Book: Patty and Azalea

C >> Carolyn Wells >> Patty and Azalea




"Oh,--it said--he hoped I was well,--and he--he hoped you were
well,--and--"

"And he hoped Patty was well! and he hoped the baby was well,--yes,--and
after those polite hopes, what else did he say?"

"Why,--why, I don't know,--I guess that was about all."

"Oh, it was! Why didn't he tell you something about himself? What he was
doing,--or going to do?"

"I don't know. Papa isn't very much of a letter writer."

"Well, he used to be! It was his special forte. I've had letters from
him a dozen pages long. I don't believe he's outgrown his bent of letter
writing. Now, listen, to this, Azalea, the next letter you get from him,
I want you to show it to me, see? If there's anything in it you don't
want me to know about, cut that out,--but show me at least the beginning
and the ending,--and a part of a page. You hear me?"

"Of course I hear you,--not being deaf! And I'll show you the
letter,--if I think of it."

"You'll think of it,--I'll see to that, myself. You ought to get one
soon, oughtn't you?"

"No,--I haven't answered his last one yet."

"Why, you just said you had!"

"Oh, I meant the one before the last--"

"You meant nothing of the sort. And, mind you, Azalea, this is a direct
command,--you _must_ show me his next letter."

"I won't take commands! How dare you? You have no right to order me
about so. I hate you!"

"Don't talk so, Zaly," Patty said, gently. "Cousin Bill isn't asking
anything out of the way. There's no reason you shouldn't show him your
father's letter,--in part, at least,--is there now?"

"N--no,--but I don't want to."

"Of course you don't," put in Bill, "and for a very good reason!"

"What reason?" cried Azalea, her black eyes flashing.

"You know as well as I do."

"I don't!"

"Very well, say no more about it now,--only remember I want to see the
next one."

Azalea flounced out of the room, very angry, and muttering beneath her
breath.

"What in the world, Little Billee, are you getting at?" asked Patty, as
she cuddled Fleurette into her shoulder.

"There's something queer, Patty, something very queer about that girl!"

"You've oft repeated that assertion, Sweet William,--just what do you
mean by it?"

"What I say, Faire Ladye! There's something rotten in the state of
Denmark,--there is that!"

"But why are you so anxious to see her father's letters?"

"They're part of the queer element. Have you ever seen her get one,--or
read one from him?"

"Not that I definitely remember; but she may easily have read them right
before me, and I not have known it."

"But wouldn't she be likely to read a word or two,--or deliver some
polite message he might send?"

"I should think so,--but she never has."

"That's the queerness."

"Oh, do tell me, dear, what you're getting at! Do you think Mr. Thorpe
is dead,--and she never told us? There'd be no sense in that!"

"Not a bit! It's something queerer than that."

"Do you think he's married again?"

"Queerer than that."

"Will-yum Farnsworth, if you don't tell your own wife what you mean,
I'll never speak to you again! There!"

"At risk of that awful condition of things, I won't tell you just yet.
But you do this. Here's something you can do toward solving the
mystery,--and I can't. Find out for sure,--don't ask her, but see for
yourself,--if Azalea gets a letter from Horner's Corners addressed in a
big, bold Spencerian hand. I remember Uncle Thorpe's handwriting
perfectly, and it's unmistakable. I've not seen it since Azalea came."

"Goodness, do you call it a mystery?"

"I do, indeed. You'll find out it's a pretty startling mystery, or I
miss my guess."

"Well, Azalea is a handful, I admit, but I think she's good at heart,
and she is devoted to my booful little Fleury-floppet! My own
Dolly-winkums,--who looks prezackly like her Daddy-winkums!"

"Patty, you'll go to the lunatic asylum some day, if you let yourself
talk such gibberish!"

"Listen to him, Baby mine, my flubsy-dubsy,--my pinky-poppy-petal,
listen to your dreadful Dads! Isn't he the--"

"The what?" and Farnsworth strode across the room and took his wife and
child both into his big bear-like embrace.

"The dearest, sweetest man in the world!" Patty said, laughing but
nearly smothered in his arms.

"All right, you're excused," and he let them go.

Nurse Winnie came then and took Fleurette, and the two elder Farnsworths
went downstairs together.

They heard voices on the wistaria porch, and soon saw that Azalea was
entertaining two guests.

They were strangers, and not very attractive looking people.

"Shall we step out there?" Farnsworth asked.

"No," decreed Patty; "let her alone. It's probably those people she
picked up on the train coming here. She has spoken of them to me. Don't
let's go out, or we may have to invite them to stay to dinner,--and
judging from this long distance view of them, I don't care specially to
do so."

"No. I don't either; the man looks like a drummer and the woman like
a--"

"A chorus girl!" said Patty, after one more peep at the stranger.

Leaving Azalea to entertain her friends without interruption they went
out on a porch on the other side of the house. And soon Raymond Gale
sauntered over from his home next door and joined them there.

"Some strong-arm, your Azalea guest," he said, in the course of
conversation.

"Yes," agreed Patty, a little shortly.

"She was over in our gym, this afternoon, and she put up as fine an
exhibition of stunts as I've seen in a long time."

"What sort of stunts?" asked Bill.

"All sorts, from lariat or lasso work to handsprings and ground and
lofty tumbling. That girl's been trained, I tell you!"

"Trained in a school?"

"No: her work is more as if self-taught,--or coached by a cowboy. She
hails from Arizona, doesn't she?"

"Yes. Here she is now; I hear you're an athlete, Zaly."

"Only so-so," the girl replied, half-absently.

"Have your friends gone?" asked Patty.

"Yes."

"I recognised them," began young Gale: "they were--"

Azalea turned to him quickly. "Don't you say who they were!" she cried,
emphatically. "I don't want you to! Don't you dare mention their names!
It's a secret!"

"Oh, all right, I won't. Don't take my head off!" Ray Gale laughed
carelessly, and pretended to be afraid of the excited girl.

"Why, why, Zaly," said Patty, "who can your friends be that you won't
tell their names? I'm surprised!"

"Their names are--are Mr. and Mrs. Brown," said Azalea, with a defiant
look at Raymond, who merely opened his eyes wide and said nothing.

It was quite evident that Brown was _not_ the name of the people who had
called on Azalea, and Patty could not imagine what reason there could be
for the girl to tell such a falsehood.

"Is that the right name, Gale?" asked Bill, briefly.

But Raymond Gale only shook his head.

"Miss Thorpe says so," he replied, "surely she ought to know."

The subject was dropped and not resumed until after Gale had gone home.

Then Farnsworth asked Azalea who her friends were who had called.

"I told you they were Mr. and Mrs. Brown," she said, glibly. "I met them
on the train coming from the West, and we got quite well acquainted."

"But their name is _not_ Brown," Bill said, quietly, "tell me what it
is,--or, tell me _why_ you don't want to divulge it."

"It _is_ Brown," persisted Azalea, but the way she spoke and the way her
eyes fell before Farnsworth's steady gaze, belied her words.

"I'm sorry, but I can't believe you," he said.

"I can't help that," she returned, pertly, and ran away to her own room.

"What's she up to now?" said Patty.

"Part of the queerness," Bill vouchsafed, and said no more about it.

* * * * *

The next day, Azalea went to her room directly after breakfast, and,
locking the door, remained there all the morning.

At luncheon she was quiet, and absent-minded, and as soon as the meal
was over she went back to her room.

It was nearly five o'clock, when Patty, puzzled at such actions, tapped
at Azalea's door.

"What's the matter, dear?" she called, through the closed door, as there
was no response to her knock.

"Nothing; let me alone!" came Azalea's impatient voice.

"Are you ill? Don't you feel well?"

"Let me alone. I'm all right." The tone was ungracious, and there was no
mistaking the import of her speech, so Patty went away.

At dinner time Azalea appeared. She wore the same frock she had worn all
day, and Patty looked at her in amazement. Apparently she had been
working hard at something. Her hair was rumpled, her collar awry, and
her whole appearance untidy and unpresentable.

"Have you been busy?" Patty said; "couldn't you get time to dress?"

"Forgot it!" muttered Azalea. "Sorry. Shall I go back and dress?"

Patty hesitated. It would, of course, delay dinner, which was already
announced,--and, too, in Azalea's present state of pre-occupation, she
might fall to work again, and not come to dinner at all.

So Patty said, "No, come as you are," and she gave Azalea's hair a
touch, and pulled her collar straight.

Farnsworth watched the "queer" girl all through dinner. Azalea had
improved somewhat in manners, though her notions of table etiquette
still left much to be desired.

To-night she was unlike herself. She answered in monosyllables when
spoken to, and paid no attention to the conversation of the others.

"I expect my friend Elise Farrington to-morrow," said Patty; "I'm sure
you'll like her, Azalea."

"Will she like me?" said the girl, indifferently.

"If she doesn't, it will be your own fault," and Patty took advantage of
the opportunity for a word of warning. "Elise is a person of strong
likes and dislikes. If you try to be real nice and courteous she will
certainly like you, and if you're rude and blunt, I don't believe she
will. Do you care, Azalea, whether she does or not?"

"No," said Azalea, calmly, and Patty gave a sigh of despair. What was
the use of trying to help a girl who acted like that?

Farnsworth, too, shook his head, and glanced at Patty with a
sympathetic smile, and then they talked together to the entire exclusion
of Azalea, who was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she didn't even
notice them.

Not waiting for coffee, when the others went to the library, Azalea,
with the briefest "good-night," went up to her room, and again locked
her door.

"What does ail her?" exclaimed Patty, as she and her husband sipped
their coffee.

"I don't know,--but I'm going to find out. Any letter from her father
to-day?"

"No; I looked over her mail. Oh, it does seem awful, to look
inquisitively at another's letters!"

"It's necessary, dear, in this case. There's a big mystery about Azalea
Thorpe, and we must solve it, or there'll be trouble!"

"I wish you'd tell me all about it."

"I will, soon. Trust me, darling, I'd rather not say what I suspect,
until I've a little more reason for my suspicion. It's _too_ incredible!
And yet,--it _must_ be so!"

"All right, my True Love. I can wait. Now, listen, and I'll tell you of
the marvellous achievement of your daughter to-day!"

And Farnsworth listened with all his heart to the amazing tale of
Fleurette's intelligent observation of a red balloon.

The next day Elise came.

"Here I am!" she cried, as she stepped from the motor, and flew into
Patty's embrace. "Where's your eccentric cousin I've heard about? But
first, where's my godchild? I've brought her the loveliest presents! Let
me at her!"

"All right," said Patty, laughing at her impatience, "come right along
to the nursery before you take your hat off."

The two went to the nursery, and Patty softly opened the door. But the
room was empty.

"That's funny," Patty said, "Winnie always has baby here at this hour.
She takes her morning nap about now. Where can they be?"

The bassinette was disordered, as if the child had been taken from it,
and Patty looked at it in amazement. She ran around to several adjoining
rooms, and returned, with a frightened face.

"Elise, there's no sign of Baby or Winnie anywhere! What does it mean?"

"Goodness! _I_ don't know! Did the nurse go down to see her beau,--and
take the baby with her?"

Just then Nurse Winnie appeared: "Here's the food, Mrs. Farnsworth,"
she said, showing a bowl of steaming white liquid. "It's all ready."

"What food?" said Patty, mystified.

"Miss Thorpe came here fifteen minutes ago, and said you ordered me to a
make a bowl of prepared food,--that Fleurette was not getting enough
nourishment."

"Why, I did nothing of the sort! Where is Miss Thorpe? And where is the
baby?"

"I don't know," and Winnie looked as if she thought Patty was crazy.
"Don't you know, ma'am?"




CHAPTER VIII

MISSING!


Elise gave one glance at Patty's white, scared face and one glance
At Nurse Winnie's red, frightened face, and then she herself began
To scream.

"Stop that, Elise!" Patty cried, "it's bad enough to have my baby
kidnapped, without your yelling like a Comanche! Hush, I tell you!"

But Elise wouldn't, or couldn't hush. The word "kidnapped" upset any
composure she may have had left, and she burst into hysterical sobbing.

"Of course," she said brokenly, between sobs, "she's kidnapped! You and
Bill are so--so wealthy and grand--she's just the child the kidnappers
would pick out for ransom--and--"

"Don't--don't, Elise," begged Patty, her voice shaking; "I don't believe
she's kidnapped at all. It's far more likely Azalea took her out for a
ride or something. She's crazy over the baby and she always wants to
have her to herself, but, she says, Winnie won't let her."

"And indeed not!" spoke up the nurse. "Miss Thorpe,--she tosses the
child about in a way that'd fair curdle your blood! That she does!"

"That's true," said Patty. "You see, Bill pitches baby around just as he
likes, and so Azalea thinks she may do the same."

"Then she did do that,--and she dropped her,--and maybe killed her!"

Elise voiced her new theory with a fresh burst of grief, and the idea
struck a chill to Patty's heart. She took no stock in the kidnapping
theory, for Winnie had left the child with Azalea, who would have fought
off a horde of marauders before she let them carry off the little one.
No, whatever had happened was doubtless Azalea's doing. But Elise's
notion of an accident to Fleurette might come somewhere near the truth.

"Of course that's it," Elise went on, excitedly. "The idea of a girl
throwing a baby about! What did she do, Winnie? I mean did she let go
of her?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am! She often would throw Fleurette clear up in the air
and catch her as she came down."

"She _is_ athletic," conceded Patty. "Over at the Gales' gymnasium she
does all sorts of stunts. But I don't want her doing them with my baby!"
she broke down, and cried piteously.

"Sometimes," vouchsafed Winnie, "Miss Azalea would toss the baby into
the bassinette, instead of laying her down. She always pitched her
straight in,--and baby liked it! You see, Miss Thorpe was very gentle
with the child, and never missed her aim. But I was fair frightened to
watch her."

"You ought not to have allowed it, Winnie," Patty said, severely. "Why
didn't you tell me, if you couldn't make Miss Thorpe stop it?"

"Miss Thorpe told me you wanted her to do it, ma'am. She said it
was good exercise for the child, and,--you know her father does
it,--and,--begging your pardon,--Miss Thorpe is even more skilful
than Mr. Farnsworth."

"Well,--it's his baby!" defended Patty. "Oh, Winnie, suppose an accident
did happen,--and Miss Thorpe hurt Fleurette in some dreadful way,--and--"

"And ran away, in sheer fright!" suggested Elise.

"No: she'd be more likely to run to the doctor's. Our doctor lives near
here. I'm going to telephone him--I'm 'most sure Azalea would do that."

Doctor Marsh was not in, but his office boy said he had not had any call
from Azalea by telephone or in person.

Patty was quite calm now. Her efficient self had risen to the emergency
and she was quickly considering what was best to do.

"I'm going to telephone Bill," she said, as if thinking aloud,--"but
first, I'm going to call up the Gales, and see if Zaly could have taken
Fleurette over there. You know Azalea is utterly lawless,--it's
impossible to imagine what she will do. Oh, Elise, you've no idea what
we go through with that girl! She is a terror! And yet,--well, there is
something about her I can't help liking. For one thing, she's so fond of
Fleurette. If she has hurt her,--well, Azalea would just about kill
herself!"

A telephone call to the Gales' produced no information as to the
whereabouts of Azalea or the baby. Betty replied that she hadn't seen
any one from Wistaria Porch that day, and was thinking of coming over to
call.

"Don't come just now," said Patty, half-absently, and then she hung up
the receiver without further words.

"Well, I think I'll have to call up Bill," she said, at last. "You see,
he's fearfully busy today, with a specially important matter, and he
probably won't be in his own office, anyway. And I hate to intrude on
a directors' meeting,--that is, if there's no necessity. And yet,--it
seems as if I must!"

"Oh, do," cried Elise; "you really must, Patty! Why, Bill would reproach
you if you didn't."

So Patty called Farnsworth's office. Bill's business consisted of varied
interests. He was a consulting engineer, he was a mining expert, and he
was still connected with government work. So, frequently, he could not
be found in his office, though he usually left word where Patty could
get in touch with him.

But in this instance it was not so. The confidential secretary gave
Patty the address Farnsworth had left with him, but when she called that
he had already gone from there.

With long-suffering patience, Patty called number after number, hoping
to find Farnsworth at some of the likely places she could think of.

But number after number brought no results,--and Patty turned from the
telephone in despair.

"Well, Elise," she said, forlornly, "you might as well go to your room,
and get your hat off. Come on, I'll go with you,--and I may think of
something else to do about Baby. For the present I seem to be at my
wits' end."

Of course, in the meantime the nurse and the other servants had searched
the house and grounds,--but there was really no chance of finding
Fleurette that way.

It was all too certain that Azalea had taken her away somewhere. And it
might be all right,--it might be that Azalea had merely taken the child
out for a walk. She had been known to do this,--but never before without
Patty's sanction. Of late, though, Patty had objected to it because she
feared that Azalea might not return quickly enough. Twice she had been
gone for two or three hours, and though the baby seemed all right, Patty
didn't approve of the performance.

"That's it," she summed up, after telling Elise of this; "you see, I
haven't approved of such long absences and so Zaly just walked off. Of
course, she sent Winnie down for the food, in order to get a chance to
put on Baby's things, and depart unseen."

"But she told the nurse _you_ ordered the food prepared."

"Yes. I may as well own up, Elise, that Azalea is not strictly
truthful."

"Why do you have her around? I think she's horrid!"

"Well, you see, _I_ got her here. To be sure, she is Little Billee's
cousin,--that is, second or third cousin,--once or twice removed--"

"I wish she was removed from here,--once, twice and all the time!"
declared Elise. "Bill had no business to inflict her on you!"

"He didn't. He fairly begged me not to invite her here. But I insisted
on it. You see, we neither of us had any idea of what she was like. Bill
hadn't seen her since she was a baby, and she was different then!"

"I s'pose so! Well, having found out how 'different' she is now, why
don't you send her home?"

"Oh, I can't. And, to tell you the truth, Elise, I want to help the
girl. She's ignorant and inexperienced, but she has a sort of native
quickness and wit, and I feel sure if I could teach her for a while,
she could learn to be one of us,--and in time become a fine woman."

"Oh, you philanthropist! And meantime she has run off with your baby!"

"The baby carriage is gone, Mrs. Farnsworth," said Winnie, appearing
suddenly. "So I expect Miss Thorpe took baby in that."

"Yes, probably," said Patty, despairingly. "Oh, Elise, this suspense is
driving me crazy! If I knew that Zaly had her,--and if I knew nothing
had happened, I'd feel _so_ relieved. But suppose she did break
Fleurette's little arm or leg--"

"Or back!" put in Elise; "you must _not_ let her pitch the baby around!
It's criminal!"

"But you don't know how deft she is. Why, she's almost a contortionist
herself. She can turn handsprings and--"

"I don't care if she's the greatest acrobat the world ever saw! There's
_always_ chance of an accident! And with a baby, you _never_ know.
Suppose Fleurette squirmed out of her grasp, just as she--"

"Oh, hush! Elise, you drive me distracted! It _can't_ be anything like
that!"

"Yes, it can! I hope it isn't, but do let this be a lesson to you,
Patty! Don't ever allow that girl to see the baby again,--much less
touch her! I think you and Bill must have taken leave of your senses to
give her such freedom! Why, you don't deserve to have that heavenly
baby!"

"That's so, Elise, I don't!" and Patty broke into a flood of tears. "My
little flower! My precious own baby! How could I ever let Azalea touch
her? But, Elise, Zaly loves her as much as we do."

"That may be,--and of course, she wouldn't harm the child wilfully. But,
as I said, accidents will happen,--and if it's Bill's fault, why,--of
course, it's his own child,--and that's different. But Azalea has no
business to take chances with other people's children."

"I know it, and if she only brings her back this time in safety,--I'll
never let her see Fleurette alone again!"

All that afternoon Patty suffered agonies of suspense. Now she would cry
uncontrollably,--and again, she would sit, still and dry-eyed, waiting
for some sound of Azalea's arrival.

But no rolling wheels of the baby coach greeted her ears, nor any little
crowing notes of glee from her baby's lips.

Several times she tried again to reach Farnsworth by telephone,--but
always unsuccessfully.

At last the long hours wore away, and Farnsworth came home.

Patty flew to greet him, and was instantly wrapped in his big embrace.

"Well, Patty-_maman_," he said, as he kissed her, "how's things today?
I had to go over to Philadelphia, on a flying trip,--wish I could have
flown, literally,--and hadn't even time to let you know. Then, Rollins
told me you had called up several times,--so I skittled home to see what
it's all about."

His big, cheery voice comforted Patty, and her trouble suddenly seemed
easier to bear, with his help near.

"Oh, Little Billee," she cried, "Azalea has run off with Fleurette."

"Good gracious, you don't say! But how much better to have Zaly do the
kidnapping than some professional abductors! Hello, Elise, glad to see
you! When did you arrive? This morning?"

"No; this afternoon. But, Bill, this matter is serious. Azalea took the
baby away, on the sly."

"That's like her! Azalea has sly ways. And more than that,--she has
queer ways! It won't do, Patty, there's something wrong,--very
wrong,--about the girl. Did she get a letter to-day?"

"No; not this morning. I forgot to look this afternoon."

"What do you mean?" asked Elise, her curiosity aroused. "Do you keep tab
on her letters, Patty?"

"Yes; I'm ordered to by my lord and master. He thinks--"

"Never mind, dear, drop the subject now. I've a good reason, Elise, for
watching the letters,--not mere idle curiosity. Now, Patty, for details.
What do you mean by taking the baby on the sly!"

So Patty told him how Azalea had ordered the baby's food prepared,
saying Patty has asked her to do so.

"H'm, h'm,--looks bad. But don't worry, little mother, I'm sure nothing
has happened to our Little Flower,--I mean nothing of an accidental
nature. Azalea is exceedingly fond of the baby, and I can easily imagine
her wanting to take her for a ride this beautiful afternoon. It's
perfectly wonderful out! There's a soft breeze and the air is
delightful--"

"But why didn't she ask me?" cried Patty.

"Afraid you'd say no!" and Farnsworth smiled. "You know, you've not been
overly gracious of late about Azalea taking baby out."

"I know it, but I had my own reasons."

"And quite right you should have. But, don't worry, I'm sure the two
wanderers will turn up all right."

Farnsworth's hearty assurance went far to relieve Patty's fears and when
Elise suggested a bad fall, he only laughed, and said,

"No-sir-ee! Zaly is a terror, and a trial in lots of ways, but if she
had let that child fall, she would have called Patty and Winnie and the
whole household for help, and would have run for the doctor herself! She
never would have run away! Not Azalea! She's no coward,--whatever other
unpleasant traits she may possess."

"That's so," agreed Patty; "and she truly loves the baby. No, Elise,
nothing like that happened,--I'm sure. I see it as Bill does, now. It
_is_ a heavenly day,--and Zaly felt pretty sure I wouldn't let her take
Baby out by herself, without the nurse,--and she does love to do
that,--and so she sneaked off, and made up that yarn about the food in
order to get Fleurette's hat and coat on! Oh, she's a manoeuvrer!"

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