The Statue from India
ALL the shops in Lakeville wore a holiday air, for money was plentiful
and trade was unusually brisk. The windows were gay with wreaths of
holly and glittering strings of Christmas-tree ornaments. Clerks were
busy and smiling. Customers, alert for bargains, crowded about the
counters and parted cheerfully from their cash. Persons in the streets,
laden with parcels of every shape, size and color, pushed eagerly
through the doors or hurried along the busy thoroughfares. All wore
an air of eager expectancy, for two weeks of December were gone and
Christmas was fairly scrambling into sight.
The five girls had money to spend. Very little of it, to be sure,
belonged to the Cottagers; but Henrietta had a great deal, and,
as they all went together on their shopping expeditions, it didn't
matter very much, as far as enjoyment went, who did the purchasing.
Bettie said that it was quite as much fun to help Henrietta pick out
a five-dollar scarf pin for Simmons, the butler, as it was to choose
ten-cent paper weights for Bob and Dick. Besides, no one was obliged
to go home empty-handed, because it took all five to carry Henrietta's
purchases.
All five were making things besides. Sometimes they sewed at Jean's,
sometimes at Henrietta's, occasionally at Marjory's and once in a
while at Mabel's. They liked least of all to go to Marjory's because
Aunty Jane, who was a wonderfully particular housekeeper, objected
to their walking on her hardwood floors and seemed equally averse
to having them step on the rugs. As they couldn't very well use the
ceiling or feel entirely comfortable under the battery of Aunty Jane's
disapproving glances, they liked to go where they were more warmly
welcomed. Perhaps Henrietta's once-dreaded home was the most popular
place, though in that fascinating abode they could not accomplish a
great deal in the sewing line because Henrietta invariably produced
such a bewildering array of unusual belongings to show them that their
eyes kept busier than their fingers. In another way, however, they
accomplished a great deal. Henrietta, who was really very clever with
her needle, had started at one time or another a great many different
articles. These, in their half-finished condition--the changeable
girl was much better at beginning things than at completing them--she
lavishly bestowed on her friends. Lovely flowered ribbons, dainty bits
of silk and lace, curious scraps of Japanese and Chinese embroidery,
embossed leather and rich brocades, all these found their way into the
Cottagers' work-bags.
Out of these fascinating odds and ends they fashioned gifts for Mrs.
Crane, Anne Halliday's mother, their out-of-town relatives, their
parents and their school-teachers. They wanted, of course, to buy every
toy that ever was made for Rosa Marie, little Anne Halliday, Peter
Tucker and the Marcotte twins; but Mr. Black, meeting them in the
toy-shop one day, implored them to leave just a few things in the shops
for him to buy, particularly for Rosa Marie and little Peter Tucker,
his namesake.
And now, Mabel was immensely pleased with Henrietta; for, one day, Rosa
Marie, cured of her cold, had been dressed in her cunning little Indian
costume for the new girl's benefit. Rosa Marie had looked so very much
more attractive than when she had had a cold that Henrietta had been
greatly taken with her. As the way to Mabel's affections was through
approval of Rosa Marie, Henrietta quickly found it, so the threatened
breach was healed.
"Oh, Mrs. Crane," Henrietta had cried, on beholding the little brown
person in buckskin and feathers, "do let me telephone for James to
bring the carriage so I can take Rosa Marie to our house and show her
to my Grandmother. I'll take the very best of care of her. And all four
of the girls can come with her, so she won't be afraid."
"Oh, _do_," pleaded the others.
"Well, it's mild out to-day," returned Mrs. Crane, glancing out the
window, "and a little fresh air won't hurt her. I guess her coat will
go on right over these fixings and I can tie a veil over her head.
You'll find a telephone in the library, on Mr. Black's desk."
Half an hour later, the six youngsters, carefully tucked between
splendid fur robes, were on their way to Mrs. Slater's.
"I have a perfectly heavenly plan," said Henrietta, her black eyes
sparkling with impishness. "Want to hear it?"
"Of course we do," encouraged the Cottagers.
"You see," explained Henrietta, "a large box came from Father this
morning. It hasn't been opened yet; but Greta and Simmons don't know
that. I'm going to make them think that Rosa Marie is what came in that
box--it's time I cheered them up a little, for Simmons has lost some
money he had in the bank and Greta is homesick for the old country.
Will you help?"
"Ye-es," promised Jean, doubtfully, "if you're not going to hurt
anybody's feelings."
"Shan't even scratch one," assured Henrietta. "Now, when we reach the
house, I'll slip around to the basement door with Rosa Marie--the cook
will let us in--and you must ring the front-door bell because that will
take Simmons out of the way while I get up the back stairs. Ask for
Grandmother, and I'll come down and get you when I'm ready."
So the girls asked for Mrs. Slater--every one of them now liked the
entertaining old lady very much indeed--and chatted with her merrily
until Henrietta came running down the stairs.
"Grannie," asked the lively girl, pressing her warm red cheek against
Mrs. Slater's much paler one, "would you like to be amused? Would you
like to be a black conspirator and humble your most haughty servitor to
the dust? Then you must ascend to my haunted den and not say a single
word for at least five minutes. Come on, girls."
In Henrietta's oddly furnished room there were two large East Indian
gods and one heathen goddess. Henrietta had managed to group these
interesting, Oriental figures in one corner of the spacious chamber,
with appropriate drapings behind them. Near them she had placed an
empty packing case, oblong in shape and plastered with curious, foreign
labels. It looked as if it were waiting to be carried away to the
furnace room or some such place.
Darkening her bedroom and her dressing room, she placed her obliging
grandmother and her four friends behind the heavy portières.
"You can peek round the edges," said she, "but you mustn't be seen or
heard or even suspected."
Then, fun-loving Henrietta brought Rosa Marie from another room,
removed her wraps, concealed them from sight and placed the stolid
child in a sitting posture on a large tabouret near one of the richly
colored statues. Next she rang for Greta, and ran downstairs in person
to ask Simmons to come at once to remove the heavy packing case.
Simmons obeyed immediately and just as the pair reached Henrietta's
door, Greta, who had been in her own room, joined them. All three
entered together.
"Don't you want to see my lovely new statue?" asked Henrietta. "There,
with the rest of my heathen friends."
"Ho," said Simmons, leaning closer to look. "_That's_ wot came in that
'eavy box. Another 'eathen god from Hindia."
[Illustration: "ANOTHER 'EATHEN GOD FROM HINDIA."]
"He ees very pretty god-lady, Miss Henrietta," approved Greta. "Looks
most like real."
Rosa Marie, awed by her strange surroundings, played her part most
beautifully. For a long moment she sat perfectly still. But, just as
Simmons leaned forward to take a better look at her, Rosa Marie, who
had suddenly caught a whiff of pungent smoke from the joss-sticks
that Henrietta had lighted to create a proper atmosphere for her gods
and goddesses, gave a sudden sneeze. The effect was all that could be
desired. Simmons leaped backward and Greta, who was excitable, gave a
piercing shriek.
The hidden girls restrained their giggles, but only with difficulty;
and Bettie said afterwards that she could feel Mrs. Slater shaking with
helpless laughter.
"My heye!" exclaimed Simmons, "wot'll they be mykin' next! Look!
Hit's movin' 'is 'ead."
Rosa Marie proceeded deliberately to move more than her head. Putting
both hands on the tabouret, she managed somehow to lift herself
clumsily to all-fours, balancing uncertainly for several moments in
that ungainly attitude. Then she rose to her feet, and, stiffly, like
some mechanical toy, stretched out her arms toward Henrietta. Greta
backed hastily through the doorway; but Simmons eyed the swaying
youngster with enlightened eyes.
"Hit's a real biby, from Hindia," said he, "but think of hit comin'
hall that wy in that there box. But them Indoos 'ave a lot of queer
tricks and Hi suppose they drugged 'im, mide a bloomin' mummy of 'im
and sent directions for bringin' of 'im to."
"Take the box downstairs, please," said Henrietta, succeeding in the
difficult task of keeping her face straight. "This is a little North
Indian from Lakeville, Simmons, not an East Indian from India, and it
was only some things that I'm not to look at till Christmas that came
in the box."
"Hi _thought_ hit was mighty stringe," returned Simmons, looking very
much relieved and not at all resentful. "Hit seemed sort of hawful,
Miss 'Enrietta, to think as 'ow 'uman bein's could tike such chances
with heven their hown hoffsprings. But, just the sime, Miss 'Enrietta,
Hi've 'eard of them 'Indoos doing mighty queer things, and Hi, for one,
don't trust 'em."