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 arm a little squeeze. “But isn’t it funny, Christine, that I have these little petty troubles among my girl friends, and never among my boy friends. The boys are all so nice to me, and they never get jealous of each other or anything silly like that. But you see this place we’re just passing? It’s called ‘Red Chimneys,’ and I have a girl friend in there,—at least, she’s an acquaintance,—who makes me a lot of trouble, too.”
“I don’t make you trouble, Patty, do I?”
“Well, of course, it’s mostly Elise’s fault, but, if you’ll just ignore it, and stand up for your own rights, you can help me a whole lot.”
“I will, Patty; indeed, I will!” said Christine, earnestly, and then they arrived at “The Pebbles.”
Dinner that night was a gay and jolly feast. It was the eve of the birthday, and the house party had already assumed an air of festivity.
Mr. Van Reypen and Kenneth Harper had come down later than the others, and Philip Van Reypen had established himself at the hotel where Mr. Hepworth was, while Kenneth was a house guest at “The Pebbles.”
But the men from the hotel came over to dinner, and announced their intention of staying as late as they would be allowed.
Also, to Patty’s dismay, Mona Galbraith had come over just before dinner, and, as she was still there when dinner was announced, Nan felt herself really obliged to ask the girl to dine with them.
Patty didn’t like it at all, but there was no help for it, and so Mona stayed. She looked very pretty that night, and was not quite so overdressed as usual. Moreover, she made herself bright and entertaining, without showing any of her less desirable traits of character.
Seated between Roger and Mr. Van Reypen, she ingratiated herself with both, and, when Patty saw that the boys seemed to like Mona, she felt rather glad she was there.
After dinner they all drifted out to the verandas, and, as it was a moonlight night and high breakers were dashing in on the beach, there was the usual chorus of admiration for the glories of the seashore.
There was much gay chatter and laughter, there was some desultory singing of songs, and at last Elise jumped up, saying: “I just can’t stand it any longer! I simply must go down to the beach! Will anybody go with me?”
“I will,” said Kenneth, gallantly. “I was just thinking about that myself. Anybody else want to go?”
“I want to go,” said Christine, a little timidly, and Patty looked up in surprise, at the idea of Christine wanting to go with Elise anywhere.
But Christine was longing to get down to the water, and see the ocean nearer by, for it was about two blocks from “The Pebbles,” though no buildings intervened.
“Mayn’t I go with you, Christine?” said Mr. Hepworth; and, with a glance of gratitude, Christine said, “Yes, indeed.”
“Come on, then,” sung out Kenneth. “All
