The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-03
MRS. MUNN'S PLAN
Chapter 90

meantime Summer was slippins
away pleasantly, if not entirely hap
PLY, for Patty
everyone Mrs. Mum knew, OF
course, left the city for the summer
MRS. Darlington. having given up the
IDEA OF going to France. left the city
TOT ner home on Long Island Paul
pleading his Job" which kept hin
busy daily, stayed in town in the
empty house, with his chauffeur and q
servant to look after him. entirely
surrounded by ghostly pieces of fur
niture shrouded in brown linen GOV
ers.
Mrs. Mum. somewhat amused and
a little sorry for Patty, opened hel
own country house on the Connect
cut shore
You're making a poor attmpt al
looking cheerful" she told Patty with
laugh. Never mind we'll have
Paul up every weekend"
But they didn't. For when Pau
went to Mrs. Munn's, his mother
ragged. and when he went to his
mothers, he ragged And, torn be
tween duty and desire, he never had
time to go anywhere else.
Patty meantime occupied a curious
position
Il don't quite know what to do
about that young girl" one puzzled
matron expressed it, as she sat frown-
ing over an invitation she was writ
ing Mrs. Mum. "Of course, if it were
the season one would know her status,
for then she would be introduced prop
eriy But as 1t is"
AS it is, our eccentric friend is
still too i'll to entertain much, and
suspect she is just really enjoying her
self more by keeping US guessing an
other friend said shrewdly. But
whenever she does have people there,
the little Patricia is kept very much
in the foreground"
II know. But then-any useful COM
panion might be-" the other woman
answered, pen still held above the
notepaper. "Of course we all know
now that she was a paid companion
you remember, after Marys death
Il suspect that's what she is now"
"A paid companion would hardly
wear the sort of frock she had on at
tea" remarked the friend, who found
another woman's gowns a sure clue to
her social status. did you see it-a
blue organdie embroidered in daisies.
Martelle made that, I'm sure, and you
know his prices! l shall ask her, she's
young and pretty and dances well"
81 shan't The pen began making
decided strokes over the paper. 81
have three extra girls as it is-if only
I could get Paul now"
Then ask the little Patricia"
But his mother says it isn't serious
that he's already over it," The note
was blotted and folded into its en-
velope Besides, if | did ask the girl,
Id mortally offend Paul's mother. 1t
is pulling"
And it was true that Mrs Mum
kept them all guessing that Summer.
Secure on the north side of Long
Island Sound, she entertained her
most intimate friends. gave large teas
now and then, used the excuse of her
recent illness to spend a quiet Sum-
mer. and wondered what was going
on inside the mind of her dear friend
across the Sound. She watched Pat
ty grow daily prettier, spent extrav-
agant sums on her, because it was
such a pleasure TO enhance her pretti-
ness, and sat with quiet content
watching the golden head bent over
q book as Patty read to her, in the aft
ernoons, or watched from her window
while the slim figure in a black satin
bathing suit, went swimming in the
sea at the end of the garden.
Mrs. Darlington, having settled her
self some distance from the disturbing
Patty, decided to ignore the whole at
fair. When Paul came to her home,
she smiled, when he wrote and apollo
gized for not coming she ragged.
And the Summer passed.
Then Mrs. Mum, very much re-
freshed by some months of quiet and
of sea air and sunshine, moved sud
denly back to town.
mo one has arrived yet" she said,
idly reading the society column of
one of the papers. $50 We'll be undis-
turbed-and Paul may come up here
every evening"
Patty gave her a little smile, half
shyness, half amusement-and then
went out of the room to telephone
Paul's office.
Mrs. Mum dressed, took her car
and went down TO her lawyers office
"a suite of rooms on the forty-some
thing story of a downtown skyscra-
per.
She came back feeling very cheerful
indeed.
I'm going to adopt you, Patty" she
said at the. luncheon table-as calmly
as though she were saying, I'm going
to get you a blue dress"
"Why-but-how CAM mean how
lovely and the girl blushed and
smiled and looked worried all at once
ITS all arranged" Mrs. Mum said
cheerfully. MY solicitor is writing
your mother explaining how it is, and
Hooyt Drohlornc