Author: Carolyn Wells
Category: Humorous
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CHAPTER XV
MISS AURORA BENDER
After a visit of a few days, it was decided that Mr. and Mrs. Farringtonand Roger should continue the motor-trip on to Boston, and to certainplaces along the New England coast, while Patty and Elise should stay atPine Branches for a longer visit.
The girls had expected to continue the trip with the others, but Berthahad coaxed them to stay longer with her, and had held out such attractiveinducements that they decided to remain.
Patty, herself, was pleased with the plan, because she still felt theeffects of her recent mental strain, and realised that the luxurious easeof Pine Branches would be far more of a rest than the more excitingexperiences of a motor trip.
So the girls were installed for a fortnight or more in the beautiful homeof the Warners, and with so many means of pleasure at her disposal, Pattylooked forward to a delightful period of both rest and recreation.
One morning, Bertha declared her intention of taking the girls to call onMiss Aurora Bender.
"Who is she?" inquired Patty, as the three started off in Bertha'spony-cart.
"She's a character," said Bertha, "but I won't tell you anything abouther; you can see her, and judge for yourself."
A drive of several miles brought them to a quaint old-fashionedfarmhouse.
The house, which had the appearance of being very old, was built of stoneand painted a light yellow, with white trimmings. Everything about theplace was in perfect repair and exquisite order, and as they drove inaround the gravel circle that surrounded a carefully kept bit of greenlawn, Bertha stopped the cart at an old-fashioned carriage-block, and thegirls got out. Running up the steps, Bertha clanged the old brass knockerat what seemed to Patty to be the kitchen door. It was opened by a tall,gaunt woman, with sharp features and angular figure.
"Well, I declare to goodness, Bertha Warner, if you aren't here again!Who's that you've got with you this time? City folks, I s'pose. Well comein, all of you, but wipe your feet first. As you've been riding, I s'posethey ain't muddy much, but it's well to be on the safe side. So wipe 'emgood and then troop in."
Miss Aurora Bender had pushed her heavy gold-bowed glasses up on the topof her head, and her whole-souled smile of welcome belied the gruffnessof her tone, and the seeming inhospitality of her words.
The girls took pains to wipe their dainty boots on the gaily-colouredbraided rug which lay just outside the door.
Then they entered a spacious low-ceiled room, which seemed to partake ofthe qualities of both kitchen and dining-room. At one end was an immensefireplace, with an old-fashioned swinging crane, from which depended manyskillets and kettles of highly polished brass or copper.
On either side of the room was a large dresser, with glass doors, throughwhich showed quantities of rare old china that made Patty's eyes shinewith delight. A quaint old settle and various old chairs of Windsorpattern stood round the walls. The floor was painted yellow, and here andthere were braided mats of various designs.
"Sit down, girls, sit down," said Miss Bender, cordially, "and nowBertha, tell me these young ladies' names,--unless, that is to say, you'drather sit in the parlour?"
"We would rather sit in the parlour, Miss Bender," said Bertha, quickly,and as if fearing her hostess might not follow up her suggestion, Berthaopened a door leading to the front hall, and started toward the parlour,herself.
"Well," said Miss Bender, with a note of regret in her voice, "I s'poseif you must, you must; though for my part, I'm free to confess that thisroom's a heap more cozy and livable."
"That may be," said Bertha, who had beckoned to the girls to followquickly, "but my friends are from the city, as you suspected, and theydon't often have a chance in New York to see a parlour like yours, MissBender."
As Bertha had intended, this bit of flattery mollified the old lady, andshe followed her guests along the dark hall.
"Well, if you're bound to have it so," she said, "do wait a minute, andlet me get in there and pull up the blinds. It's darker than Japhet'scoat pocket. I haven't had this room opened since Mis' Perkins across theroad had her last tea fight. And I only did it then, 'cause I wanted toset some vases of my early primroses in the windows, so's the guestsmight see 'em as they came by. Seems to me it's a little musty in here,but land! a room will get musty if it's shut up, and what earthly good isa parlour except to keep shut up?"
As Miss Bender talked, she had bustled about, and thrown open the sixwindows of the large room, into which Bertha had taken the girls.
The sunlight streamed in, and disclosed a scene which seemed to Pattylike a wonderful vision of a century ago.
And indeed for more than a hundred years the furniture of the greatparlour had stood precisely as they now saw it.
The furniture was entirely of antique mahogany, and included sofas andchairs, various kinds of tables, bookcases, a highboy, a lowboy and otherpieces of furniture of which Patty knew neither the name nor the use.
The pictures on the wall, the ornaments, the books and the old-fashionedbrass candlesticks were all of the same ancient period, and Patty felt asif she had been transported back into the life of her great-grandmother.
As she had herself a pretty good knowledge of the styles and varieties ofantique furniture, she won Miss Bender's heart at once by herappreciation of her Heppelwhite chairs and her Chippendale card-tables.
"You don't say," said Miss Bender, looking at Patty in admiration, "thatyou really know one style from another! Lots of people pretend they do,but they soon get confused when I try to pin 'em down."
Patty smiled, as she disclaimed any great knowledge of the subject, butshe soon found that she knew enough to satisfy her hostess, who, afterall, enjoyed describing her treasures even more than listening to theirpraises.
Miss Aurora Bender was a lady of sudden and rapid physical motion. Whilethe girls were examining the wonderful old relics, she darted from theroom, and returned in a moment, carrying two large baskets. They were ofthe old-fashioned type of closely-woven reed, with a handle over the top,and a cover to lift up on either side.
Miss Bender plumped herself down in the middle of a long sofa, and beganrapidly to extract the contents of the baskets, which proved to benumerous fat rolls of gayly-coloured cotton material.
"It's patchwork," she announced, "and I make it my habit to get all thehelp I can. I'm piecing a quilt, goose-chase pattern, and while I don'tknow as it's the prettiest there is, yet I don't know as 'tisn't. If yougirls expect to sit the morning, and I must say you look like it, youmight lend a helping hand. I made the geese smaller'n I otherwise would,'cause I had so many little pieces left from my rising-sun quilt. Looksjust as well, of course, but takes a powerful sight of time to sew. And Imust say I'm sorter particular about sewing. However, I don't s'pose youyoung things of this day and generation know much about sewing, but ifyou go slow you can't help doing it pretty well."
As she talked, Miss Bender had hastily presented each of the girls with abasted block of patchwork, and had passed around a needle-cushion and asmall box containing a number of old-fashioned silver thimbles.
"Lucky I had a big family," she commented, "else I don't know what I'ddone for thimbles to go around. I can't abide brass things, that makeyour finger look like it had been dipped in ink, but thanks to my sevensisters who are all restin' comfortably in their graves, I have enoughthimbles to provide quite a parcel of company. Here's your thread. Nowsew away while we talk, and we'll have a real nice little bee."
Although not especially fond of sewing, the girls looked upon thisepisode as a good joke, and fell to work at their bits of cloth.
Elise was a dainty little needlewoman, and overhanded rapidly and neatly;Patty did fairly well, though her stitches were not quite even, but poorBertha found her work a difficult task. She never did fancywork, and knewnothing of sewing, so her thread knotted and broke, and her patchpresented a sorry sight.
"Land o' Goshen!" exclaimed Miss Aurora, "is that the best you can do,Bertha Warner? The town ou
ght to take up a subscription to put you in asewin' school. Here child, let me show you."
Miss Bender took Bertha's block and tried to straighten it out, whileBertha herself made funny faces at the other girls over Miss Aurora'sshoulder.
"I can see you," said that lady calmly, "I guess you forget that bigmirror opposite. But them faces you're makin' ain't half so bad as thissewin' of yours."
The girls all laughed outright at Miss Bender's calm acceptance ofBertha's sauciness, and Bertha herself was in nowise embarrassed by theimplied rebuke.
"There, child," said Miss Aurora, smoothing out the seams with her thumbnail, "now try again, and see if you can't do it some better."
"Is your quilt nearly done, Miss Bender?" asked Patty.
"Yes, it is. I've got three hundred and eighty-seven geese finished, andfour hundred's enough. I work on it myself quite a spell every day, and Ithink in two or three days I'll have it all pieced."
"Oh, Miss Bender," cried Bertha, "then won't you quilt it? Won't you havea quilting party while my friends are here?"
"Humph," said Miss Aurora, scornfully, "you children can't quilt fit tobe seen."
"Elise can," said Bertha, looking at Elise's dainty block, "and Patty cando pretty well, and as I would spoil your quilt if I touched it, MissAurora, I'll promise to let it alone; but I can do other things to helpyou. Oh, do have the party, will you?"
"Why, I don't know but I will. I kinder calculated to have it soon,anyhow, and if so be's you young people would like to come to it, I don'tsee anything to hinder. S'pose we say a week from to-day?"
The date was decided on, and the girls went home in high glee over thequilting party, for Bertha told them it would be great fun of a sort theyhad probably never seen before.
* * * * *
The days flew by rapidly at Pine Branches. Patty rapidly recovered herusual perfect health and rosy cheeks. She played golf and tennis, shewent for long rides in the Warners' motor-car or carriages, and also onhorseback. There were many guests at the house, coming and going, andamong these one day came Mr. Phelps, whom they had met on their journeyout from New York.
This gentleman proved to be of a merry disposition, and added greatly tothe gaiety of the party. While he was there, Roger also came back for afew days, having left Mr. and Mrs. Farrington for a short stay atNantucket.
One morning, as Patty and Roger stood in the hall, waiting for the otheryoung people to join them, they were startled to hear angry voices in themusic-room.
This room was separated from them by the length of the library, andthough not quite distinct, the voices were unmistakably those of Berthaand Winthrop.
"You did!" said Winthrop's voice, "don't deny it! You're a horrid hatefulold thing!"
"I didn't! any such thing," replied Bertha's voice, which sounded on theverge of tears.
"You did! and if you don't give it back to me, I'll tell mother. Mothersaid if she caught you at such a thing again, she'd punish you as youdeserved, and I'm going to tell her!"
Patty felt most uncomfortable at overhearing this quarrel. She had neverbefore heard a word of disagreement between Bertha and her brother, andshe was surprised as well as sorry to hear this exhibition of temper.
Roger looked horrified, and glanced at Patty, not knowing exactly what todo.
The voices waxed more angry, and they heard Bertha declare, "You're ahorrid old telltale! Go on and tell, if you want to, and I'll tell whatyou stole out of father's desk last week!"
"How did you know that?" and Winthrop's voice rang out in rage.
"Oh, I know all about it. You think nobody knows anything but yourself,Smarty-cat! Just wait till I tell father and see what he'll do to you."
"You won't tell him! Promise me you won't, or I'll,--I'll hit you! There,take that!"
"That" seemed to be a resounding blow, and immediately Bertha's criesbroke forth in angry profusion.
"Stop crying," yelled her brother, "and stop punching me. Stop it, Isay!"
At this point the conversation broke off suddenly, and Patty and Rogerstared in stupefied amazement as they saw Bertha and Winthrop walk insmiling, and hand in hand, from exactly the opposite direction from whichtheir quarrelsome voices had sounded.
"What's the matter?" said Bertha. "Why do you look so shocked and scaredto death?"
"N-nothing," stammered Patty; while Roger blurted out, "We thought weheard you talking over that way, and then you came in from this way. Whocould it have been? The voices were just like yours."
Bertha and Winthrop broke into a merry laugh.
"It's the phonograph," said Bertha. "Winthrop and I fixed up that quarrelrecord, just for fun; isn't it a good one?"
Roger understood at once, and went off into peals of laughter, but Pattyhad to have it explained to her.
"You see," said Winthrop, "we have a big phonograph, and we make recordsfor it ourselves. Bertha and I fixed up that one just for fun, and Eliseis in there now looking after it. Come on in, and see it."
They all went into the music-room, and Winthrop entertained them byputting in various cylinders, which they had made themselves.
Almost as funny as the quarrel was Bertha's account of the occasion whenshe fell into the creek, and many funny recitations by Mr. Warner alsomade amusing records.
Patty could hardly believe that she had not heard her friends' voicesreally raised in anger, until Winthrop put the same record in and let herhear it again.
He also promised her that some day she should make a record for herself,and leave it at Pine Branches as a memento of her visit.