Patty and Azalea | Page 6

help me. If I do what I ought not to
do,--or leave undone the things which I should ought to do,--check me
up,--won't you, please?"
"We sure will," agreed Channing, "but something tells me you're going
to prove an ideal hostess."

"She will," nodded Farnsworth, "she takes to hostessing like a duck to
water. She even asked me what sort of smokes you chaps prefer."
"I hope you remembered," said Roger. "And when are they to be passed
around?"
"Right now," said Patty, smiling and nodding to the maid who hovered
near.
In truth, Patty was a born hostess, and without fuss or ostentation
always had the comfort of her guests in mind. While not overburdened
with a retinue of servants, she had enough to attend to everything she
required of them; and her own knowledge and efficiency combined
with her tact and real kindliness brought about a state of harmony in
her household that might well have been envied by an older and more
experienced matron.
Mrs. Chase, who had the nominal position of housekeeper, found
herself strictly accountable to Patty for all she did, and as she was
sensible enough to appreciate Patty's attitude, she successfully fulfilled
the requirements of a butler or steward, and had general charge and
oversight of all the housekeeping details.
"The way to keep house," said Patty to Mona and Elise, as she took
them away with her, leaving the men to their "smokes," "is not so much
to work yourself as to be able to make others work in the way you want
them to."
"That's just it," agreed Mona, "and that's just what I can't do! Why, my
servants rode over me so, and were so impudent and lazy, I just gave up
housekeeping and went to a hotel to live. We had to,--there was no
other way out."
"And how Roger hates it!" said Elise, who, as Roger's sister, thought
herself privileged to comment.
A cloud passed over Mona's face. "He does," she admitted, "but what
can I do? He hated worse the scenes we had when we were

housekeeping."
"Perhaps conditions will get better now," said Patty, hopefully, "and
you can try again, Mona, with better results."
"Maybe; and perhaps you can teach me. You used to teach me lots of
things, Patty."
"All right,--I'll willingly do anything I can. Now, who wants to see my
angel child? Or would you rather go to your rooms first?"
"No, indeed," cried Elise, "let me see her right now. If she's as pretty as
the wistaria vine--oh, Patty, why don't you name her Wistaria?"
"Gracious, what a name! No, she's Fleurette,--or so Little Billee says.
Anyway, here she is."
Patty led them to the nursery, and from the lacy draperies of the
bassinette a smiling baby face looked up at them.
"What a heavenly kiddy!" Elise exclaimed, "Oh, Patty, what a daffodil
head! Just a blur of yellow fuzz! And such blue eyes! She looks exactly
like you! And exactly like Bill, too. Oh, I never saw such a darling
baby. Let me take her,--mayn't I?"
"Yes, indeed. She's no glass-case baby."
Elise picked up the dear little bundle, and cooed and crooned in most
approved fashion.
Apparently Fleurette understood, for she smiled and gurgled, and
seemed to look upon Elise as an old friend.
Mona admired the baby but was more interested in the house.
"Show me everything," she begged Patty. "I want to see it all. Where's
your linen closet?"
"My linen closet is a room," and Patty led them thither. "You see, we

have such a lot of rooms and,--such a lot of linen,--that I took this little
bedroom for a linen press. I had a carpenter put in the shelves and
cupboards just as I wanted them,--and here's the result."
With justifiable pride, Patty showed her linen collection. Sheets, towels,
tablecloths,--each sort in its place, each dozen held by blue ribbon
bands, that fastened with little pearl buckles.
Other shelves held lace pieces, luncheon sets, boudoir pillow-cases,
table scarfs, and all the exquisite embroidered bits that are the delight
of the home lover.
"Perfectly wonderful!" Elise declared; "looks just like a shop in Venice
or Nice. How do you keep them so tidy? and where did you ever get so
many?"
"Oh, I've done quite some shopping to get our Lares and Penates
together, and Bill let me get whatever I wanted in the house furnishing
line. Yes, this linen room is my joy and my pride. See, this cupboard is
all curtains. I do love to have fresh curtains as often as I want them."
"Well, it's all like Fairyland," Mona said. "I have beautiful things, too,
but they don't look like this. They're all in a jumble on the shelves, and
everything is hodge-podge."
"Oh, well, you're just