THE TEA PARTY
MARY FRANCES didn't eat much lunch.
"What's the matter, child?" asked Aunt Maria, anxiously. "'Homesick' for
Mother?--or was to-day's lesson too hard?"
Then Mary Frances told of cutting and eating the fresh cake. "And, Aunt
Maria," she said, the tears flowing down her cheeks, "it went down!
down!
down!
until I was afraid it would rise out of the bottom of the pan the other
way."
[Illustration: "What's the matter, child?"]
"Never mind, dear child," Aunt Maria comforted her. "I did the same
thing to my first cake. I remember it well!"
"You did, Aunt Maria?"
"Yes," said the old lady. "I'll tell you what we'll do! I'll bake a cake
in place of yours for to-night's party. Don't tell any one."
[Illustration: "It went down! down! down!"]
"Oh, thank you, Aunt Maria," cried Mary Frances; "that's so kind!"
"Not a word to any one!" cau-tion-ed Aunt Maria. "What else do you
have?"
"Cocoa," said Mary Frances; "I can make that."
"My," smiled Aunt Maria, "I'm so proud."
* * * * *
After the games and riddles, Mary Frances excused herself from her
guests, and made the cocoa and the pot of tea for her aunt. Then Billy
carried in the tray, on which she had placed the cake, and the cups and
saucers, plates, napkins, and Chocolate Pot, and, oh, yes, Tea Pot, for
Aunt Maria; and she poured the cocoa like a real grown lady, while the
boys passed the plates and the cake, and served the guests to the cups
of cocoa.
"Did Mary Frances make this cake?" asked one of the guests. ("I'm
awfully glad she didn't ask about the other," thought the little girl.)
[Illustration: "Did Mary Frances make this cake?"]
"Yes," said Eleanor's brother Bob. "Yes; knowing the greatness of the
present oc-ca-sion, I have written a poem, en-ti-tled, 'Ode to the Cook'
(bowing to Mary Frances), which, with your kind indulgence, I will now
read:"
[Illustration: "Ode to the Cook"]
"Begin!" laughed Mary Frances.
Bob cleared his throat and began:
"Mary Frances is a girl
Who cooks for you and I;
She can boil a fancy cake
Or stew a cherry pie.
"Once she made a pot of soup
And served it for our dinner;
We thought that we were like to die,
It made us so much thinner."
"Time to weep?" asked Billy, pa-thet-i-cal-ly.
"Now, this, our cook will save expense,
For when she is your baker,
You may save your doctor's bill--
Just get an undertaker."
[Illustration: "Oh, Bob, I say--"]
"Now, Billy," cried Mary Frances, "what have you been telling?"
"Oh, Bob, I say--" said Billy.
[Illustration: "Begin!"]
"Mary Frances, don't mind Bob," interrupted Eleanor. "You see what I
have to stand all the time." And Mary Frances laughed heartily.
"Did you think I minded Bob?" she asked.
"Show you forgive me, Mary Frances," begged Bob, "by letting me have
another cup of cake, and another piece of cocoa."
"Not _another_," laughingly corrected Mary Frances. "To be polite, I
believe I must pretend I didn't notice you'd had any."
"You certainly are kind, Mary Frances," said Bob, "when I don't know how
many pieces----"
"I know," cried Eleanor,--"this makes the fifth!"
"Well, Nell," begged Bob, "don't tell Mother."
"You deserve it," said Eleanor.
[Illustration: "Don't tell Mother."]
"Come," said Billy, "all ready! another game! 'Blind feeds Blind!'" And
they blindfolded the boys' eyes, and sat them opposite each other, each
with a plate of little pieces of cake, and a spoon. They were to try to
feed each other. The one who dropped the least number of pieces, and
whose cake was first gone, won. It was very funny! Sometimes the spoon
was poked into the other boy's ear; sometimes it hit his nose.
[Illustration: "Blind feeds blind]
"Everything was grand, Mary Frances," said Eleanor, "and it was the
loveliest party!"
"I think so, too," smiled Aunt Maria.
"One last riddle," said Mary Frances' father, bidding the young people
good-night:
"'Why is Mary Frances the happiest girl in the world?'"
Then they all guessed----
"Because 'Mother' is coming home to-morrow!"
"Oh, Mary Frances," laughed Eleanor, "I've had more fun! Good-night,
dear." And "So have we all of us," and "Thank you," cried the others.
"Good-night!"
"Good-night!"
"Good-night!"
[Illustration]
[Illustration: "Never mind, dear child." Aunt Maria comforted her.]