Porter made a wide sweep to take in the Capitol and the Library; then
he flew up the Avenue, disfigured now by the stands from which people
were to view the parade.
But Cousin Patty's eyes went beyond the stand to the tall straight
shaft of the Monument in the distance, and when they passed the White
House, she simply settled back in her seat and sighed.
"To think that, after all these years, there'll be a gentleman and a
scholar to live there."
"There have been other scholars--and gentlemen," Mary reminded her.
"Of course, my dear. But this is different. You see, in our section
of the country a Republican is just a--Republican. And a Democrat is
a--gentleman."
Mary's eyes were dancing. "Cousin Patty," she said, "may I call you
Cousin Patty? What will you do when women vote? Will the women who
are Republicans be ladies?"
"Oh, now you are laughing at me," Cousin Patty said, helplessly.
Mary gave Cousin Patty the suite next to Aunt Isabelle's, and the two
gentle ladies smiled and kissed in the fashion of their time, and
became friends at once.
When Cousin Patty had unpacked her bag, and had put all of her nice
little belongings away, she tripped across the threshold of the door
between the two rooms, to talk to Aunt Isabelle.
"Mary said that we should be going to the theater to-night with Mr.
Bigelow. You must tell me what to wear, please. You see I've been out
of the world so long."
"But you are more of it than I," Aunt Isabelle reminded her.
Cousin Patty, in her pretty wrapper, sat down in a rocking-chair
comfortably to discuss it. "What do you mean?"
"Mary has been telling me how far ahead of me your thoughts have flown.
You're taking up all the new questions, and you're a successful woman
of business. I have envied you ever since I heard about the wedding
cake."
"It's a good business," said Cousin Patty, "and I can do it at home. I
couldn't have gone out in the world to make my fight for a living. I
can defy men in theory; but I'm really Southern and feminine--if you
know what that means," she laughed happily. "Of course I never let
them know it, not even Roger."
And now Mary came in, lovely in her white dinner gown.
"Oh," she accused them, "you aren't ready."
Cousin Patty rose. "I wanted to know what to wear, and we've talked an
hour, and haven't said a word about it."