Author: Carolyn Wells
Category: Humorous
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CHAPTER VII
A RESCUE
Perhaps it was partly owing to Patty's natural sense of humour, orperhaps her overwrought nerves made her feel a little hystericallyinclined, but somehow the situation suddenly struck her as being veryfunny. To think that she, Patty Fairfield, was about to be arrestedbecause she couldn't pay her cab fare, truly seemed like a joke.
But though it seemed like a joke, it wasn't one. As Patty hesitated, thecabman grew more impatient and less respectful.
Patty's feeling of amusement passed as quickly as it came, and sherealised that she must do something at once. Nan was not at home, herfather was too far away, and, curiously, the next person she thought ofas one who could help her in her trouble was Mr. Hepworth.
This thought seemed like an inspiration. Instantly assuming an air ofauthority and dignity, she turned to the angry cabman and said, "You willbe the one to be arrested unless you behave yourself more properly. Comewith me to the nearest public telephone station. I have sufficient moneywith me to pay for a telephone message, and I will then prove to yoursatisfaction that your fare will be immediately paid."
Patty afterward wondered how she had the courage to make this speech, butthe fear of what might happen had been such a shock to her that it hadreacted upon her timidity.
And with good results, for the cabman at once became meek and evencringing.
"There's a telephone across the street, Miss," he said.
"Very well," said Patty; "come with me."
"There's a telephone here, Miss," said the Italian woman, "if you wouldlike to use it."
"That's better yet," said Patty; "where's the book?"
Taking the telephone book, Patty quickly turned the leaves until shefound Mr. Hepworth's studio number.
She had an aversion to speaking her own name before her present hearers,so when Mr. Hepworth responded she merely said, "Do you know who I am?"
Of course the others listening could not hear when Mr. Hepworth respondedthat he did know her voice, and then called her by name.
"Very well," said Patty, still speaking with dignity, "I have had themisfortune to lose my purse, and I am unable to pay my cab fare. Will yoube kind enough to answer the cabman over this telephone right now, andinform him that it will be paid if he will drive me to your address,which you will give him?"
"Certainly," replied Mr. Hepworth politely, though he was really verymuch amazed at this message.
Patty turned to the cabman and said, somewhat sternly, "Take thisreceiver and speak to the gentleman at the other end of the wire."
Sheepishly the man took the receiver and timidly remarked, "Hello."
"What is your number?" asked Mr. Hepworth, and the cabman told him.
"Where are you?" was the next question, and the cabman gave the addressof the costumer, which Patty had not remembered to do.
Mr. Hepworth's studio was not very many blocks away, and he gave thecabman his name and address, saying, "Bring the young lady around here atonce, as quickly as you can. I will settle with you on your arrival."
Mr. Hepworth hung up his own receiver, much puzzled. His first impulsewas to go to the address where Patty was, but as it would take some timefor him to get around there by any means, he deemed it better that sheshould come to him.
As Patty felt safe, now that she was so soon to meet Mr. Hepworth, shegave her remaining change to the Italian woman, who had been kind, thoughstolidly disinterested, during the whole interview.
The cabman, having given his number to Mr. Hepworth, felt a responsibilityfor the safety of his passenger, and assisted her into the cab with humblepoliteness.
A few moments' ride brought them to the large building in which was Mr.Hepworth's studio, and that gentleman himself, hatted and gloved, stoodon the curb awaiting them.
"What's it all about?" he asked Patty, making no motion, however, toassist her from the cab.
But the reaction after her fright and embarrassment had made Patty soweak and nervous that she was on the verge of tears.
"I didn't have any money," she said; "I don't know whether I lost it ornot, and if you'll please pay him, papa will pay you afterward."
"Of course, child; that's all right," said Mr. Hepworth. "Don't get out,"he added, as Patty started to do so. "Stay right where you are, and I'lltake you home." He gave Patty's address to the driver, swung himself intothe cab beside Patty, and off they started.
"I wasn't frightened," said Patty, though her quivering lip and tremblinghands belied her words; "but when he said he'd arrest me, I--I didn'tknow what to do, and so I telephoned to you."
"Quite right," said Hepworth, in a casual tone, which gave no hint of thejoy he felt in being Patty's protector in such an emergency. "But I say,child, you look regularly done up. What have you been doing? Have you hadyour luncheon?"
"No," said Patty, faintly.
"And it's after two o'clock," said Hepworth, sympathetically. "You poorinfant, I'd like to take you somewhere for a bite, but I suppose thatwouldn't do. Well, here's the only thing we can do, and it will at leastkeep you from fainting away."
He signalled the cabman to stop at a drug shop, where there was a largesoda fountain. Here he ordered for Patty a cup of hot bouillon. He madeher drink it slowly, and was rejoiced to see that it did her good. Shefelt better at once, and when they returned to the cab she begged Mr.Hepworth to let her go on home alone, and not take any more of hisvaluable time.
"No, indeed," said that gentleman; "it may not be according to thestrictest rules of etiquette for me to be going around with you in ahansom cab, but it's infinitely better than for you to be going aroundalone. So I'll just take charge of you until I can put you safely insideyour father's house."
"And the girls are coming at two o'clock for a rehearsal!" said Patty."Oh, I shall be late."
"The girls will wait," said Mr. Hepworth, easily, and then during therest of the ride he entertained Patty with light, merry conversation.
He watched her closely, however, and came to the conclusion that the girlwas very nervous, and excitable to a degree that made him fear she was onthe verge of a mental illness.
"When is this play of yours to come off?" he enquired.
"Next Thursday night," said Patty, "if we can get ready for it, and wemust; but oh, there is so much to do, and now I've wasted this wholemorning and haven't accomplished a thing, and I don't know where MissSinclair is, and I didn't see about the costumes, after all, and now I'llbe late for rehearsal. Oh, what shall I do?"
Mr. Hepworth had sufficient intuition to know that if he sympathised withPatty in her troubles she was ready to break down in a fit of nervouscrying.
So he said, as if the matter were of no moment, "Oh, pshaw, thosecostumes will get themselves attended to some way or another. Why, I'llgo down there this afternoon and hunt them up, if you like. Just tell mewhat ones you want."
This was help, indeed. Patty well knew that Mr. Hepworth's artistic tastecould select the costumes even better than her own, and she eagerly toldhim the necessary details.
Mr. Hepworth also promised to look after some other errands that weretroubling Patty's mind, so that when she finally reached home she wascalm and self-possessed once more.
Mr. Hepworth quickly settled matters with the cabman, and then escortedPatty up the steps to her own front door, where, with a bow and a fewlast kindly words, he left her and walked rapidly away.
The girls who had gathered for rehearsal greeted her with a chorus ofreproaches for being so late, but when Patty began to tell her excitingexperiences, the rehearsal was forgotten in listening to the thrillingtale.
"Come on, now," said Patty, a little later, "we must get to work. Getyour places and begin your lines, while I finish these."
Patty had refused to go to luncheon, and the maid had brought a tray intothe library for her. So, with a sandwich in one hand and a glass of milkin the other, she directed the rehearsal, taking her own part thereinwhen the time came.
So the days went on, eac
h one becoming more and more busy as the fatefultime drew near.
Also Patty became more and more nervous. She had far more to do than anyof the other girls, for they depended on her in every emergency, referredevery decision to her, and seemed to expect her to do all the hardest ofthe work.
Moreover, the long strain of overstudy she had been through had left itseffects on her system, and Patty, though she would not admit it, and noone else realised it, was in imminent danger of an attack of nervousprostration.
The last few days Nan had begun to suspect this, but as nothing could bedone to check Patty's mad career, or even to assist her in the manythings she had to do, Nan devoted her efforts to keeping Pattystrengthened and stimulated, and was constantly appearing to her with acup of hot beef tea, or of strong coffee, or a dose of some highlyrecommended nerve tonic.
Although these produced good temporary effects, the continued use ofthese remedies really aggravated Patty's condition, and when Thursdaycame she was almost a wreck, both physically and mentally, and Nan was ather wits' end to know how to get the girl through the day.
At the summons of her alarm clock Patty rose early in the morning, forthere was much to do by way of final preparation. Before breakfast shehad attended to many left-over odds and ends, and when she appeared atthe table she said only an absent-minded "good-morning," and then knither brows as if in deep and anxious thought.
Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield looked at each other. They knew that to say a wordto Patty by way of warning would be likely to precipitate the breakdownthat they feared, so they were careful to speak very casually and gently.
"Anything I can do for you to-day, Puss?" said her father, kindly.
"No," said Patty, still frowning; "but I wish the flowers would come. Ihave to make twenty-four garlands before I go over to the schoolroom, andI must be there by ten o'clock to look after the building of theplatform."
"Can't I make the garlands for you?" asked Nan.
"No," said Patty, "they have to be made a special way, and you'd onlyspoil them."
"But if you showed me," urged Nan, patiently. "If you did two or three,perhaps I could copy them exactly; at any rate, let me try."
"Very well," said Patty, dully, "I wish you could do them, I'm sure."
The flowers were delayed, as is not unusual in such cases, and it wasnearly ten when they arrived.
Patty was almost frantic by that time, and Nan, as she afterward told herhusband, had to "handle her with gloves on."
But by dint of tact and patience, Nan succeeded in persuading Patty,after making two or three garlands, to leave the rest for her to do.Although they were of complicated design, Nan was clever at such things,and could easily copy Patty's work. And had she been herself, Patty wouldhave known this. But so upset was she that even her common sense seemedwarped.
When she reached the schoolroom there were a thousand and one things tosee to, and nearly all of them were going wrong.
Patty flew from one thing to another, straightening them out and bringingorder from confusion, and though she held herself well in hand, thetension was growing tighter, and there was danger of her losing controlof herself at any minute.
Hilda Henderson was the only one who realised this, and, taking Pattyaside, she said to her, quietly, "Look here, girl, I'll attend toeverything else; there's not much left that needs special attention. AndI want you to go right straight home, take a hot bath, and then lie downand rest until time to dress for the afternoon programme. Will you?"
Patty looked at Hilda with a queer, uncomprehending gaze. She seemedscarcely to understand what was being said to her.
"Yes," she said, but as she turned she half stumbled, and would havefallen to the floor if Hilda had not caught her strongly by the arm.
"Brace up," she said, and her voice was stern because she was thoroughlyfrightened. "Patty Fairfield, don't you dare to collapse now! If you do,I'll--I don't know _what_ I'll do to you! Come on, now, I'll go home withyou."
Hilda was really afraid to let Patty go alone, so hastily donning her hatand coat she went with her to her very door.
"Take this girl," she said to Nan, "and put her to bed, and don't let hersee anybody or say anything until the programme begins this afternoon.I'll look after everything that isn't finished, if you'll just keep herquiet."
Nan was thoroughly alarmed, but she only said, "All right, Hilda, I'lltake care of her, and thank you very much for bringing her home."
Patty sank down on a couch in a limp heap, but her eyes were big andbright as she looked at Hilda, saying, "See that the stars are put on thegilt wands, and the green bay leaves on the white ones. Lorraine'sspangled skirt is in Miss Oliphant's room, and please be sure,--" Pattydidn't finish this sentence, but lay back among the cushions, exhausted.
"Run along, Hilda," said Nan; "do the best you can with the stars andthings, and I'll see to it that Patty's all right by afternoon."