Patty's Social Season — Text and Context

They were or had been in enormous florist's boxes, and as fast as Patty opened the boxes and read the cards which accompanied the blossoms, Jane took the boxes away.

It was the great occasion of Patty's debut, and in accordance with the social custom, all her friends had sent her flowers as a message of congratulation.

"You certainly have heaps of friends," said Elise, who was helping arrange the bouquets.

"Friends!" cried Patty; "nobody could have as many friends as this! These flowers must be also from my enemies, my casual acquaintances, and indeed from utter strangers! I think the whole hilarious populace of New York has gone mad on the subject of sending flowers!"

Even as she spoke, Jane came in with several more boxes, followed by Miller, fairly staggering under an enormous box that was almost too much for one man to carry. Behind him was Nan, who went straight to Patty and held out both hands to assist her to rise.

"Patty," she said, "if you don't come out this minute, you never _can_ get out! A few more of these boxes, and the door will be completely blocked up."

"That's so, Nan," and Patty scrambled to her feet. "Come on, girls, let's gather our foodings while we may. These flowers will keep; but I shudder to think of the accumulation when we come back from luncheon!"

"I didn't know there were so many flowers in the world," said Mona Galbraith, who paused to look back into the drawing-room.

"There aren't," said Patty solemnly; "it's an optical illusion. Don't you know how the Indian jugglers make you see flowers growing, when there aren't any flowers there? Well, this is like that."

Following Nan, Patty's pretty stepmother, the three girls, arm in arm, danced along to the dining-room, quite hungry enough to do justice to the tempting luncheon they found there.

All the morning they had been untying the flower boxes and making a list of the donors.

"Just think of the notes of thanks I have to write," said Patty, groaning at the outlook.

"Wish we could help you," said Elise, "but I suppose you have to do those yourself."

"Yes; and I think it will take me the rest of my natural life! What's the use of 'coming out,' if I have got to go right in again, and write all those notes? Why, there are hundreds!"

"Thousands!" corrected Elise. And Mona said, "Looks to me like millions!"

"Who sent that last big box, Patty?" asked Nan; "the one that just came."

"Dunno, Nancy; probably the Czar of Russia or the King of the Cannibal Islands. But I mean to take time to eat my luncheon in peace, even if the flowers aren't all in place by the time the company comes."

"We can't stay very long," said Elise; "of course, Mona and I have to go home and dress and be back here at four o'clock, and it's nearly two, now."

"All right," said Patty; "the boys are coming, and they'll do the rest. We couldn't hang the flowers on the wall, anyway."

"We ought to have had a florist to attend to it," said Nan, thoughtfully; "I had no idea there'd be so many."

"Oh, it'll be all right," returned Patty. "Father's coming home early, and Roger and Ken will be over, and Mr. Hepworth will direct proceedings."

Even as she spoke the men's voices were heard in the hall, and Patty jumped up from the table and ran to the drawing-room.

"Did you ever see anything like it?" she exclaimed, and her visitors agreed that they never had.

"It must be awful to be so popular, Patty," said Roger. "If I ever come out, I shall ask my friends to send fruit instead of flowers."

"Patty would have to start a canning factory, if she had done that," said Kenneth, laughing. "Let's open this big box, Patty. Who sent it?"

"I haven't an idea, but there must be a card inside."

They opened the immense box, and found it full to the brim with exquisite Killarney roses.

After some search, Roger discovered a small envelope, with a card inside. The card read, "Mr. William Farnsworth," and written beneath the engraved name was the message, "With congratulations and best wishes."

"From Big Bill!" exclaimed Mona. "For goodness' sake, Patty, why didn't he send you more? But these didn't come all the way from Arizona, where he is."

"No," said Patty, looking at the label on the box; "he must have just sent an order to a New York florist."

"To two or three florists, I should think," said Mr. Hepworth. "What can we do with them all?"