Anne of the Island Read online

  Chapter X

  Patty's Place

  The next evening found them treading resolutely the herring-bone walkthrough the tiny garden. The April wind was filling the pine trees withits roundelay, and the grove was alive with robins--great, plump, saucyfellows, strutting along the paths. The girls rang rather timidly, andwere admitted by a grim and ancient handmaiden. The door opened directlyinto a large living-room, where by a cheery little fire sat two otherladies, both of whom were also grim and ancient. Except that one lookedto be about seventy and the other fifty, there seemed littledifference between them. Each had amazingly big, light-blue eyes behindsteel-rimmed spectacles; each wore a cap and a gray shawl; each wasknitting without haste and without rest; each rocked placidly and lookedat the girls without speaking; and just behind each sat a large whitechina dog, with round green spots all over it, a green nose and greenears. Those dogs captured Anne's fancy on the spot; they seemed like thetwin guardian deities of Patty's Place.

  For a few minutes nobody spoke. The girls were too nervous to findwords, and neither the ancient ladies nor the china dogs seemedconversationally inclined. Anne glanced about the room. What a dearplace it was! Another door opened out of it directly into the pine groveand the robins came boldly up on the very step. The floor was spottedwith round, braided mats, such as Marilla made at Green Gables, butwhich were considered out of date everywhere else, even in Avonlea. Andyet here they were on Spofford Avenue! A big, polished grandfather'sclock ticked loudly and solemnly in a corner. There were delightfullittle cupboards over the mantelpiece, behind whose glass doorsgleamed quaint bits of china. The walls were hung with old prints andsilhouettes. In one corner the stairs went up, and at the first low turnwas a long window with an inviting seat. It was all just as Anne hadknown it must be.

  By this time the silence had grown too dreadful, and Priscilla nudgedAnne to intimate that she must speak.

  "We--we--saw by your sign that this house is to let," said Anne faintly,addressing the older lady, who was evidently Miss Patty Spofford.

  "Oh, yes," said Miss Patty. "I intended to take that sign down today."

  "Then--then we are too late," said Anne sorrowfully. "You've let it tosome one else?"

  "No, but we have decided not to let it at all."

  "Oh, I'm so sorry," exclaimed Anne impulsively. "I love this place so. Idid hope we could have got it."

  Then did Miss Patty lay down her knitting, take off her specs, rub them,put them on again, and for the first time look at Anne as at a humanbeing. The other lady followed her example so perfectly that she mightas well have been a reflection in a mirror.

  "You LOVE it," said Miss Patty with emphasis. "Does that mean thatyou really LOVE it? Or that you merely like the looks of it? The girlsnowadays indulge in such exaggerated statements that one never can tellwhat they DO mean. It wasn't so in my young days. THEN a girl did notsay she LOVED turnips, in just the same tone as she might have said sheloved her mother or her Savior."

  Anne's conscience bore her up.

  "I really do love it," she said gently. "I've loved it ever since I sawit last fall. My two college chums and I want to keep house next yearinstead of boarding, so we are looking for a little place to rent; andwhen I saw that this house was to let I was so happy."

  "If you love it, you can have it," said Miss Patty. "Maria and I decidedtoday that we would not let it after all, because we did not like any ofthe people who have wanted it. We don't HAVE to let it. We can afford togo to Europe even if we don't let it. It would help us out, but not forgold will I let my home pass into the possession of such people as havecome here and looked at it. YOU are different. I believe you do love itand will be good to it. You can have it."

  "If--if we can afford to pay what you ask for it," hesitated Anne.

  Miss Patty named the amount required. Anne and Priscilla looked at eachother. Priscilla shook her head.

  "I'm afraid we can't afford quite so much," said Anne, choking back herdisappointment. "You see, we are only college girls and we are poor."

  "What were you thinking you could afford?" demanded Miss Patty, ceasingnot to knit.

  Anne named her amount. Miss Patty nodded gravely.

  "That will do. As I told you, it is not strictly necessary that weshould let it at all. We are not rich, but we have enough to go toEurope on. I have never been in Europe in my life, and never expected orwanted to go. But my niece there, Maria Spofford, has taken a fancyto go. Now, you know a young person like Maria can't go globetrottingalone."

  "No--I--I suppose not," murmured Anne, seeing that Miss Patty was quitesolemnly in earnest.

  "Of course not. So I have to go along to look after her. I expect toenjoy it, too; I'm seventy years old, but I'm not tired of living yet.I daresay I'd have gone to Europe before if the idea had occurred to me.We shall be away for two years, perhaps three. We sail in June andwe shall send you the key, and leave all in order for you to takepossession when you choose. We shall pack away a few things we prizeespecially, but all the rest will be left."

  "Will you leave the china dogs?" asked Anne timidly.

  "Would you like me to?"

  "Oh, indeed, yes. They are delightful."

  A pleased expression came into Miss Patty's face.

  "I think a great deal of those dogs," she said proudly. "They are overa hundred years old, and they have sat on either side of this fireplaceever since my brother Aaron brought them from London fifty years ago.Spofford Avenue was called after my brother Aaron."

  "A fine man he was," said Miss Maria, speaking for the first time. "Ah,you don't see the like of him nowadays."

  "He was a good uncle to you, Maria," said Miss Patty, with evidentemotion. "You do well to remember him."

  "I shall always remember him," said Miss Maria solemnly. "I can see him,this minute, standing there before that fire, with his hands under hiscoat-tails, beaming on us."

  Miss Maria took out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes; but Miss Pattycame resolutely back from the regions of sentiment to those of business.

  "I shall leave the dogs where they are, if you will promise to be verycareful of them," she said. "Their names are Gog and Magog. Gog looksto the right and Magog to the left. And there's just one thing more. Youdon't object, I hope, to this house being called Patty's Place?"

  "No, indeed. We think that is one of the nicest things about it."

  "You have sense, I see," said Miss Patty in a tone of greatsatisfaction. "Would you believe it? All the people who came here torent the house wanted to know if they couldn't take the name off thegate during their occupation of it. I told them roundly that the namewent with the house. This has been Patty's Place ever since my brotherAaron left it to me in his will, and Patty's Place it shall remain untilI die and Maria dies. After that happens the next possessor can call itany fool name he likes," concluded Miss Patty, much as she might havesaid, "After that--the deluge." "And now, wouldn't you like to go overthe house and see it all before we consider the bargain made?"

  Further exploration still further delighted the girls. Besides thebig living-room, there was a kitchen and a small bedroom downstairs.Upstairs were three rooms, one large and two small. Anne took anespecial fancy to one of the small ones, looking out into the bigpines, and hoped it would be hers. It was papered in pale blue and hada little, old-timey toilet table with sconces for candles. There was adiamond-paned window with a seat under the blue muslin frills that wouldbe a satisfying spot for studying or dreaming.

  "It's all so delicious that I know we are going to wake up and find it afleeting vision of the night," said Priscilla as they went away.

  "Miss Patty and Miss Maria are hardly such stuff as dreams are made of,"laughed Anne. "Can you fancy them 'globe-trotting'--especially in thoseshawls and caps?"

  "I suppose they'll take them off when they really begin to trot," saidPriscilla, "but I know they'll take their knitting with them everywhere.They simply couldn't be parted from it. They will walk about WestminsterAbbey and k
nit, I feel sure. Meanwhile, Anne, we shall be living inPatty's Place--and on Spofford Avenue. I feel like a millionairess evennow."

  "I feel like one of the morning stars that sang for joy," said Anne.

  Phil Gordon crept into Thirty-eight, St. John's, that night and flungherself on Anne's bed.

  "Girls, dear, I'm tired to death. I feel like the man without acountry--or was it without a shadow? I forget which. Anyway, I've beenpacking up."

  "And I suppose you are worn out because you couldn't decide which thingsto pack first, or where to put them," laughed Priscilla.

  "E-zackly. And when I had got everything jammed in somehow, and mylandlady and her maid had both sat on it while I locked it, I discoveredI had packed a whole lot of things I wanted for Convocation at the verybottom. I had to unlock the old thing and poke and dive into it for anhour before I fished out what I wanted. I would get hold of somethingthat felt like what I was looking for, and I'd yank it up, and it wouldbe something else. No, Anne, I did NOT swear."

  "I didn't say you did."

  "Well, you looked it. But I admit my thoughts verged on the profane. AndI have such a cold in the head--I can do nothing but sniffle, sighand sneeze. Isn't that alliterative agony for you? Queen Anne, do saysomething to cheer me up."

  "Remember that next Thursday night, you'll be back in the land of Alecand Alonzo," suggested Anne.

  Phil shook her head dolefully.

  "More alliteration. No, I don't want Alec and Alonzo when I have acold in the head. But what has happened you two? Now that I look atyou closely you seem all lighted up with an internal iridescence. Why,you're actually SHINING! What's up?"

  "We are going to live in Patty's Place next winter," said Annetriumphantly. "Live, mark you, not board! We've rented it, and StellaMaynard is coming, and her aunt is going to keep house for us."

  Phil bounced up, wiped her nose, and fell on her knees before Anne.

  "Girls--girls--let me come, too. Oh, I'll be so good. If there's no roomfor me I'll sleep in the little doghouse in the orchard--I've seen it.Only let me come."

  "Get up, you goose."

  "I won't stir off my marrow bones till you tell me I can live with younext winter."

  Anne and Priscilla looked at each other. Then Anne said slowly, "Phildear, we'd love to have you. But we may as well speak plainly. I'mpoor--Pris is poor--Stella Maynard is poor--our housekeeping will haveto be very simple and our table plain. You'd have to live as we would.Now, you are rich and your boardinghouse fare attests the fact."

  "Oh, what do I care for that?" demanded Phil tragically. "Better adinner of herbs where your chums are than a stalled ox in a lonelyboardinghouse. Don't think I'm ALL stomach, girls. I'll be willing tolive on bread and water--with just a LEETLE jam--if you'll let me come."

  "And then," continued Anne, "there will be a good deal of work to bedone. Stella's aunt can't do it all. We all expect to have our chores todo. Now, you--"

  "Toil not, neither do I spin," finished Philippa. "But I'll learn to dothings. You'll only have to show me once. I CAN make my own bed to beginwith. And remember that, though I can't cook, I CAN keep my temper.That's something. And I NEVER growl about the weather. That's more. Oh,please, please! I never wanted anything so much in my life--and thisfloor is awfully hard."

  "There's just one more thing," said Priscilla resolutely. "You, Phil,as all Redmond knows, entertain callers almost every evening. Now, atPatty's Place we can't do that. We have decided that we shall be at hometo our friends on Friday evenings only. If you come with us you'll haveto abide by that rule."

  "Well, you don't think I'll mind that, do you? Why, I'm glad of it.I knew I should have had some such rule myself, but I hadn't enoughdecision to make it or stick to it. When I can shuffle off theresponsibility on you it will be a real relief. If you won't let me castin my lot with you I'll die of the disappointment and then I'll comeback and haunt you. I'll camp on the very doorstep of Patty's Place andyou won't be able to go out or come in without falling over my spook."

  Again Anne and Priscilla exchanged eloquent looks.

  "Well," said Anne, "of course we can't promise to take you until we'veconsulted with Stella; but I don't think she'll object, and, as far aswe are concerned, you may come and glad welcome."

  "If you get tired of our simple life you can leave us, and no questionsasked," added Priscilla.

  Phil sprang up, hugged them both jubilantly, and went on her wayrejoicing.

  "I hope things will go right," said Priscilla soberly.

  "We must MAKE them go right," avowed Anne. "I think Phil will fit intoour 'appy little 'ome very well."

  "Oh, Phil's a dear to rattle round with and be chums. And, of course,the more there are of us the easier it will be on our slim purses. Buthow will she be to live with? You have to summer and winter with any onebefore you know if she's LIVABLE or not."

  "Oh, well, we'll all be put to the test, as far as that goes. Andwe must quit us like sensible folk, living and let live. Phil isn'tselfish, though she's a little thoughtless, and I believe we will allget on beautifully in Patty's Place."