"But, Miss Patty," expostulated Mancy, "dey ain't nuffin' fit to set
befo' dem fren's ob yo's. Dey ain't nuffin' skacely in de house, ceptin'
some bits ob candies an' cakaroons le' from yo' las' night's supper."
"Well, that's all right," said Patty; "let Pansy arrange those nicely on
the dining-room table. Use the silver dishes, Pansy, and fix them just as
I told you."
"Yes, Miss Patty," said Pansy, "but there aren't very many left."
"Well, then, Mancy, I'll tell you what: you make us a nice pot of
chocolate, and fix us some thin bread and butter, and cut up some of the
fruit cake to put with those little fancy cakes; won't that do?"
"Yas'm, I spec' so; but it's a mighty slim layout, 'specially for dem
hearty young chaps. But you go 'long, honey, I'll fix it somehow."
And, sure enough, she did fix it somehow; for when, a little later, Patty
invited her young friends out into the dining-room, the thin bread and
butter had doubled itself up into most attractive and satisfying
chicken-sandwiches, and there was also a plate of delicious toasted
crackers and cheese.
Mr. Fairfield added a box of candy which he had brought home from New
York, and the unpretentious little feast proved most enjoyable to all
concerned.
"I should think you would feel all the time as if you were acting a play
yourself, Patty," said Elsie Morris, taking her seat at the prettily
laid table.
"I do," said Patty as she took her own place at the head; "it's awfully
hard to realise that I am monarch of all I survey.
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