DISCIPLINE
"Oh, we had a perfectly glorious time, Doris," cried Rosalie, skipping
into the manse with her face fairly glowing. "It is such a lovely
crowd, and we have such laughing times together--and we got whole sacks
full of hickory nuts, and Bert gave me his share, too. Is supper ready?
I am so hungry. We thought we had twice too much lunch, but we ate it
all, and were tempted to raid the orchards coming home, we were so
ravenous. Do hurry along, there's a nice General. Do we have to wait
for anybody?"
"Oh, Rosalie, how young you are when you are hungry," cried Doris
affectionately. "It isn't nearly time for dinner, but we'll eat as soon
as the girls come. Father won't be here to-night, and we only have
cream potato soup, but you love it, and I made heaps. Aren't the girls
in sight? They promised to come early and--"
"Yes, here they come. You dish up the soup, and I'll carry it in."
So with a great deal of chattering and laughter, and endless running
back and forth, Rosalie pulled up the chairs and carried the plates
of soup to the table, waltzing Doris to her place just as the younger
girls came in.
"Hurry, hurry," begged Rosalie. "Father isn't here to-night, so you
needn't take time to brush. For once I am glad we don't have to wait
for the blessing."
So the girls rushed to the table, and when Rosalie was happily immersed
in her soup, Doris said, rather shyly:
"I am glad you spoke of the blessing, Rosalie, for--I want to say
something about that myself, and I haven't had the nerve, though I
have been thinking of it for quite a while. I think it is a shame for
us preachers to sit down and eat without giving thanks, just because
father is not here to do the talking for us."
Rosalie paused, spoon lifted in mid-air. "Mercy, General, are you brave
enough to tackle that?"
"I agree with you, Doris," said Zee promptly. "I feel like a heathen
when we eat without the blessing. And I think you and Rosalie ought to
be ashamed of yourselves."
"I am willing to take my turn," said Treasure, "if you won't be
critical."
"Why, Treasure, you dear little thing. Then is it all settled that we
take turns giving thanks when father is away? For I believe father
thinks we do it right along, and I should be ashamed to let him know we
don't."
"I can't--I am too young," said Zee bashfully.
"You aren't too young to thank father when he gives you a nickel."
"Well, I will try it once, but I speak for the last turn. And if
Rosalie so much as smiles I'll never do it--"
"Say, do you think I am an infidel?" demanded Rosalie indignantly. "Of
course I shall not smile. Go ahead, then, General, begin." She dropped
her spoon and shut her eyes.
"Maybe--shall we--do you think I ought to--"
"Let's draw cuts to see who takes the first plunge," cried Zee. "I'll
hold the straws while the rest of you draw."
"Zee, sit down. I am surprised at you. We must not draw cuts about
the blessing. I will begin." Doris looked anxiously about the table,
scanning her sisters' faces for signs of amusement, but they were
preternaturally grave and earnest.
So in a meek and lowly voice, in a manner that spoke of anything but a
pharisaical blasting of trumpets, Doris asked a blessing on their food.
And the girls sighed with satisfaction when she said Amen, proclaiming
their comfort in having conformed to the ministerial proprieties, and
kept the sanctity of the manse intact.
"We had a perfectly ducky time to-day," said Rosalie, while Doris was
refilling her plate with soup. "We got a half a bushel of nuts apiece,
and Bert gave me his besides, on condition that I invite him to help
eat them once a week."
"By the way, who went nutting to-day, anyhow?" asked Zee suddenly.
"We did--our college bunch."
"It was not your Sunday-school class, was it?"
Rosalie flashed a questioning look at her sister. "No, it was not the
class--exactly," she said reluctantly. "The girls are in my class,
though."
"Was it the whole class?" persisted Zee.
"Why are you asking so many questions? What difference does it make
to you who went? Whatever made you think of the Sunday-school class
anyhow?"
"We met little Nora Gordon on the street to-day, and she asked if you
went nutting, and who went along, and I said Mabel and Frances and
Gloria and Annabelle and Sara and the college boys. And she said, 'Then
it was their Sunday-school class, and they didn't invite my sister and
she feels awful.'"
"Oh, mercy," said Rosalie, "we tried to keep it from her--that is, we
didn't suppose she would find out--anyhow, it was a college crowd, and
Alicia Gordon does not go to college."
"Did all the rest of the class go except Alicia?" asked Doris.
"Well, yes, it isn't a very big class, you know, and we all go to
college, except Alicia. She works. But is was a regular college
crowd--and the boys don't like Alicia, she never has a date with
anybody. She is kind of poky."
"You knew it would hurt her feelings if she found it out, didn't you?"
"Well, perhaps, but we didn't intend she should find it out. I wonder
who told her? It was a nasty little trick, and if you did it, Miss
Zee--"
"I didn't. What did I know about your old picnic? And when I saw how
Nora felt, I told her over and over it was a college affair, didn't I,
Treasure?"
"Yes, but their feelings are hurt, anyhow."
"Now, of course, you are blaming me, Doris, but we couldn't take her
along. The boys don't care for her, and she can't expect us to make
dates for her."
"What is the matter with her?"
"Nothing, but she sits around like a stick and never says boo. Boys
make her nervous. I like her well enough myself, though she never says
much and clams up completely when a man heaves in sight. A pretty
enough girl, and dresses well--but what could we do with her on a
nutting party?"
"I think it was a very un-manse-like thing to do, and I am sorry."
"I am sorry she found it out myself. But I hardly know her."
"Why don't you know her, if she is in your class?"
"She never goes where we go, and--you just can't get acquainted with
her."
"Did you ever try?"
"Um, not very hard, I suppose. She ought to meet one half-way."
"Some people can't, and you know it. That is why they have us
preachers, to go the whole way to meet those who can't, or won't, come
a step toward us. I'm afraid--you ought to be disciplined, Rosalie."
Zee leaped up, clapping her hands. "Good. Whip her, Doris. Go on, give
her a good one, for once, the bad thing."
"Oh, Zee, Doris can't whip a big thing like Rosalie," protested
Treasure anxiously.
"Don't be silly, girls," said Rosalie. "I see what you mean, Doris, and
I am quite willing. Pronounce the sentence, General."
"Well, Alicia works on Saturday morning, but she is off in the
afternoon, isn't she? So the punishment is that you must have her
come and spend the afternoon and stay for supper and all night and go
to Sunday-school with us the next morning. Then you will have a good
chance to get regularly acquainted with her."
Rosalie went directly to the telephone. "Well, now is the-- Oh, Doris,
not this week. We are going to stay all night at Adele's you know, and
make taffy."
"I am sorry," said Doris gently.
Rosalie soberly searched her sister's face a moment, then without
comment, called the number, and asked for Alicia. She gave the
invitation in a friendly cordial voice, showing no hint of perturbation
or coercion, and after a moment's pause, Alicia accepted.
"But whatever in the world we are going to do with that solemn Alicia
Gordon for eighteen hours, I do not know. You'll have to do most of the
talking, Doris."
"Oh, no, indeed; she is your guest. We put her in your hands absolutely
and you alone will be responsible for her comfort."
"But, General--"
"If she is my company, you won't get much punishment out of it, will
you?"
Rosalie sighed heavily. "Eighteen hours--she will come right from
work--that means luncheon. Oh, Doris, you do not know what a blow she
is. And a nice enough girl, too--but whatever can we talk about for
eighteen hours?"
Doris had no suggestions forthcoming, and to make the affliction
greater, on Saturday she made unexpected arrangements to drive to the
country with her father.
"And you can get lunch for yourself and the girls, can't you, Rosalie
dear?"
"But Alicia Gordon--"
"Oh, she won't mind. I'll be home in time to have a nice dinner for
you. Bye, Rosalie; good luck."
Alicia arrived from her work almost as soon as Rosalie came in from a
business meeting of the Literary Society, and a heated discussion of
menus was immediately in progress.
"You must help us, Alicia. We are trying to get up a fashionable
company luncheon in your honor, and we can't think of anything
fashionable that I have brains enough to cook."
Zee watched closely, but Alicia never so much as smiled, though any one
might know Rosalie had meant to be funny.
"Let's not be fashionable," she said evenly. "Let's figure out what is
easiest to prepare, and have it."
"Wouldn't be proper," insisted Rosalie. "Doris always wants us to be
proper when we have company."
"French fried potatoes are fashionable," said Zee.
"Too much work."
"Corn fritters are nice," said Treasure.
"I do not like corn," said Alicia.
They looked at one another soberly. "I tell you what," said Rosalie at
last. "Let's go to the pantry and see what we can find."
The four ran pell-mell to the pantry, and looked over the shelves
hastily, but with thoroughness.
"A custard pie, thank goodness," said Rosalie. "That settles the
dessert."
"I am going to have this apple sauce and bread and butter," said
Treasure suddenly. "You folks can get what you like."
"Oh, I'm going to have toast and milk," cried Zee. "I'll toast it
myself--and--"
"I'd like a fried egg sandwich," said Alicia, "if you do not mind. And
I want to fix it myself. I just love them, and mother never has time to
make them for our big family."
"I'll have one, too," decided Rosalie. "Suppose you fix mine when you
do yours, and I'll be making hot chocolate for all of us. And we'll
have some sweet pickles if Zee will bring them from the cellar."
In the confusion of getting four separate luncheons on one gas stove
at the same minute, one could not find time for much formality. Zee
stepped on Alicia's toes, and Alicia splashed hot butter on Treasure's
hand, and Rosalie let the chocolate boil over on the eggs. But finally
they were seated companionably about the table, and by that time they
were fairly well acquainted.
When luncheon was over, Zee and Treasure set about the dishes, and
Rosalie and Alicia disappeared. But when Rosalie came into the kitchen
on an errand a little later, Zee said:
"She seems all right, I think. I bet she needs a beau."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, you say you need them to keep your soul in--to--to--I forgot
just what you do say, but anyhow you always declare you can't be normal
without a beau. And I guess all girls are alike, so Alicia needs one,
too."
Rosalie went out of the kitchen, thinking hard. "I wonder--" she said.
"I believe I can--" She went directly to the telephone, and called
Bert.
"I have a friend spending the night with me," she said. "A town girl.
You know I told you I was busy and could not keep our date. But I
wonder if you can't get another man and come and help us make candy?"
Bert was desolated, but since Rosalie had said she was busy, he had
made other arrangements--he didn't care two cents about the girl they
picked out for him--wasn't it beastly luck-- He would break the date,
that's what he'd do.
Rosalie would not hear of it, and she stopped the conversation abruptly
and looked at Alicia.
"Men are all alike, aren't they? Here he has been telling me for two
months that I am the only girl in college--I shall get even with him.
I'll just have a senior, and that will make him wild. Bob Harton is
always asking me for dates, but is always just too late. So I can
ask him perfectly all right, and we'll have him bring--let me see--I
know--Arthur Gooding, a 'post'--and terribly sensible."
So she ran to the telephone again, in spite of Alicia's protests, and
called the second number.
"Oh, Bob," she began, "this is Rosalie Artman. I am always taken when
you try to make a date with me, so I thought I would try my hand on
you. I have a town girl staying all night, and we want you to come and
help us celebrate. And can't you ask Arthur Gooding to come? I do not
know him very well myself, but he is so sensible, and this is a very
sensible girl, so they ought to get on wonderfully. Will you see? Oh,
that is just lovely."
"I do not know how to talk to men, Rosalie, I never had a date in my
life. I can't think of things to say."
"Leave it to me," cried Rosalie blithely. "I can do most of the
talking. And Arthur is so sensible you won't have to talk. Just sit
back and look wise, and he will think you are wonderful. And Bob is
lots of fun, and--oh, it will be easy."
The rest of the afternoon passed comfortably enough getting ready for
the evening, and the girls had told the boys good night, and gone
up-stairs before Rosalie remembered that Alicia was a bore.
When they went into their room for the night, she turned Alicia's face
to the light and scrutinized the bright quiet eyes, and the flushed but
still placid face.
"Marvels will never cease," she said solemnly. "I am not sensible, I
don't want to be sensible, I don't even believe in sense, and I talk
all the time, and the silliest talk I can think of--but that perfectly
dignified sober Arthur Gooding, who is a 'post,' fell for me like a
flash, head over heels. And he was invited for you! And you sat back in
a corner saying as near nothing as possible, but that irrepressible Bob
Harton could not keep three feet away from you all evening, and never
took his eyes off your face once. Come now, 'fess up. Did he make a
date with you?"
"Three--one for to-morrow, and two for next week," admitted Alicia,
smiling softly. "Isn't he funny and bright?"
Rosalie turned her back, and stared up at the ceiling. "Well," she said
at last, "I always have thought you quiet girls were dangerous, if you
ever get started."
Alicia came over to her suddenly, and said, "Thank you for getting me
started. I had a lovely time. I thought you did not like me, Rosalie.
You'll forgive me, won't you?"
Rosalie flung her arms impulsively around Alicia's shoulders. "I had
a lovely time myself. And I do like you--but I shall try to forgive
you, if you never do it again," she said virtuously. But as they were
getting into bed, she said suddenly, "Isn't that Zee the shrewd one,
though?" And Alicia wondered what Zee had to do with the question in
hand.