Patty's Social Season by Carolyn Wells

Mona went home with Patty to dinner, as she often did when the girls / had been together during the afternoon.

At the dinner table the elder Fairfields were greatly entertained by / the account of the first Happy Saturday Afternoon.

"But aren't you afraid," Mr. Fairfield asked, "that such unaccustomed / luxuries will make those people discontented with their own conditions?"

"Now, father Fairfield," exclaimed Patty, "you ought to know better / than that! you might as well say that a man in a prison ought never to / see a ray of sunlight, because it would make him more discontented / with his dark jail."

"That's true," agreed Nan; "I think it's lovely to give these people / such a pleasure, and if I can help in any way, Patty, I'll be glad / to."

"And then it's the memory of it," said Mona.

"You know yourself how pleasant it is to look back and remember any / pleasure you may have had; and when it's only one, and such a big one, / the pleasure of remembrance is even greater."

"That's good philosophy, Mona," said Mr. Fairfield, approvingly, "and / I take back what I said. I think the plans you girls have made are / excellent; and I, too, will be glad to help if I can."

"Other people have offered to help us," began Mona, but Patty / interrupted her, saying: "We don't want any help from people / individually. I mean, father, if you will lend us the car, and things / like that, we'll be glad, of course. But we don't want any personal / assistance in our plans."

"All right, chickadee; far be it from me to intrude. But I thought / perhaps if you wanted to make a little excursion, say, to see the / Statue of Liberty, or even to go to the circus, you might like a man / along with you as a Courier General."

"That's just what Mr. Lansing said! " exclaimed Mona, which was the / very remark Patty had been fearing.

"That's just what we're _not_ going to do! " she declared. "We're only / going to places where we can go by ourselves, or if we need a / chaperon, we'll take Nan. But we don't want any men in on this deal."

"I don't see why," began Mona, but Patty promptly silenced her by / saying, "You _do_ see why. Now, Mona, don't say anything more about / it. There isn't any circus now, and it's time enough when it comes, to / decide about going to it; and I don't want to go, anyway. There are / lots of things nicer than a circus."

"Mr. Lansing said he'd send us a box for the Hippodrome, some Saturday / afternoon," said Mona, a little diffidently.

"That's awfully kind of him," said Nan. "I should think you girls / would be delighted with that."

"A box," and Patty looked scornful. "Why, a box only holds six, so / with us four, we could only invite two guests. I don't think much of / that scheme!"

"I'll donate a box also," said Mr. Fairfield. "You can get them / adjoining, and with two of you girls in one and two in the other, you / can invite eight guests."

Patty hesitated. The plan sounded attractive, and she quickly thought / that she could invite Rosy for one of the guests and give the boy a / Happy Saturday Afternoon. But she didn't want to accept anything from / Mr. Lansing, though she couldn't quite bring herself to say so, / frankly.

"What's the matter, Patty? " asked Nan. "You don't like the idea of the / Hippodrome, though I don't see why."

"I _do_ like it," said Patty, "but we can't decide these things in a / minute. We ought to have a meeting of the club and talk it over."