Patty's Social Season by Carolyn Wells

Early in February Christine was to be married, and the Fairfields had / persuaded her to accept the use of their house for the occasion.

Christine had demurred, for she wanted a simple ceremony with no / reception at all. But the Fairfields finally made her see that Mr. / Hepworth's position as an artist of high repute made it desirable that / his many friends should be invited to his wedding.

So Christine agreed to the plan, and Patty was delighted at the / thought of the festivities in her home.

The elder Fairfields had returned from their Southern trip, but Mrs. / Allen was still with them, and there were other house guests from / Christine's Southern home.

The day of the wedding, Patty, assisted by Elise and Mona, was / superintending the decorations. Christine had insisted that these / should be simple, and as Mr. Hepworth, too, was opposed to the / conventional work of a florist, the girls had directed it all / themselves.

"It does look perfectly sweet," said Patty, as she surveyed the / drawing-room. "Personally, I should prefer all those dinky white / telegraph poles stretched with ribbon and bunched up with flowers to / make an aisle for the happy couple to walk through. But as it isn't my / wedding, I suppose we must let the bride have her own way."

"I'm tired of those tied up poles," said Elise, decidedly. "I think / this is a lot prettier, and all this Southern jasmine is beautiful, / and just like Christine."

"She is the sweetest thing! " said Patty. "Every new present that comes / in, she sits and looks at it helplessly, as if it were the very last / straw!"

"Well, of course, most of the presents are from Mr. Hepworth's / friends," said Mona, "and they are stunning! I don't wonder Christine / is overcome."

"She has lots of friends of her own, too," said Patty. "All the girls / gave her beautiful things, and you two quite outdid yourselves. That / lamp of yours, Mona, is a perfect dream; and, Elise, I never saw such / gems as your silver candlesticks. Christine's path through life will / be well lighted! Well, everything's finished, and I think it's about / time we went to dress. The ceremony's at four, and as I'm going to be / a bridesmaid for the first time in my mad career, I don't want to be / late at the party."

"How beautiful the drawing-room looks," said Mrs. Allen, coming along / just then. "Patty dear, doesn't this all remind you of the day Nan was / married?"

"Yes, Mrs. Allen; only the weddings are quite different. But Christine / would keep this as simple as possible, so of course I let her have her / own way."

"Yes, Patty, that's the privilege of a bride. But some day you can / have your own way in the direction of your own wedding, and I rather / fancy it will be an elaborate affair. I hope I'll be here to see."

"I hope you will, Mrs. Allen," laughed Patty; "but don't look for it / very soon. My suitors are so bashful, you know; I have to urge them / on."

"Nonsense! " cried Elise. "Patty's greatest trouble is to keep her / suitors off! She tries to hold them at arm's length, but they are so / insistent that it is difficult."

"I think you girls are all too young to have suitors," commented Mrs. / Allen, smiling at the pretty trio.

"Oh, Mrs. Allen," said Patty; "suitors doesn't mean men who want to / marry you. I suppose it's sort of slang, but nowadays, girls call all / their young men suitors, even the merest casual acquaintances."

"Oh, I see," said Mrs. Allen. "I suppose as in my younger days we used / to call them beaux."

"Yes, just that," said Patty. "Why, Mr. Hepworth used to be one of our / favourite suitors, until he persuaded Christine to marry him; but we / have lots of them left."

"Is that big one coming to the wedding? " asked Mrs. Allen.