“Why, I’ve no intention of dropping it, Dad,” and Patty looked amazed at the idea.
“Oh, Lord, then I suppose we must go through with the farce. All right, go back to the telephone and have the Stengel man come, right here and now.”
“May I? Oh, Dadsy, I knew you’d give in!”
“Give in nothing! I want to show you what a little ninny you are.”
“Wait a minute,” said Nan, as Patty rose and walked toward the telephone table; “suppose we don’t ask Mr. Stengel, at first,—but just have Miss Kent come and tell us about it.”
“Good!” agreed Mr. Fairfield. “She can’t come alone,—Patty, tell her we’ll send the car for her. I’d like to go straight ahead with this interesting matter.”
So Patty telephoned and Maude Kent said she would come. The car was despatched and in a tremor of impatience Patty waited for her friend’s arrival.
The elder Fairfields made no further allusion to the subject, but talked on other matters till the guest was announced.
Maude Kent bustled in, and greeted Patty effusively, kissing her on both cheeks. She acknowledged introduction to the other two with gay cordiality, and seated herself in the middle of a sofa, flinging open her satin evening wrap. She wore a light-coloured gown, with a profusion of lace and a great deal of jewelry. Patty looked at her a little surprised, for she gave a different impression from the girl she had seen before. She couldn’t herself quite define the difference, but Maude seemed less refined, louder, somehow, here in the Fairfield home, than she had in the big hotel.
And Patty wished she would act more reserved and less chatty and familiar.
“You see, Mr. Fairfield,” Maude ran on, “we just _must_ have our Patty in the profesh. We need her, and I assure you she’ll make good.”
“In just what way, Miss Kent?” asked Fred Fairfield, his keen eyes taking in the visitor’s every move.
“Oh, she can sing, you know; and she’s a looker, all right; and she has charm—oh, yes, decided charm.”
“And is this enough, you think, to assure Mr. Stengel’s giving her, say, a ten-year contract as a prima donna?”
“Well, hardly that!” and Maude laughed, heartily. “You men will have your little joke. But he would give her a good place in the chorus to start with, and doubtless Patty would work up. Oh, yes, she could work up, I feel sure. Patty is not afraid of hard work, are you, dearie?”