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Patty Fairfield By: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) |
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By CAROLYN WELLS
To My Little Friend MARION AMES TAGGART
Contents CHAP. I. Her Father's Plan
II. Traveling North
III. New Friends
IV. Villa Rosa
V. A Minuet
VI. Purple and Fine Linen.
VII. A Sleigh Ride
VIII. An Absent Minded Cousin
IX. The Flemings
X. Patty's Pranks
XI. The Book Party
XII. The Hurly Burly
XIII. Home Made Music
XIV. A Funny Family
XV. The Lawn Party
XVI. Unbounded Hospitality
XVII. A Hurly Burly Fire
XVIII. At Vernondale
XIX. A Picnic
XX. The Rescue
XXI. A Reading Club
XXII. A Welcome Guest
Patty Fairfield
CHAPTER I
HER FATHER'S PLAN "How old are you, Patty?" asked her father, abruptly. "Fourteen, papa, why?" "My conscience! what a great girl you're getting to be. Stand up and let me
look at you." Patty Fairfield, with two twists and a spring, brought herself to her feet,
and stood awaiting her father's inspection. He saw a slender, graceful girl, a Southern blonde of the purest type. Her
pretty golden hair would gladly have hung in curly masses, but it was only
allowed to have its own sweet will around her temples and at the end of a
long thick braid. Her eyes were blue, deep and twinkly, and the rest of her
face was as pretty and sweet as soft girlish contours and a perfect
complexion could make it. But best of all was the gentle expression and frank, good natured smile
which so often broke into mischievous dimples. It did on this occasion, and Patty laughed merrily at her father's grave
consideration of her. "What is it, papa?" she asked. "Did you think I was still an infant, and
were you going to buy me a new dolls' house? Or were you going to take me
to the circus? I'm not a bit too old for the circus." "Aren't you? Then I will take you, but what is on my mind at present is a
much more serious matter. Sit down again, Puss, and I'll tell you all about
it. "You know for years I've looked forward to the time when you should grow up
to be old enough to keep house for me. And I thought then we'd go back
North and settle down among my people and your mother's relatives. I
haven't been North since your mother died, but now I want to go, and I want
you to spend the rest of your life there. In many ways it will be better
for you than Virginia. You will have more advantages; your life will be
broader and more varied. Now I can't be ready to leave here for good in
less than a year; I want to sell out my lumber interests and settle up my
business affairs. "But I am continually receiving letters from your aunts, you have lots of
aunts, Patty, and they are apparently all anxious that you shall visit
them. So, if you consent, this is my plan. You've never traveled any, have
you, Puss?" "Never been out of Virginia in my life, papa." "No? Well, you ought to see a little of how the rest of the world lives and
moves. So I think I'll let you visit in the North for a year, say three
months with each of your four aunts, and then next fall I'll be ready to
join you, and we'll buy a house and you shall be mistress of it." "A home of our own? Oh, papa, I'd like that lots!" "Yes, so would I. As we have always lived in boarding houses since your
mother's death, you've had no opportunity to learn the details of
housekeeping, and these four visits will show you four very distinct types
of families." "Why, are my aunts all so different, papa?" "Indeed they are, and though I hope you can make yourself happy with each
one, yet you will find life very different in the various homes." "Tell me about them, papa," said Patty, contentedly settling herself back
among the cushions of the couch, for she dearly loved a long talk with her
father. "Well, you will go first to the St. Clairs. You remember Uncle Robert, your
mother's brother, who was here four or five years ago, don't you?" "Indeed I do; he brought me a French doll nearly as big as I was then
myself, and a whole five pound box of candy. He is a lovely man. But I've
never seen Aunt Isabel or the children, only their photographs... Continue reading book >>
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