Patty's Summer Days Part 9

"But I tell you I haven't any," said Patty, her indignation rising above her fear. "Now, look here, I have a friend right in here at this address; let me speak to her, and she'll come out and pay you."

"No, no, Miss; you can't ketch me that way. I've heard of them friends before. But I'll tell you what," he added, as Patty stood looking at him blankly, "I'll go in there with you, and if so be's your friend's there and pays up the cash, I've nothing more to say."

The hansom-driver climbed down from his seat and went with Patty into the costumer's shop.

A stolid-looking woman of Italian type met them and enquired what was wanted.

"Is Miss Sinclair here?" asked Patty eagerly.

"No, Miss, there's n.o.body here by way of a customer."

"But hasn't a lady been here in the last hour, to look at costumes for a play?"

"No, Miss, n.o.body's been here this whole morning."

"You see you can't work that game," said the cabman. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I guess you'll have to come along with me."

CHAPTER VII

A RESCUE

Perhaps it was partly owing to Patty's natural sense of humour, or perhaps her overwrought nerves made her feel a little hysterically inclined, but somehow the situation suddenly struck her as being very funny. To think that she, Patty Fairfield, was about to be arrested because she couldn't pay her cab fare, truly seemed like a joke.

But though it seemed like a joke, it wasn't one. As Patty hesitated, the cabman grew more impatient and less respectful.

Patty's feeling of amus.e.m.e.nt pa.s.sed as quickly as it came, and she realised that she must do something at once. Nan was not at home, her father was too far away, and, curiously, the next person she thought of as one who could help her in her trouble was Mr. Hepworth.

This thought seemed like an inspiration. Instantly a.s.suming an air of authority and dignity, she turned to the angry cabman and said, "You will be the one to be arrested unless you behave yourself more properly. Come with me to the nearest public telephone station. I have sufficient money with me to pay for a telephone message, and I will then prove to your satisfaction that your fare will be immediately paid."

Patty afterward wondered how she had the courage to make this speech, but the fear of what might happen had been such a shock to her that it had reacted upon her timidity.

And with good results, for the cabman at once became meek and even cringing.

"There's a telephone across the street, Miss," he said.

"Very well," said Patty; "come with me."

"There's a telephone here, Miss," said the Italian woman, "if you would like to use it."

"That's better yet," said Patty; "where's the book?"

Taking the telephone book, Patty quickly turned the leaves until she found Mr. Hepworth's studio number.

She had an aversion to speaking her own name before her present hearers, so when Mr. Hepworth responded she merely said, "Do you know who I am?"

Of course the others listening could not hear when Mr. Hepworth responded that he did know her voice, and then called her by name.

"Very well," said Patty, still speaking with dignity, "I have had the misfortune to lose my purse, and I am unable to pay my cab fare. Will you be kind enough to answer the cabman over this telephone right now, and inform him that it will be paid if he will drive me to your address, which you will give him?"

"Certainly," replied Mr. Hepworth politely, though he was really very much amazed at this message.

Patty turned to the cabman and said, somewhat sternly, "Take this receiver and speak to the gentleman at the other end of the wire."

Sheepishly the man took the receiver and timidly remarked, "h.e.l.lo."

"What is your number?" asked Mr. Hepworth, and the cabman told him.

"Where are you?" was the next question, and the cabman gave the address of the costumer, which Patty had not remembered to do.

Mr. Hepworth's studio was not very many blocks away, and he gave the cabman his name and address, saying, "Bring the young lady around here at once, as quickly as you can. I will settle with you on your arrival."

Mr. Hepworth hung up his own receiver, much puzzled. His first impulse was to go to the address where Patty was, but as it would take some time for him to get around there by any means, he deemed it better that she should come to him.

As Patty felt safe, now that she was so soon to meet Mr. Hepworth, she gave her remaining change to the Italian woman, who had been kind, though stolidly disinterested, during the whole interview.

The cabman, having given his number to Mr. Hepworth, felt a responsibility for the safety of his pa.s.senger, and a.s.sisted her into the cab with humble politeness.

A few moments' ride brought them to the large building in which was Mr.

Hepworth's studio, and that gentleman himself, hatted and gloved, stood on the curb awaiting them.

"What's it all about?" he asked Patty, making no motion, however, to a.s.sist her from the cab.

But the reaction after her fright and embarra.s.sment had made Patty so weak and nervous that she was on the verge of tears.

"I didn't have any money," she said; "I don't know whether I lost it or not, and if you'll please pay him, papa will pay you afterward."

"Of course, child; that's all right," said Mr. Hepworth. "Don't get out,"

he added, as Patty started to do so. "Stay right where you are, and I'll take you home." He gave Patty's address to the driver, swung himself into the cab beside Patty, and off they started.

"I wasn't frightened," said Patty, though her quivering lip and trembling hands belied her words; "but when he said he'd arrest me, I--I didn't know what to do, and so I telephoned to you."

"Quite right," said Hepworth, in a casual tone, which gave no hint of the joy he felt in being Patty's protector in such an emergency. "But I say, child, you look regularly done up. What have you been doing? Have you had your luncheon?"

"No," said Patty, faintly.

"And it's after two o'clock," said Hepworth, sympathetically. "You poor infant, I'd like to take you somewhere for a bite, but I suppose that wouldn't do. Well, here's the only thing we can do, and it will at least keep you from fainting away."

He signalled the cabman to stop at a drug shop, where there was a large soda fountain. Here he ordered for Patty a cup of hot bouillon. He made her drink it slowly, and was rejoiced to see that it did her good. She felt better at once, and when they returned to the cab she begged Mr.

Hepworth to let her go on home alone, and not take any more of his valuable time.

"No, indeed," said that gentleman; "it may not be according to the strictest rules of etiquette for me to be going around with you in a hansom cab, but it's infinitely better than for you to be going around alone. So I'll just take charge of you until I can put you safely inside your father's house."

"And the girls are coming at two o'clock for a rehearsal!" said Patty.

"Oh, I shall be late."