Patty at Home | Page 4

on the face of the earth! Why, I wouldn't let her go! I'd lock
her in her room, and poke bread and water to her through the keyhole,
if she dared to think of such a thing! Go to New York, indeed! A nice
time she'd have, hanging on straps in the trolley-cars, and getting run
over by automobiles! The whole thing is so perfectly absurd that there's
no earthly chance of its ever coming to pass. Why, she _wouldn't_ go,
she couldn't be hired to go; she wouldn't be happy there a minute; but if
she does go, I'll go, too!"
CHAPTER II
THE DECISION
"Hooray for our side!" cried Frank, as Marian dropped into a chair after
her outburst of enthusiasm.
"Oh, I haven't finished yet," said Marian, jumping up again. "I want to
remark further that not only is Patty going to live in Vernondale, but
she's going to have a house very near this one. I've picked it out," and
Marian wagged her head with the air of a mysterious sibyl. "I won't tell
you where it is just yet, but it's a lovely house, and big enough to
accommodate Uncle Fred and Patty, and a guest or two besides. I've
selected the room that I prefer, and I hope you will furnish it in blue."
"The speaker is a bit hasty," said Patty as Marian sat down again; "we
can't furnish any rooms before this debate is concluded; and, though we

deeply regret it, Miss Elliott will be obliged to wait for her blue room
until the other speakers have had their speak."
But Patty smiled at Marian understandingly, and began to have a very
attractive mental picture of her cousin's blue room next her own.
"The next speaker," announced the judge, "will be Mrs. Elliott,
Senior,--the Dowager Duchess. Your Grace, we would be pleased to
hear from you."
"I don't know," said Grandma Elliott, looking rather seriously into the
smiling faces before her, "that I am entirely in favour of the country
home. I think our Patty would greatly enjoy the city atmosphere. She is
a schoolgirl now, but in a year or two she will be a young woman, and
one well deserving of the best that can be given to her. I am city-bred
myself, and though at my age I prefer the quiet of the country, yet for a
young girl I well know the charm of a city life. Of course, we would all
regret the loss of our Patty, who has grown to be a part of our daily life,
but, nevertheless, were I to vote on this matter, I should unhesitatingly
cast my ballot in favour of New York."
"Bravo for grandma!" cried Frank. "Give me a lady who fearlessly
speaks her mind even in the face of overwhelming opposition. All the
same, I haven't spoken my piece yet, and I believe it is now my turn."
"It is," said Patty, "and we eagerly await your sapient and authoritative
remarks."
"Ahem!" said Frank pompously, as he arose. "My remarks shall be
brief, but very much to the point. Patty's home must be in Vernondale
because we live here. If ever we go to live in New York, or Oshkosh, or
Kalamazoo, Patty can pick up her things and go along. Just get that
idea firmly fixed in your heads, my friends. Where we live, Patty lives;
whither she goeth, we goeth. Therefore, if Patty should go to New York,
the Elliotts will take up bag and baggage, sell the farm, and go likewise
to New York. Now I'm sure our Patty, being of proper common-sense
and sound judgment, wouldn't put the Elliott family to such
inconvenience,--for moving is a large and fearsome proposition. Thus

we see that as the Mountain insists on following Mahomet
whithersoever she goest, the only decently polite thing for Mahomet to
do is to settle in Vernondale. I regret exceedingly that I am forced to
express an opinion so diametrically opposed to the advices of Her
Grace, the Dowager Duchess, but I'm quite sure she didn't realise what
a bother it would be for the Elliotts to move. And now, having
convinced you all to my way of thinking, I will leave the case in the
hands of our wise and competent judge."
"Wait," said Uncle Charley; "I believe the captains are usually allowed
a sort of summing-up speech, are they not?"
"They are in this case, anyway," said Patty. "Mr. Elliott will please go
ahead with his summing-up."
"Well," said Uncle Charley, "the sum of the whole matter seems to be
that we all want Fred and Patty to live here because we want them to;
but, of course, it's only fair that they consult their own wishes in the
matter, and if they conclude