THAT MOVING WEEK--MONDAY.
"Mary, will you see what is keeping the little folks? Perhaps Aunt
Mandy does not find it an easy matter to get both Berta and Beth ready
in time for breakfast."
"Yes, Father; but the twinnies ran past my room and down the stairs
some time ago. Maybe they are in the yard."
"I think that is where you will find them, Mary," said Mrs. Marvin.
"Dick spied them from the window and could hardly wait until I had
finished brushing his hair. He said Jack was needed, too."
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin with Wilhelmina and their eight boys had arrived in
New York a few days before the landing of the steamer on which the
Selwyns returned from Europe. They had come all the way from Georgia
to welcome these old friends whom they had never expected to see again
in this world; and there had been great rejoicing at the dock when the
steamer landed. Mr. Marvin had planned to start for home with his six
eldest boys that same evening, leaving his wife with four-year-old Dick
and baby Jack as company for Wilhelmina until school should reopen at
Maryvale. But Mr. Selwyn and Doctor Carlton would not listen to such a
plan; and at last Mr. Marvin had to promise that his whole family
should be their guests until it was time for his two eldest boys to
return to college. But when he learned of the purchase of Bird-a-Lea,
he declared that he could not be held to his promise, because it would
be out of the question for the Selwyns to begin moving with so many
children in the house. So on Sunday evening he left with Phil, Harry,
Joe, Frank, Bob and Freddie for Sunnymead, their beautiful plantation
home.
And now, Monday morning, the four little ones were missing from the
breakfast table.
"'Making a s'prise,' I'll be bound," laughed the Doctor. "I hope it
will turn out more happily than most of those that the twins plan."
As Mary neared the door leading to the side porch, she heard the little
ones giggling; but at her call that breakfast was ready, there was a
chorus of, "Oh! oh! don't come, Mary!" "Jes' a minute!" "No fair
peeking!" "We's making a most beauty, grand s'prise for ev'ybody, and
it's 'most ready!"
Mary, laughing, returned to the dining-room, and a few minutes later,
the screen door banged. All at the table paused, smiling at the loud
whispers and smothered giggles coming from the hall. Then they heard
Dick say, "But Father always says, 'Ladies first.'"
"But we isn't ladies, Dick," gurgled Beth. "We's jes' little folkses."
To which Berta agreed, "Yes, nennybody didn't ever call us ladies,
Dick, not ever, ever at all."
"Not ever, ever at all," echoed her sister.
"But we can be-tend we's ladies, Beth, if Dick likes us to be. Mother
says it isn't p'lite if we doesn't play same as our comp'ny likes us
to. So I'll go first." And into the dining-room, single file, marched
the four. Just inside the door they lined up, Berta proudly
announcing, "We's going to help ev'ybody in the whole house."
"Indeed!" Mr. Selwyn was forced to laugh in spite of himself. "Don't
you think you might have waited until after breakfast to don your
working clothes? and where did you find the overalls for your guests,
eh?"
"Oh, Dick finded them in Willy-mean's shootcase, Daddy; and Beth and I
lended Aunt Mandy's apins. I'se quite sure she won't mind, 'cause we's
going to help her 'mensely, too."
Wilhelmina stopped laughing long enough to explain: "Yes, Mother, Dick
came to me at the last minute with his overalls and Jack's. I couldn't
see why he wanted to bring them; but they didn't take up much room in
my little suitcase."
Dick wriggled uneasily under his mother's surprised look.
"But you do not expect to sit at table in your working clothes, do you,
son? Jack, being only two years old, does not know any better; but a
big boy of nearly four and a half----"
"That's jes' 'zactly what Dick said, Aunt Etta." Though not related,
the children of each family always called the grown folks of the other,
uncle and aunt. "He told us you doesn't like over-halls so very well
for breakfus; but----but----oh, dear, _me_! they's such a drefful many
things to do, you see, that we thinked we ought to be ready afore
breakfus. Doesn't you think you could possiglee 'scuse us jes' this
once--you and Daddy and Mother and Uncle Frank? I'se quite sure
Willy-mean and Mary doesn't mind over-halls and gingham apins."
"Perhaps we can do so, Berta, since this is the first moving-day that
we have ever had in any of our lives." Mrs. Marvin looked very grave.
"What do you think about it, Elizabeth?"
"I quite agree with you, Etta, if these little folks will remember to
lay aside their working clothes at meal time in future." Mrs. Selwyn
was just as serious as Mrs. Marvin.
"And the very first one we is going to help is Daddy."
"I fear you can not do anything to assist me until later in the day,
Beth, thank you. I am going to take the library in hand, and the books
that I shall pack this morning will be too large and heavy for such
little people to handle. However, I am very sure that you can make
yourselves useful by carrying messages for every one."
"Oh, goody! I hope they's going to be great, big, heavy ones. Dick
has strong mushes in his arms, and he's going to show Beth and me how
to get some, too, so we can lift big things like----like trunks!"
"Better begin with your doll trunks, then. It will take many years for
even Dick's muscles to grow strong enough to lift a steamer trunk, for
instance."
"Oh, but I'se quite sure you never did see Dick's mushes, Uncle Frank."
The morning was a very exciting one for the four little folks. Up the
front stairs, through the halls, down the back stairs, they raced,
Berta always leading, and baby Jack, carefully watched by Beth,
bringing up the rear. At the door of every room where packing was
being done, they stopped while their leader asked, "Does you s'pects
you would like us to help you?" until the oft-repeated answer, "Not
just at present," at last caused the twins to sink on the stairs and
sob out their disappointment.
Knowing that his mother was with Mrs. Selwyn in the storeroom on the
third floor, Dick ran for his sister and Mary, who were busy carrying
piles of sheets, pillowcases, towels, and table linen from a closet in
the hall to a big trunk in one of the bedrooms.
"Come quick, Willie! The girls are crying their eyes out, 'cause they
can't help."
"I suppose they could carry some of these things, Mary. Then I can
climb the ladder and hand you the ones on the high shelves."
The twins were soon comforted, and for a time the four trotted back and
forth with small piles of linen. It was not long before Berta thought
of a "s'prise;" and when Mary went to the bedroom to see what was
delaying them, she was just in time to see the procession starting down
the back stairs, each member of it carefully bearing a piece of drawn
work or embroidery. Her cry of dismay halted them.
"Oh, we's jes' going to wrap them in the nice w'ite disher paper what's
on the table in the dining-room, and then we's going to pack them in
one of those big boxes in the liberry, same as Daddy is doing with the
books."
Mary, remembering the storm of a quarter of an hour before, thought a
moment before speaking. "It's this way, Berta. When we get to
Bird-a-Lea, it will be much easier for Mother to find these center
pieces and things if they are packed in the trunk with the table cloths
and napkins. She is not very strong yet, you know, and Uncle Frank has
asked us to help her in every way we can; don't you remember?"
"Ye----es, Mary, but----but----"
"Why don't you go out in the yard to play for a little while? You need
a rest, I think."
"Rest! _rest_! The very idea! _Rest_ when ev'ybody is working so hard
as they can, and they's such a drefful many things to do? Why, Mary,
I'se on the shock at you! I s'pects you think we's lazy. We'll jes'
go right down and help Liza, so we will!"
Liza in the pantry on the top step of a ladder heard them coming.
"'Clah to goodness! Ef'n dem chilluns am gwine to come in heah
pesterin' dis heah niggah, I reckon dey won't be no moah work _dis_
mawnin'. Why fo' Aunt Mandy doan' keep dem upstairs wif her, I lak to
know."
The four stood in the doorway.
"Does you s'pects we can help you, Liza?"
"Wal, now, Missy Berta, dey might be sumpin yo' alls kin do aftah
while, but not jes' dis instinct, honey; 'kase yo' see, dis yeah chile
got to git all dese t'ings down off'n de top shelf fust t'ing. Dey's
milk an' cookies on de li'l table out on de back porch fo' yo' alls,
an' aftah yo's done wif dat, Aunt Mandy wants yo' to help her, I
reckon. She am powahful busy packin' up all yo' clothes and t'ings."
"We's going to help her the very 'zact instinct when we eat the milk
and cookies, Liza."
"Dat's right, Missy Bef. I jes' knowed yo' would ef'n I told yo' how
plumb tiahed out she am." And Liza chuckled as the little ones ran off.
They found the old nurse packing dainty white dresses in a trunk.
"We's going to help you, Aunt Mandy. We'll carry ev'ything right over
by side you, and you can put them in the trunk, so you can."
"Bress yo' li'l heart, Missy Berta! Yo' sho'ly kin help yo' ole mammy
a right smart. Ma ole laigs gits powahful tiahed walkin' round
disaway. Dats' right, Missy Bef. Bring dem li'l pettiskirts right
obah heah; an' Massa Dick kin fotch dem li'l shoes, an' Massa Jack dat
stockin' pile."
All went well until Aunt Mandy caught Berta carefully wrapping a pair
of slippers in a hand embroidered white dress, and Beth stuffing dainty
little handkerchiefs into her rubbers.
"Laws a massy! Go 'long out'n heah wif yo'! Yo's nuffin but babies,
nohow. Git yo' dollies an' play lak nice li'l chilluns." And she
drove them before her into the playroom and closed the door on them.
But Dick Marvin had no more use for dolls than his elder brothers had;
so the twins brought out their picture books and games, which he had
already seen. At last a bright idea struck him.
"What's that big box for, Beth?"
"That's Mary's toy box when she was a little girl. She said we can
have it now for our dollies and ev'ything."
"Then why don't you pack your dolls and things in it? Come on, I'll
help you."
"That's zactly what we'll do, and then we'll be the same as big
folkses, won't we, Dick?"
The little fellow was not quite sure of that and wisely said nothing,
but began to examine the hinges and clasp of the strong oak box. Berta
and Beth took their dolls and let Jack carry their other toys to him,
and Dick stowed them away with more speed than care. Soon the box was
filled to over-flowing.
"The cover doesn't close tight, so we'll have to jump on it, girls."
"Oh, goody, Dick! We jes' love to jump on trunks and things."
They scrambled up on the box and jumped, jumped, _jumped_! Snap!
Crack!
"Oh, my dear! What's that, Beth?"
"It's just the things settling down, Berta," explained Dick, jumping
off the box to fasten the clasp.
"Oh! oh! there's my big rubber ball under the table. That must go in
the box, too, Dick."
"All right, Beth. I'll open it again." Dick threw back the cover; and
with a cry of dismay, Beth snatched up a doll from the box.
"My Lucy doll! My mos' beauty chile! Oh, oh, oh!" And she sank to
the floor, hugging the doll to her and rocking back and forth in her
grief. "My chile, my mos' beauty chile!" she moaned. "Your face is
all in seven, five, _ten pieces_, and your eyes---- _Berta_! my Lucy's
eyes are all _gone_!" Great sobs shook her frail, little form.
Berta flung her arms about her sister, doll and all, while Dick shifted
uneasily from one foot to the other.
"Don't----don't cry, Beth. I'll ask Mother to get you another doll
'zactly like that one. It's all my fault, 'cause I told you to jump on
the box. Mother'll get you a doll _'zactly_ like that one. I'll go
with her to show her the kind."
"Oh, d----dear----m----m----me!" the little mother sobbed. "But she'll
b----b----be some other d----dollie, n----not my Lucy d----doll what I
love most of all. A----and 'sides----it isn't your
fault----'c----'cause I jumped right----on t----top of her, so I
d----did,----and----now she's d----deaded, so sh----she is! Oh, my
poor little chile! M----my most beauty chile!"
"Oh, I say, Beth, don't cry like that! I'll tell you what we'll do.
Let's have a fun'ral. You and Berta dress Lucy in her best white dress
and put her in a nice white box with lace and shiny soft stuff and
flowers all around her, and I'll dig a grave under that big rose bush
in the garden, and we'll bury her. That's what they did with my little
cousin when she died. My, she looked mighty pretty, only she was too
white. And you two ought to wear black dresses and black veils hanging
down behind, and----and----"
The little girls listened, eyes and mouths wide open.
"But what _is_ a grave what you said you is going to dig, Dick?"
"It's a big hole in the ground, Berta, and----"
With a frightened scream, Beth sprang to her feet, and holding the doll
close, ran from the room just as Aunt Mandy appeared at one door and
Mary and Wilhelmina at the other.
"Don't let him! don't let him, Mary! Oh, my poor little chile, my Lucy
doll is deaded, Mary!" Beth clung sobbing to her sister.
Wilhelmina's eyes flashed. "Dick, you ought to be ashamed of
yourself----"
"Wait a minute, Wilhelmina. I'm sure Dick wouldn't break Beth's doll
on purpose."
"Course I wouldn't, Mary."
"No, Willy-mean, it was a ac'cent; and Mother says ac'cents _will_
happen in the very _best_ famblies, and Aunt Mandy says we is the
_very_ best fambly in the land--and so is you, Willy-mean, I'se quite
sure." And Berta gave an account of what had happened. "But Beth
doesn't like to play fun'ral with Lucy, 'cause we has to put her in a
hole in the ground----"
"But perhaps Lucy isn't quite dead, Bethy, and Uncle Frank may be able
to cure her, you know. Let me look at her a minute."
At sight of the broken face, Mary's heart sank. She saw that no amount
of glue would restore poor Lucy to health; but she did not tell Beth
so, for another thought had entered her head. "I am afraid she is a
very sick child. Let us put her to bed in my room until Uncle comes
home. I think it will take a long, long time to cure her, Beth; so
don't you think you had better have one of my dolls instead? Come, let
us look in my little trunk where they are all packed away."
She led the sobbing child into her own room, Wilhelmina and three very
sober little folks following; but though Mary gave Beth her choice,
even placing the lovely Amelia Anabelle in her arms, the little girl
could find no doll to take the place of her "most beauty chile."
Then another thought came to Mary. "Why, I do believe Lucy looks a
little better. Don't you think so, Wilhelmina? We shall pull down the
shades and let her take a long nap, and I am sure Uncle will be able to
make her well very soon, Beth. Now, children, you mustn't come into
this room again until Uncle has seen Lucy. She must be kept very
quiet, you know. I shall take good care of her, Beth, so don't worry
any more about her, precious."
Mary followed the little ones out into the hall and watched them as
they went slowly down the stairs; then she returned to her own room,
where Wilhelmina was trying to fit the pieces of the doll's face
together.
"I don't blame Beth one bit for making a fuss over this doll, Mary.
You know I have never had any use for dolls, but this one must have
been dear with her brown eyes and fair, bobbed hair. I fished her eyes
up out of her neck."
"She was a darling doll, Wilhelmina. The only thing that we can do is
to go to the same store and try to get another exactly like her."
"Let me take another look at those dolls in the trunk, Mary."
Wilhelmina had just succeeded in piecing Lucy's face together and stood
with it between her hands. "There--that one with the long brown curls.
Hold her beside this one and cover her hair."
"Wilhelmina! She is the image of Lucy! Oh, I'm so glad! We shall put
Lucy's wig and clothes on her, and Beth will never know the difference."