Produced by Charles Franks, Christopher Lund and the Online
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By
To My Little Friend
Contents
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
"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 melook 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. Herpretty golden hair would gladly have hung in curly masses, but it was onlyallowed to have its own sweet will around her temples and at the end of along thick braid. Her eyes were blue, deep and twinkly, and the rest of herface was as pretty and sweet as soft girlish contours and a perfectcomplexion could make it.
But best of all was the gentle expression and frank, good-natured smilewhich so often broke into mischievous dimples.
It did on this occasion, and Patty laughed merrily at her father's graveconsideration of her.
"What is it, papa?" she asked. "Did you think I was still an infant, andwere you going to buy me a new dolls' house? Or were you going to take meto 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 amuch more serious matter. Sit down again, Puss, and I'll tell you all aboutit.
"You know for years I've looked forward to the time when you should grow upto be old enough to keep house for me. And I thought then we'd go backNorth and settle down among my people and your mother's relatives. Ihaven't been North since your mother died, but now I want to go, and I wantyou to spend the rest of your life there. In many ways it will be betterfor you than Virginia. You will have more advantages; your life will bebroader and more varied. Now I can't be ready to leave here for good inless than a year; I want to sell out my lumber interests and settle up mybusiness affairs.
"But I am continually receiving letters from your aunts,—you have lots ofaunts, Patty,—and they are apparently all anxious that you shall visitthem. So, if you consent, this is my plan. You've never traveled any, haveyou, 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 andmoves. So I think I'll let you visit in the North for a year,—say threemonths with each of your four aunts,—and then next fall I'