Betty Lee had not forgotten that, in the nature of a reward, she was to
have a surprise at the end of the summer; but nothing had been said
about it by her father and Betty felt a delicacy about reminding him of
it. Now only two weeks remained before the opening of school. Betty was
eager to begin, strange as it may seem; but boys and girls, even those
not particularly keen about their studies, do look forward to the
companionship, the gay plans, the activities that school brings them.
One week more would bring the twins, Dick and Doris, little Amy Lou and,
best of all, Mother! Perhaps the surprise would not occur until the
family was together again. Poor Daddy! How hard he had been working--not
even a chance to drive up to the farm over a week-end; for it was a long
drive, and it was not thought best to try it while Grandmother was so
miserable and nervous. Accordingly, everybody tried to make the best of
the separation, Dick had written, "we can hoop (whoop) and holler
outdoors, but believe me we're quiet in the house. Even Amy Lou has
stopped whining."
Then, on Sunday morning, when Betty and her father were driving home
from church, he asked her, "Are your clothes in proper shape for a trip
to New York with me tomorrow?"
Mr. Lee looked a little guilty, for it had been a letter from his wife
that had reminded him of the comparative importance of clothes, and he
had not thought about it.
"Why--Father! Do you mean it?" cried Betty, who sat beside her father
and looked at his smiling face, turned straight ahead to watch traffic,
for many machines were whirling along at the close of the various church
services.
"Oh, I know! Is that the surprise?"
Mr. Lee nodded assent. "I meant to tell you before, but we had so much
doing yesterday that I forgot it--well, to tell the truth, I was not
sure that I could get away at all. There was some talk of sending
another man. But Murchison thought that I'd had more experience with
this sort of a job; and moreover, he wants me to meet his sister and a
niece who has been at school in Switzerland."
"Oh!" softly cried Betty again. "Murchison" was the big man in the
business, the man who had offered her father the opportunity in the
company. Although Betty had visited the office occasionally, she had
never seen the "big bug," as Dick called him.
There was silence for a little. Cars passed and Mr. Lee stopped once to
pick up a man he knew and take him on to his residence. "Missed you
coming out," said Mr. Lee, and the two men talked while Betty tried to
digest the great news. Betty had never been to New York. She had never
spent a night on the train. It would be _glorious_! Of _course_ she had
clothes ready. Oh, that was what Mother meant when she told Betty always
to have her suit and accompanying garments ready. At the time, Betty had
thought that her mother feared a call of everybody to the farm, if
Grandma continued to "go down." Dear me, she had had such a good time,
as things had turned out, with the girls staying with her, or other
company, that she didn't need any other reward. Still, Betty knew that
she had worked hard at times. Even with the woman who came occasionally
to clean, things would get "so messy," though Betty was learning now not
to make work for herself by carelessness. She was glad that she had
planned a nice Sunday dinner for the two of them at home today. And
Father had said, "Do not invite anybody for this week, Betty." This was
what he had in mind, and would not tell her for fear of some
disappointment. That was it, she knew, more than his "forgetting."
"Oh, Father, I'm so excited," she exclaimed, as they left the car in
front of the house, ready for a drive, if they should feel like it. "I'm
all mixed up and you'll have to watch me or I'll burn up the dinner or
something!"
"I thought that you'd like the plan, Betty; but I was a little afraid
that something would happen to upset it. It was understood long ago that
I was to go to New York in the fall. This meeting the countess is a new
proposition, however. Do you think we are equal to it?"
"'The Countess!'"
"Yes; at least I think it is a countess. I will have her name in full,
however, before we go to the ship after her."
Mr. Lee's eyes were twinkling, and Betty, after one look at him began to
laugh. "You're breaking it to me by degrees, aren't you? Well, I guess I
can stand it. I'm awfully hungry right now, aren't you? Seems to me the
sermon was longer than usual. Wait till I put on the potatoes and then
please tell me everything!"
"I will, child, and I'll not tease you a bit. I'll help you with the
dinner. Didn't you say you had a 'T-bone' steak for the two of us? Just
watch me broil that steak!"
"Oh, goody! We'll have a lot of fun. I'm going to heat some canned
asparagus tips for our other veg'table, and throw together a fruit
salad, on head lettuce, and I bought a grand pie at the exchange
yesterday. Will that be enough?"
"Indeed it will, and I have the dearest little cook in three counties. I
presume you'll have bread and butter, however; and suppose we have an
iced drink instead of coffee."
"Oh, yes, by all means. You fix the ice, Daddy, and I'll squeeze about
two oranges and two lemons, I think--right away, so it'll be cold!"
A happy girl worked with a capable father, who took off his coat, tied
an apron around his waist and had as much fun as Betty, especially when
the time came to cook the steak. Appetite did not lack when dinner was
ready and before there was any thought of dish washing, Mr. Lee sent
Betty to hunt up her over-night bag and looked up his own grip. "Put in
a dress that you can wear to dinner in a hotel, Betty," said he, "and
don't forget the fixings."
"Oh, Daddy, my chiffon dress won't muss a bit and I mustn't forget my
shoes that go with it!"
Betty forgot all of her duties as a housekeeper, as she laid out on the
bed the array of what she wanted to take with her to New York--_New
York!_ "How long are we going to stay, Father?" she called from her
bedroom.
"Just two or three days--have to be back to meet Mother and the
children, you know."
"How long does it take to get there?"
"About a night and half a day," replied Mr. Lee, who was preparing
another small surprise for Betty. She was so absorbed that she did not
realize how time flew until she ran back into the dining room and found
that her father had cleared the table and was washing the last dish.
"How awful! Father, I'm just as sorry as I can be! I never saw you
washing dishes before!"
"I have, daughter, in dire emergencies, but this time it was for fun.
Are all the gew-gaws, or doo-dads, ready?"
"I've got everything I ought to have, I think, 'cept washing out some
silk stockings. Do you think it would be wicked if I'd do it tonight?"
"That is, indeed, a serious matter," grinned Mr. Lee, looking like Dick.
"But since it is my fault and not yours, and they will have to get dry
to be packed, we might consider it. And matters of necessity are
different, though we'd not make a point of saving our stockings to be
washed on the Sabbath, would we?"
"Oh, Father, you are just killing! What time tomorrow do we start?"
"Not until night. We get right on the sleeper and go to bed."
"Hurrah. Then I've plenty of time."
"And the muted question can be put off for decision until some other
time?"
"Yes. Mother says if we begin to do weekday things on Sunday, we're
likely to keep on."
"Your mother is always right, and the oldest daughter has to be an
example."
"I never can tell when you are joking and when you aren't! I'm no
example, Father! Oh, I'm just almost crazy with delight. Wait till I
call up Kathryn and Carolyn and Peggy to tell them what the surprise
was! And, oh, I have to leave the house in order!"
In such a fashion the great surprise was inaugurated. A very demure and
well-mannered young girl of nearly sixteen years accompanied a dignified
but wide-awake business man to the train Monday night. Betty was
concerned with the mysteries of a berth in a sleeping car and was glad
of her father's clear directions. She would not for "worlds" appear
ignorant of what to do, though she might well be excused for not
knowing. But Betty was sensitive, quick to learn what was proper and
polite, and a little too proud not to be unduly mortified at any
mistake.
At the station Mr. Murchison met them, talking for a little with Mr. Lee
about business which Betty did not understand, and in which she was only
slightly interested. He had met Betty courteously but was preoccupied
with plans with her father. As the train was called, however, he turned
to Betty. "You are just about the age of my niece, I judge. Her mother
is to make the experiment of placing my niece in the public schools. It
may be that you will be in the same school. If so, I shall be glad to
have her know you, for you can be of great help to her, doubtless. It is
unfortunate that she does not want to come to America."
"I shall be very glad if I can be of any service to your niece,"
returned Betty, a bit stiffly, for Mr. Murchison's keen eyes rather
disconcerted her. Betty was not sure that she liked him "a bit." But of
course she had to, for her father's sake. Who was that foolish girl that
didn't want to come to America? Of course Mr. Murchison's sister was one
of those American girls who had married a titled foreigner. So her
father had said. But Betty smiled at Mr. Murchison and prettily said her
farewell.
How funny the Pullman looked, all green curtains already down, berths
all made up. As it had suddenly turned cold, Betty's father asked the
porter for extra blankets, showed Betty where to put her things and
advised her to know which berth was hers when she came back from the
dressing room. But Betty decided to mark hers in some way and finally
tucked up the curtain in a certain fashion before she explored the
dressing room. It was more private, she decided, to undress in her
berth. Also, she would wear her silk kimona all night! It was cold
enough.
For a long time Betty could not sleep, but finally Nature overcame
unaccustomed nerves and she fell into a sound sleep, not to waken till
her father called her. She decided that she liked traveling and would
like to go into a "diner" often, to eat the sort of pancakes that were
brought on in covered silver dishes, and to help her father decide what
would make a good breakfast.
The scenery was interesting. It was new to pass through the different
states. She would never forget it. And New York! Was this really Betty
Lee, riding in a taxi up Broadway and along Fifth Avenue?
Owing to her father's different errands, which he accomplished by taxi
for the most part, to expedite matters, Betty was taken to various parts
of the city, even to the docks.
They crossed the Hudson on a ferry boat without getting out of their
taxi. Birds flew about. Different kinds of crafts floated upon the
river. A great liner was just entering a space between piers. "Will Mr.
Murchison's sister come in on a boat like that?" asked Betty.
"Something like that," answered Mr. Lee. "How do you like this
incidental sight-seeing?"
"Ever so much, especially since you bought me the map. I look it all up,
and I'm glad to go over the same streets more than once, especially
Fifth Avenue and Broadway. I know Madison Square Park and the City Hall
Square already."
Betty had one rather lonesome day at the hotel when her father could not
let her accompany him, but after that he took her on regular
sight-seeing trips, during which she saw more than most strangers
because of her father's familiarity with the city. She decided that she
could find her way by herself, but her father preferred not to have her
attempt any "solo flights," he said.
Business was completed in comparatively short order. Mr. Lee sent
telegrams to his firm; but then they were held, as Betty, at least,
could not regret, by the non-arrival of the expected countess. Day by
day the reports of the incoming ships were changed somewhat. There had
been storms and fog. Sea traffic was held up, said Betty, and her father
said that if the ships all came in safely they would do well. At the
same time, he was rather restless. It did not look as if they would be
able to carry out their plans. "Oh, what if we can't get there before
Mother?" Betty asked.
"In that case, I shall merely telegraph her. The key is with the people
upstairs, you know. Your mother will understand. But I'd rather meet my
own wife than any countess!"
"And I'll be a day late at school, if the ship puts off coming in much
longer! But Father, I can't be sorry to have these great days in New
York. What shall we do today?"
"We shall see. Wait till I telephone the steamship company at the pier
again."
Then came a telegram from home. A cablegram had been received stating
that the countess and her daughter had sailed on a different ship from
the one she had written her brother to meet. It was the _Statendam_,
Holland-American line, due Saturday.
That settled it. Mother could not be met. Mr. Lee telegraphed to Mr.
Murchison that he would meet the _Statendam_. To the farm and to the
home, in case there was some delay in the country, word went that Mr.
Lee and Betty were unavoidably detained in New York. Betty was rather
worried about missing school Monday, as was most likely, but she enjoyed
the excitement and the extra expeditions due to the delay. It was an ill
wind that didn't blow _anybody_ any good, she remarked. "Can we leave as
soon as the ship comes?"
"That, Betty, is in the hands of a very uncertain woman, I judge,"
smiled Mr. Lee. "It will be necessary to do whatever Mr. Murchison
himself would be obliged to do. I shall handle the matter as well as I
can."
"Are you scared because she is a countess?"
"Scarcely. But be as polite and helpful as you can, Betty. Having you
will make it all easier, I think. Privately, Betty, I gathered that Miss
Murchison was very badly spoiled as a girl. People exist to do her
pleasure. See?"
"And we pretend that we like it?"
"No--it is not necessary to pretend anything. We really want to help
them, do we not?"
"Oh, yes; but I _dee-spise_ being patronized."
"Of course. A true lady, however, does not show it--indeed, it is almost
impossible to patronize a true lady."
"Hum. That is all very well in theory, my precious father, but--well, I
suppose I'm not a true lady inside!"
The _Statendam_, due on Saturday, arrived on Sunday, and Betty with her
father, was somewhat annoyed as they crossed on the ferry, to see the
tall smoke stacks and funnels of the liner already at the pier. "Stars!"
cried Betty. "Now we're late, and no knowing what has happened to the
countess!"