When Patty Went to College Read Online Free PDF Page A

just beautiful, Miss Wyatt," said Sadie, admiringly.
    Patty laughed. "Do you think I can uphold the honor of the nation?"
    "To be sure, miss," said Sadie, politely.
    Patty ran down the corridor to the door of the reception-room, and then swept slowly in with what she called an air of continental repose. The room was empty. She glanced about in some surprise, for she knew that the two reception-rooms on the other side of the hall were being used for the doll show. She tiptoed over and peered in through the half-open door. The room was filled with dolls in rows and tiers; every piece of furniture was covered with them; and in a far corner, at the end of a long vista of dolls, appeared Mr. Algernon Vivian Todhunter, gingerly sitting on the edge of a sofa, surrounded by flaxen-haired baby dolls, and awkwardly holding in his lap the three he had displaced.
    Patty drew back behind the door, and spent fully three minutes in regaining her continental repose; then she entered the room and greeted Mr. Todhunter effusively. He carefully transferred the dolls to his left arm and stood up and shook hands.
    "Let me take the little dears," said Patty, kindly; "I'm afraid they're in your way."
    Mr. Todhunter murmured something about its being a pleasure and a privilege to hold them.
    Patty plumped up their clothes and rearranged them on the sofa with motherly solicitude, while Mr. Todhunter watched her gravely, his national politeness and his reportorial instinct each struggling for the mastery. Finally he began tentatively: "I say, Miss Wyatt, do--er--the young ladies spend much time playing with dolls?"
    "No," said Patty, candidly; "I don't think you could say they spend too much. I have never heard of but one girl actually neglecting her work for it. You mustn't think that we have as many dolls as this here every night," she went on. "It is rather an unusual occurrence. Once a year the girls hold what they call a doll show to see who has dressed her doll the best."
    "Ah, I see," said Mr. Todhunter; "a little friendly rivalry."
    "Purely friendly," said Patty.
    As they started for the dining-room Mr. Todhunter adjusted his monocle and took a parting look at the doll show.
    "I'm afraid you think us childish, Mr. Todhunter," said Patty.
    "Not at all, Miss Wyatt," he assured her hastily. "I think it quite charming, you know, and so--er--unexpected. I had always been told that they played somewhat peculiar games at these women's colleges, but I never supposed they did anything so feminine as to play with dolls."
    [Illustration: Mr. Algernon Vivian Todhunter, gingerly sitting on the edge of a chair]
    * * * * *
    WHEN Patty returned to her room that night, she found Georgie and Priscilla surrounded by grammars and dictionaries, doing German prose. Her appearance was hailed with a cry of indignant protest.
    "When I have a man," said Priscilla, "I divide him up among my friends."
    " Especially when he's a curiosity," added Georgie.
    "And we dressed up in grand clothes, and stood in your way coming out of chapel," went on Priscilla, "and you never even looked at us."
    "Englishmen are so bashful," apologized Patty; "I didn't want to frighten him."
    Priscilla looked at her suspiciously. "Patty, I hope you didn't impose on the poor man's credulity."
    "Certainly not!" said Patty, with dignity. "I explained everything he asked me, and was most careful not to exaggerate. But," she added with engaging frankness, "I cannot be responsible for any impressions he may have obtained. When an Englishman once gets an idea, you know, it's almost impossible to change it."
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    IV
    A Question of Ethics
    Patty's class-room methods were the result of a wide experience in the professorial type of mind. By her senior year she had reduced the matter of recitation to a system, and could foretell with unvarying precision the day she would be called on and the question she would be asked. Her tactics varied with the subject and the instructor, and were the result of a