Patty's Summer Days

“There,” said Miss Aurora, throwing open a great chest, “you ought to get some fun out of trying on those fol-de-rols, and peacocking around; but don’t come downstairs to show off to me, for you’ll only bother me out of my wits. I’ll let you know when your folks come for you.”

Miss Bender trotted away, and the girls, quite ready for a lark, tossed over the quaint old gowns.

Beautiful costumes were there, of the period of about a hundred years ago. Lustrous silks and dainty dimities; embroidered muslins and heavy velvets; Patty had never seen such a sight. After looking them over, the girls picked out the ones they preferred, and taking off their own frocks proceeded to try them on.

Bertha had chosen a blue and white silk of a bayadere stripe, with lace ruffles at the neck and wrists and a skirt of voluminous fulness. Elise wore a white Empire gown that made her look exactly like the Empress Josephine, while Patty arrayed herself in a flowered silk of Dresden effect with a pointed bodice, square neck, and elbow sleeves with lace frills.

In great glee, the girls pranced around, regretting there was no one to whom they might exhibit their masquerade costumes. But Miss Bender had been so positive in her orders that they dared not go downstairs.

Suddenly they heard the toot of an automobile.

“That’s our car,” cried Bertha. “I know the horn. Let’s go down just as we are, for the benefit of Winthrop and Roger.”

In answer to Miss Bender’s call from below, the girls trooped downstairs, and merrily presented themselves for inspection.

Mr. Phelps had come with the others, and if the young men were pleased at the picture the three girls presented, Miss Aurora herself was no less so.

“My,” she said, “you do look fine, I declare! Now, I’ll tell you what I’ll do; I’ll make each of you young ladies a present of the gown you have on, if you care to keep it. I’ll never miss them, for I have trunks and chests full, besides those you saw, and I’m right down glad to give them to you. You can wear them sometimes at your fancy dress parties.”

The girls were overjoyed at Miss Bender’s gift, and Bertha declared they would wear them home, and she would send over for their other dresses the next day.

So, donning their wraps, the merry modern maids in their antique garb made their adieus to Miss Aurora, and were soon in the big motor-car speeding for home.

CHAPTER XVII

A SUMMER CHRISTMAS

Although they had intended to stay but a fortnight, Patty and Elise remained with the Warners all through the month of June, and even then Bertha begged them to stay longer.

But the day for their departure was set in the first week of July, and Bertha declared that they must have a big party of some kind as their last entertainment for the girls.

So Mrs. Warner invited a number of young people for a house party during the last few days of Patty’s stay.

“I wish,” said Bertha, a few days before the Fourth, “that we could have some kind of a party on the Fourth of July that would be different from just an ordinary party.”

“Have an automobile party,” suggested Roger, who was present.

“I don’t mean that kind,” said Bertha, “I mean a party in the house, but something that would be fun. There isn’t anything to do on Fourth of July except have fireworks, and that isn’t much fun.”

“I’ll tell you what,” said Mr. Phelps, who was at Pine Branches on one of his flying visits, “have a Christmas party.”

“A Christmas party on Fourth of July!” exclaimed Bertha, “that’s just the thing! Mr. Phelps, you’re a real genius. That’s just what we’ll do, and we’ll have a Christmas tree, and give each other gifts and everything.”

“Great!” said Roger, “and we’ll have a Yule log blazing, and we’ll all wear our fur coats.”

“No, not that,” said Bertha, laughing, “we’d melt. But we’ll have all the Christmas effects that we can think of, and each one must help.”

The crowd of merry young people who were gathered at Pine Branches eagerly fell in with Bertha’s plan, and each began to make preparations for the festival.

The girls made gifts which they carefully kept secret from the ones for whom they were intended, and many trips were made to the village for materials.

The boys also had many mysterious errands, and Mr. and Mrs. Warner, who entered heartily into the spirit of the fun, were frequently consulted under strict bonds of confidence.

Fourth of July came and proved to be a warm, though not a sultry summer day.

Invitations had been sent out, and a large party of young people were expected in the evening; and during the day those who were staying at Pine Branches found plenty to do by way of preparation.

A large Christmas tree had been cut down, and was brought into the library. As soon as it was set up, the work of decoration began, and it was hung with strings of popcorn, and tinsel filigree which Mrs. Warner had saved from previous Christmas trees. Dozens of candles too, were put on the branches, to be lighted at night.

The boys brought in great boughs of evergreen, and cut them up, while the girls made ropes and wreaths and stars, with which to adorn the room.

Mr. Phelps had sent to New York for a large boxful of artificial holly, and this added greatly to the Christmas effect.

Patty was in her element helping with these arrangements, for she dearly loved to make believe, and the idea of a Christmas party in midsummer appealed very strongly to her sense of humour.

Her energy and enthusiasm were untiring, and her original ideas called forth the hearty applause of the others. She was consulted about everything, and her decisions were always accepted.

Mr. Phelps too, proved a clever and willing worker. He was an athletic young man, and he seemed to be capable of doing half a dozen different things at once. He cut greens, and hung wreaths, and ran up and down stepladders, and even managed to fasten a large gilt star to the very top branch of the Christmas tree.

After the decorations were all completed, everybody brought their gifts neatly tied up and labelled, and either hung them on the tree or piled them up around the platform on which it stood.

“Well, you children have done wonders,” said Mrs. Warner, looking in at the library door. “You have transformed this room until I hardly can recognise it, and it looks for all the world exactly like Christmas. It is hard to believe that it is really Fourth of July.”

“It seems too bad not to have any of the Fourth of July spirit mixed in with it,” said Winthrop, “but I suppose it would spoil the harmony. But we really ought to use a little gunpowder in honour of the day. Come on, Patty, your work is about finished, let’s go out and put off a few firecrackers.”

“All right,” said Patty, “just wait till I tack up this ‘Merry Christmas’ motto, and I’ll be ready.”

“I’ll do that,” said Roger, “you infants run along and show off your patriotism, and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

“You must be tired,” said Winthrop to Patty, as they sauntered out on the lawn. “You worked awfully hard with those evergreen things. Let’s go out on the lake and take our firecrackers with us; that will rest you, and it will be fun besides.”

The lake, so called by courtesy, was really an artificial pond, and though not large, it provided a great deal of amusement.

There were several boats, and selecting a small cedar one, Winthrop assisted Patty in, sprang in himself, and pushed off.

“If it’s Christmas, we ought to be going skating on the lake, instead of rowing,” said Patty.

“It isn’t Christmas now,” said Winthrop, “You get your holidays mixed up. We’ve come out here to celebrate Independence Day. See what I’ve brought.”

From his pockets the young man produced several packs of firecrackers.

“What fun!” cried Patty, “I feel as if I were a child again. Let me set some off. Have you any punk?”

“Yes,” said Winthrop, gravely producing some short sticks of punk from another pocket; and lighting one, he gave it to Patty.

“But how can I set them off?” said Patty, “I’m afraid to have them in the boat, and we can’t throw them out on the water.”

“We’ll manage this way,” said Winthrop, and drawing one of the oars into the boat, he laid a lighted firecracker on the blade and pushed it out again. The firecracker went off with a bang, and in great glee Patty pulled in the other oar and tried the same plan.