Patty in Paris | Page 7

it, so we'll
explore it together, you and I. I wish Roger were going with us; it's nice
to have a boy along to escort us about."
"Yes, it is," said Patty frankly; "and Roger is so kind and good- natured.
When do we sail, Elise?"
"Two weeks from Saturday, I think. Father is going to see about the
tickets to-day. He waited to see your father yesterday, and make sure
that you could go. The whole thing has been planned rather suddenly,
but that's the way father always does things."
"And it's so fortunate," went on Patty, "that I hadn't started away to
college or boarding-school. Although if I had, and you had invited me,
I should have managed some way to get expelled from college, so I
could go with you. How long do you suppose we shall stay, Elise?"
"I don't know, I'm sure. You never can tell what the Farringtons are
going to do; they're here to-day and gone to-morrow. We'll stay all
winter, of course, and then in the spring, mother might take a notion to
go to London, or she might decide to come flying home. As for father,
he'll probably bob back and forth. He doesn't think any more of
crossing the ocean than of crossing the street. Have you much to do to
get ready to go?"
"No, not much. Nan says for me not to get a lot of clothes, for it's better
to buy them over there; and papa says I can buy all I want, only of
course I can't be as extravagant as you are."
"Oh, pshaw, I'm not extravagant! I don't care much about spending
money, only of course I like to have some nice things. And I do love to
buy pictures and books. But we'll have an awful lot of fun together. I
think it's fun just to be with you, Patty. And the idea of having you all
to myself for a whole winter, without Hilda, or Lorraine, or anybody
claiming a part of you, is the best of it all. I do love you a lot, Patty,
more than you realise, I think."
"You've set your affections on a worthless object, then; and I warn you

that before the winter is over you're likely to discover that for yourself.
You always did overestimate me, Elise."
"Indeed I didn't; but as you well know, from that first day at the
Oliphant school, when you were so kind to me, I've never liked
anybody half as much as I do you."
"You're extremely flattering," said Patty, as she kissed her friend, "and
I only hope this winter won't prove a disillusion."
"I'm not at all afraid," returned Elise gaily; "and oh, Patty, won't we
have a jolly time on board the steamer! It's a long trip, you know, and
we must take books to read and games to play, for as there'll probably
be mostly French people on board, we can't converse very much."
"You can," said Patty, laughing, "but I'm afraid no one can understand
my beautiful but somewhat peculiar accent."

III
SOUVENIRS
Marian came over to spend a few days with Patty before her departure.
She was frankly envious of Patty's good fortune, but more than that, she
was so desperately doleful at the thought of Patty's going away that she
was anything but a cheerful visitor.
Although sorry for her cousin, Patty couldn't help laughing at the
dejected picture that Marian continually presented. She followed Patty
around the house wherever she went, or she would sit and look at her
with her chin held in her hands, and the big tears rolling down her
cheeks.
"Marian, you are a goose," said Patty, exasperated by this performance.
"When I left Vernondale you cried and carried on just this way, but
somehow you seemed to live through it. And now that I live in New
York you don't see me so very often anyhow, so why should you be so

disconsolate about my going away?"
"Because you're going so far, and you'll probably be drowned--those
French steamers are ever so much more dangerous than the English
lines-- and somehow I just feel as if you'd never come back."
"Well, the best thing you can do then is to change your feelings. I'll be
back before you hardly realise that I'm gone; and I'll bring you the
loveliest presents you ever saw."
This was a happy suggestion of Patty's, for Marian's tears ceased to
flow and she brightened up at once.
"Oh, Patty, that is just what I wanted to talk to you about! If you are
going to bring me anything in the way of a gift or a souvenir, wouldn't
you just as lieve I'd tell you what I want, as to have you