She stuffed gloves and handkerchief in the bag, slinging it on her arm. "My, what a vine!" she said, pulling down a branch of the wistaria,--and, incidentally, breaking it off.
"Oh, golly! Look what I done! Just like me! But you've got plenty left." She tossed the broken branch out on the lawn, and then turned to follow Patty, already in the doorway.
"I'm coming!" she said, "lead the way, Cousin, I'll trail you. What a big house! Don't you ever get lost in it?"
"No," smiled Patty, "and you won't as soon as you're used to it. This way, Azalea."
"Hello! _Hello_! This my room?" The Western girl looked at the pretty yellow room as Patty ushered her in.
"Oh, yes, I like yellow good enough. Don't make any diff to me what colour a room is. Nice and big, ain't it? Say, do you care if I chuck some of the lace props into the discard?"
"Why, these here, now, faddly-duds." And Azalea whisked off a little lace stand-cover, swept up an armful of lace pillows, and was about to jerk off the lace bedspread, when Patty protested.
"Oh, wait a minute,--of course you needn't have anything you don't want,--but Janet will take off the spread."
"'Fraid I'll muss it up, hey?" Azalea laughed, "Well. I s'pose I _am_ a terror! But honest to goodness I can't stand for those ticklers. They get in my ears!"
Patty sighed. She had grasped the situation the instant she first laid eyes on the girl, but somehow it seemed to be developing further difficulties all the time.
"Now, Azalea," she began, "let me help you get your travelling dress off and put you into your kimono, and we'll chat over a cup of tea. Oh, you don't like tea,--will you have lemonade?"
Patty gave the order to Janet, who had appeared to look after the visitor, and turned back at the sound of Azalea's loud, strident laughter.
"Kimono! At six P.M. That's good. Why, Cousin, I use my kim for a dressing gown, I ain't going to bed,--am I?"
"No, dear. But we'll have a more cosy time, I think, if you get off your travel things and have a refreshing bath."
"Oh, well, I'll take off this rig,--I want to be choice of it, anyway. You have dinner at night?"
"Well, don't make any change for me, as I said. I ain't accustomed to it, but I can stand it, I guess. Nothing fazes _me_!"