Patty's Social Season by Carolyn Wells

Elise came in, bringing her guest with her. The three girls waiting in / the sitting-room were surprised to see the small, dainty person whom / Elise introduced as Miss Anna Gorman. She had a sweet, sad little / face, and wore a simple one-piece gown of dove-grey voile. Her hat was / grey, also; a turban shape, with a small knot of pink roses at one / side. Anna was not pretty, but she had a refined air, and a gentle / manner. Though embarrassed, she strove not to show it, and tried to / appear at ease.

Mona greeted her cordially: "How do you do, Anna? " she said, for they / had agreed to call the girls informally, by their Christian names. "I / am glad to see you. Come with me into the boudoir, and lay off your / coat. " Mona herself assisted, for she thought it better not to have / her maid about.

"I'm well, thank you," said Anna, in response to Mona's inquiry, and / then she broke out, impulsively: "Oh, I'm so happy to be here! It was / so heavenly kind of you young ladies to ask me. You don't _know_ what / it means to me!"

"Why, I'm very glad," said Mona, touched at the girl's gratitude. / "Now, I hope you'll just have the time of your life!"

"Oh, I shall, indeed! I know it. I'm enjoying every minute, just being / in these lovely rooms, and seeing you kind ladies."

Then Mona's manicure girl came. Her name was Celeste Arleson, and she / was a tall, slender young woman, garbed all in black. It was the gown / she always wore at her work, and, being of French descent, she had an / air of charm that made her attractive.

"Good-morning, Celeste; come right in," said Mona, and then she / introduced her to Anna.

The two looked at each other a little shyly, and then Anna said, / "Good-morning," in a timid way.

Mona felt embarrassed, too, and began to wonder if their party would / be a failure, after all.

But Patty came in then and, with her ever-ready tact, took the two / visitors to the drawing-room, and began to show them some pictures and / curios.

Then Jenny Bisbee came, the girl from the ribbon counter, whom / Clementine had invited.

"My, isn't this fine! " she exclaimed, as she met the others. "I just / do think it's fine!"

"I'm glad we could arrange for you to come," said Clementine, / cordially.

"Glad! My gracious, I guess I'm glad! Well! if you measured ribbon / from morning till night, I guess you'd be glad to get away from it for / once. Why, I measure ribbon in my dreams, from night till morning. I / can't seem to get away from that everlasting stretching out of / thirty-six inches, over and over again."

"But the ribbons are so pretty," said Clementine, by way of being / agreeable.

"Yes; when they first come in. But after a few weeks you get so tired / of the patterns. My, I feel as if I could throw that Dresden sash / ribbon on the floor and stamp on it, I'm so tired of seeing it! And / there's one piece of gay brocade that hits me in the eye every / morning. I can't stand that piece much longer."

"I'll come round some day, and buy it," said Patty, laughing / good-naturedly. "I didn't know the ribbons were so individual to you."

"Yes, they are. There's one piece of light blue satin ribbon, plain / and wide, that I just love. It's a real comfort to me."

Jenny gave a little sigh, as she thought of her favourite ribbon, and / Patty looked at her in wonderment, that she should be so sensitive to / colour and texture. But her taste in colours did not seem to extend to / her clothes. Jenny was a pale little thing, with ashy blonde hair, and / large, light blue eyes. She wore a nondescript tan-coloured dress, / without tone or shape; and she had a weary, exhausted air, as if / chronically tired.

Conversation was a little difficult. The four hostesses tried their / best to be entertaining without being patronising, but it was not an / easy task. At least, their advances were not easily received, and the / guests seemed to be on the alert to resent anything that savoured of / patronage. But help came from an unexpected quarter. Just at one / o'clock Mrs. Greene arrived.