Patty Fairfield | Page 4

and I just want you, you, you!"
Miss Powers was shocked at this exhibition of emotion, and said with

asperity:
"Come, come, it's too late to talk like that now. And a big girl like you
ought to be ashamed to act so babyish."
But Mr. Fairfield kissed Patty tenderly and said: "Dear, we're going to
be very brave, you know,--and besides, you're only going for a visit.
All people go visiting at some time in their lives, and next December
I'll be shaking the dust of Richmond off of my feet and coming after
you, pell-mell." Patty smiled through her tears, and then the train came
tooting along and they all climbed aboard.
As the train waited for ten minutes, Mr. Fairfield had ample time to
find the seats engaged for the travelers, and to arrange their
hand-luggage in the racks provided for it. Then he bade Miss Powers
good-bye, and, turning to Patty, clasped her in his arms as he said:
"Pattykins, good-bye. The year will soon pass away, and then we'll
have a jolly little home together. Be brave and gentle always, and as a
parting gift I give you this little box which contains a talisman to help
you bear any troubles or difficulties that may come to you."
As he spoke, he put into Patty's hand a small parcel sealed at each end
with red sealing-wax.
"Don't open it now," he continued. "Keep it just as it is until you reach
Aunt Isabel's. Then after you have gone to your room on the first night
of your stay with her, open the box and see what is in it."
Then the warning whistle blew, and with a final embrace of his little
daughter, Mr. Fairfield left the car.
The train started, and for a moment Patty saw her father waving his
handkerchief, and then he was lost to her sight. She felt just like
indulging in a good cry, but Miss Powers would have none of that.
The worthy spinster was already opening her bag and preparing to
make herself comfortable for her journey.

"Now, Patty," she said, but not unkindly, "you've left your pa behind,
and you're going away from him to stay a year. You've got to go, you
can't help yourself, so you might just as well make the best of it, and be
cheerful instead of miserable. So now that's settled, and you'd better get
out your books and games or whatever you brought along to amuse
yourself with."
Miss Powers had taken off her hat and gloves and arranged a small
balsam pillow behind her head. She put on her glasses, and opened a
book in which she at once became absorbed.
Patty, being thus left to her own devices, became much interested in the
novelty of her surroundings. It was great fun to lean back against the
high-cushioned seat and look out of the window at the trees and
plantations and towns as they flew by. This kept her amused until
noontime, when a waiter came through the car banging a gong.
Miss Powers shut her book with a snap, and announced that they would
go to the dining-car for their lunch.
This was even more fun, for it seemed so queer to Patty to sit at a table
and eat, while at the same time she was flying through the country at
such break-neck speed.
"It's like the enchanted carpet, isn't it, Miss Powers?" she said, as they
slid through a thick grove and then out into the sunshine again.
"What is? what carpet?" asked Miss Powers, looking down at the floor
of the car.
"Oh, not a real carpet," said Patty, politely repressing a smile at the
elder lady's ignorance of fairy-lore. "I mean, for us to go scooting along
so fast is like the travelers on the magicians" carpet. Don't you know,
the carpet would move of itself wherever he told it to."
"H'm," commented Miss Powers, "that would be a good kind of a
carpet to have at housecleaning time, wouldn't it?"

This prosaic disposition of the magic carpet quite shocked Patty, but
she adapted herself to the idea, and said, "Yes, indeed; you could just
say, 'Carpet, get up and go out and hang yourself on the clothes-line,
and then shake yourself well and come back again,'--oh, that would be
convenient."
Miss Powers smiled in an absent-minded sort of way, and Patty
chattered on, half to herself and half to her companion.
"But suppose the carpet should be naughty and refuse to go,--that
wouldn't be so pleasant."
"Or suppose it should run away and never come back?"
This latter remark was made by a strange voice, and Patty looked up
quickly to see the man who was seated opposite, smiling in a very
friendly way.
He was