in the city.”
“Yes, I am. Come on out and see my car, Roger, and I’ll give you a little spin, if you like. Elise is unpacking her finery and won’t miss us.”
Like every one else, Roger was enthusiastic in his praise of the wonderful car, and gladly accepted Patty’s invitation to go for a short ride. He complimented Patty on her skilful driving, and they went for some distance along the coast road.
“Let me drive back,” said Roger, as they turned homeward, and so they changed seats for the return trip.
“Beautiful car!” he repeated; “and perfect mechanism. Patty, I congratulate you on winning the thing, and it’s wonderful to think you did win it all yourself!”
“Oh, I had a lot of help, you know!”
“Well, it was your own enterprise, and you worked pretty hard yourself.”
“Yes, I did;” and Patty smiled at the recollection. “I sat up nights with those hundred questions, and lots of times I thought I should fail.”
“But still you persevered. That’s where you’re such a brick, Patty. If you set your heart on anything, you never give up.”
“Well, I’m glad I persevered this time, anyway, for this car is a perfect joy to me. I suppose father would have given me one, if I had asked for it, but somehow it never occurred to me that I wanted one. I had no idea I’d love it as I do.”
“Oh, they’re great things, and I’m jolly glad you’ve got this one. You’ll enjoy it more every day you own it. Now here we are at ‘The Pebbles.’ Do you want to turn in?”
“Yes; and I’m going to turn you out. Then I’m going to take the car and go back to the station to meet Christine. She’s coming down with Mr. Hepworth.”
“Let me go over with you, then I can give Christine my place, and I’ll tote old Hepworth over here.”
“All right; but I must see Elise before I go, and tell her where I’m going.”
To Patty’s surprise, Elise seemed a little annoyed to learn that she was going to the train for Christine. Patty had almost forgotten the foolish jealousy that Elise had of her own friendship with Christine. But, as always, she thought the best way to treat it was to ignore it; she simply repeated her statement. “Yes, Elise,” she said, “I’m going over to the station to bring Christine home with me. Mr. Hepworth will come over in the stage. He’s going to stay at the hotel, anyway; we haven’t room for him here. But, of course, he’ll be over here most of the time. Roger is going over with me, and then he’ll get out, and give Christine his place, and he’ll come back with Mr. Hepworth. What will you do while I’m gone? Will you dress for dinner, or will you take a little rest?”
They were in Elise’s room, and her pretty gowns and other finery were lying about, as she had unpacked them.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter about me,” she said, ungraciously; “you go on and meet your friend Christine, and I’ll look after myself.”
“Elise, stop being a goose!” cried Patty, grasping her by the shoulders and kissing her on both cheeks. “If you talk like that, you’ll spoil my whole house party and my birthday and everything! Now, you’re my friend, and Christine is my friend, and you two girls have simply got to be friends with each other; so make your mind up to that! If you say another snippy word on the subject, I’ll go and lock myself in my own room, and stay there until you go home!”
Elise laughed, for she was always a little ashamed of herself after an exhibition of her petty jealousy, and Patty knew that she wouldn’t repeat the offence, for the present at least.
“You ring for Louise,” Patty went on, “to help you put away these pretty frocks and things, and then you make yourself at home, and do just what you want to until I come back with Christine. And then, milady, you will be just as sweet and charming to Christine as you can possibly be! Catch on?”
“Yes,” said Elise, smiling, and Patty kissed her again and ran away.
Chapter XII.
A Moonlight Ride
Patty seemed a little quiet as she and Roger drove to the station, for she was thinking how foolish Elise was, and what a lot of trouble she could stir up, if she chose to indulge in that stupid jealousy of Christine. If Christine had been more able to resent it, and take her own part, it would not have been so bad, but she was so sensitive to the slightest coldness, and so afraid of seeming to impose on Patty’s friendship, that it made the situation a little difficult.
But Roger’s gay banter revived Patty’s drooping spirits, and, when they reached the station, they were in a gale of laughter over some joking nonsense.
The train soon arrived, and they saw Christine and Mr. Hepworth step down on to the station platform.
Roger met them, and conducted them to Patty. Then there were more compliments and congratulations on the new car, and soon Christine was tucked in beside Patty, and the two men waved them farewell.
“How are you, Christine?” asked Patty, looking anxiously at the girl’s pale cheeks.
“Oh, I’m all right. A little tired, but a day or two down here will set me up wonderfully, I know.”
“A day or two! You must stay a week, at least.”
“No, I can’t possibly, Patty. My work is very important just now, and I must go back day after to-morrow.”
“We’ll see about that;” and Patty wagged her head, positively. “And look here, Christine, while I have you by yourself, I want to tell you something. Elise Farrington is here, you know, and she has a silly notion of some sort that makes her resent my friendship for you. Now I want to ask you, as a special favour to me, not to pay any attention to her foolishness. If she snubs you right out, I’ll attend to her case myself; but, if she just flings little bits of hateful allusions at you, don’t mind them, will you, dear?”
“I can’t help it, Patty. Unkind speeches shrivel me all up somehow; I just can’t stand them!”
“Well, stand them for my sake, please. You know I can’t help it, and, if I had thought you wouldn’t have a good time, I wouldn’t have asked you here when Elise is here. But, you see, it’s my birthday house party, and I want all of my dearest friends with me.”
“And you count me among them? Oh, Patty, how good you are to me! Truly, I will try not to be foolishly sensitive, and I promise not to notice anything Elise may do or say, if I can possibly help it.”
“That’s a good girl,” said Patty, giving Christine’s