THE NEW ROOMS
In the cushioned swing on the Fayres' verandah the two girls sat.
An artist would have stopped to admire the picture. Dorinda, her pink
and white face framed in its golden halo of curlilocks, her light blue
frock, neat and smooth, was calmly and daintily nibbling at a piece of
cake, catching the crumbs carefully as they fell.
Beside her, Dorothy was rapidly munching her cake as she talked, and
letting the crumbs fall where they might. Her black hair framed her rosy
cheeks and her eyes snapped and sparkled as she gesticulated with both
hands. It was Dorothy's habit to emphasise her remarks with expressive
little motions, and her father often said that if her hands were tied
behind her, she couldn't say a word!
Her pink lawn dress was rather tumbled by reason of her wriggling and
jumping about, but Dorothy's frocks were rarely unrumpled after she had
had them on ten minutes.
"We've been friends more than a week now," she said, as she finished
her cake in one large bite and brushed a few stray bits out of her lap.
"And I think you're just fine! I'm _so_ glad we came to live in Berwick.
I like you better than any girl I ever knew." Dotty spread her hands
wide as if embracing all the girls who had figured in her previous
existence. "Do you like me as much as that?"
As she spoke, she touched her toes to the floor and sent the swing up in
the air with a mad jump.
"Oh!" gasped Dolly, as her cake flew out of her hand; "how--how sudden
you are!"
"Never mind! _Do_ you like me as much as I like you?"
"I don't know," and Dolly looked thoughtful; "I like you, of course, but
I wish you'd sit stiller."
"Can't; I'm always jumpy. But you _do_ like me, don't you, Dollyrinda?"
"Yes, but I can't hop into a liking the way you do. We're awfully
different, you know."
"'Course we are! That's what makes us like each other. Just think,
Dolly, we'll be fifteen soon. Don't you think we ought to be called by
our full names and not Dolly and Dotty any more?"
"I don't know. Why?"
"Oh, 'cause we're too big for baby names. I'm going to stop wearing
hair-ribbons."
"You are! How ever will you keep your hair back? And you've such a lot
of it."
"I know. So've you. Why, I'll just braid it, and let the end flutter.
But Mother says she won't let me till I'm sixteen. Well, we'll see. Do
you want to grow up, Doll?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know anything! I never saw such a girl! Well, what are you
going to do when you're fifteen?"
"I haven't thought about it. Do I have to do anything different from
when I'm fourteen?"
"You don't _have_ to! But don't you _want_ to? What do you want to be
when you're grown up?"
"Oh, _then_! Why, then I'm going to be an opera singer."
"Can you sing?"
"Not much yet. But Trudy says I have a nice voice and I'm going to
learn."
"Pooh! I don't believe you'll ever sing in opera. I'm going to be an
actress."
"Huh! Can you act?"
"Not yet; but I'm going to learn." Dotty smiled as she realised that
their ambitions were at least equally promising. "Wouldn't it be fun if
we did both get to be famous! Me an actress and you a singeress. But I
may change my mind about mine. I do sometimes. Last winter I was crazy
to be a trained nurse; but Mother wouldn't let me."
"Will she let you be an actress?"
"I haven't asked her yet. There's no hurry. I couldn't begin to study
for it till I'm out of school. What are you going to get for your
birthday?"
"I haven't decided yet. Mother said I could have my bedroom all done
over or have a gold watch."
"Oh, have the room things. And I'll do the same! Do you know, when we
moved into our house, I took a room on the other side, but I'm going to
move across so I can be on this side toward you. And Mother is going to
have the room done up for me, and I'm to choose the things. So you do
that too, and we'll have 'em alike!"
Dotty had jumped out of the swing in her excitement, and stood at one
side, her foot on the step, pushing it sideways.
"Don't do that, Dot, you'll break the swing."
"Well, will you? Will you choose the room fixings 'stead of the watch?"
"I don't know; I'll have to think."
"Fiddlesticks! Don't think! Jump at it, and say yes!"
"I believe I'd rather, anyway; it would be fun to have our things alike.
I'll ask Mother."
"But she said you could have your choice."
"Yes, but of course, I'll talk it over with her. And Dotty, we don't
want the same coloured things, you know."
"Why don't we?"
"Why, because we're so different. What colour do you want?"
"Oh, I've got it all picked out. I'm going to have rose and grey. It's
all the rage. Rose pink, you know, and French grey."
"Well, I don't want that. I want pale green and white."
"You do! Why rose and grey is ever so much more fashionable."
"I don't care. I know what I want. Now, see here,-- But do come and sit
down! Don't climb over the back of the swing!"
Dotty jumped down from the back of the swing, and came around and seated
herself beside Dolly. For nearly five minutes she sat quietly while they
discussed the colours.
"But, don't you see," said Dolly at last, "it will be nicer for us to
have our own colours and have the things alike. We can have just the
same shape furniture and everything, only each stick to our own colour."
Dotty was persuaded, and they agreed that the two mothers could easily
be brought to see the beauty of their plans.
And so it was. A neighbourly friendliness already existed between the
households, and as the two birthdays fell so near together, it seemed
fitting that the girls should have their gifts alike.
So the paperhanger was visited and Dolly chose a lovely paper of striped
pattern, but all white; to be crowned with a border design of hanging
vines and leaves in shades of green.
Dotty's paper was the same stripe, in soft greys; and her border was a
design of pink roses and rosebuds.
Dolly's woodwork was to be painted white and Dotty's light grey.
The two sets of furniture were exactly alike, except that one was
enamelled grey and one white.
Each room had a bay window, and the window seats were cushioned in green
or rose, and the numerous pillows that graced them were of harmonious
colouring.
The parents of the girls agreed that a fifteenth birthday was a
memorable occasion, and one not likely to occur again, so they made the
furnishings of the two rooms complete to the smallest detail.
Each had a large rug of plain velvet carpeting; Dotty's rose pink and
Dolly's moss green. Window curtains of Rajah silk fell over dainty white
ones, and pretty light-shades of green and pink, respectively, gave the
rooms a soft glow at night.
Trudy contributed wonderful _filet_ embroidered covers for
dressing-tables and stands, and dainty white couch pillows, with
monograms and ruffles.
Dotty's Aunt Clara gave each of the girls a picture, which they were
allowed to choose for themselves. They took a whole afternoon for this,
and at last Dolly made up her mind to take "Sir Galahad," and Dotty
chose, after long deliberation, a stunning photograph of the "Winged
Victory."
These, framed alike in dark, polished wood, were hung in similar
positions in the two rooms.
Altogether, the rooms were delightful. It was hard to say which was
prettier, but each best suited its happy owner.
There was quite a discussion as to when they would take possession, for
everything was in readiness by Dolly's birthday, which was on the tenth.
"I'll tell you!" cried Dotty, with a sudden inspiration; "let's average
up! Dolly's birthday is the tenth and mine the twentieth. Let's
celebrate both on the fifteenth, that's half way between, and as we're
fifteen anyway, it makes it just right!"
This was agreed to as a fine scheme, and then Mrs. Fayre electrified the
girls by proposing that they have a little party by way of further
celebration.
"Together, of course," she said, smiling; "not in either house, but an
outdoor party, on the lawn, half-way between."
"Oh, Mumsie!" and Dolly clasped her hands in ecstatic joy at the
prospect.
"Oh, Mrs. Fayre!" and Dotty flung her hands above her head, and danced
up and down the room where these plans were being talked over.
They were in the Fayre house, having just come down from an inspection
of Dolly's room, and these inspections were of almost daily occurrence
and usually participated in by several members of both families.
"Good idea!" said Mrs. Rose. "It will let Dotty get acquainted with the
young people here, and that's what I want. But let me make the party,
Mrs. Fayre, and you and Dolly invite the guests as we know so few people
as yet."
"No; the party must be half and half as to responsibility and expense.
If our two D's are to be so friendly, we must share and share alike in
their doings."
So it was agreed, and as there was but a week in which to get ready,
plans were hurried through.
They decided to ask thirty of the Berwick young people, fifteen girls
and fifteen boys.
"I wish Bob could be home!" sighed Dotty; and Dolly echoed the wish for
her own brother. But the boys of the two families were deep in school
exams and could not think of coming home for a party.
Of course the Fayres decided on the invitation list, but everything else
was mutually arranged.
It was to be entirely a lawn party; first because that seemed
pleasanter, and too, because then, it could take place on the adjoining
lawns and so be the party of both.
"Only,--if it rains!" said Dolly, with an anxious face.
"It won't rain!" declared Dotty; "it _can't_ rain on our double
birthday! It will be the beautifullest, clearest, sunshiniest day in the
world! I know it will!"
The girls decided to sleep in their new rooms for the first time the
night before the party.
"For," said Dolly, shaking her head sagely, "the night after the party,
we'll be so tired and thinky about it, that we can't enjoy our rooms so
much."
"All right," agreed Dotty, "I don't care. I'm crazy to get into mine;
the sooner the better, I say."
The two girls had a birthday present for each other, and though they
didn't know it, the two mothers had planned these so they should be
alike.
But they did know that the mothers had these gifts in readiness, and
that they would see them when they awoke on the birthday morning.
By common consent the real birthdays were ignored, and the fifteenth of
June accepted as the right anniversary for both.
Very formal were the rites preparatory to the occupancy of the new
rooms.
Dotty had planned them and after some discussion Dolly had agreed.
"You come over and wish me good-night in my room," Dotty said, "and then
I'll go over and wish you good-night in yours. And then, I'll go home
again, and when we're all ready for bed, we'll put out our lights and
stick our heads out of our windows and holler good-night across."
"Somebody might hear us," objected Dolly.
"Pooh! they won't. And what if they did? Neighbours have got a right to
say good-night to each other, I guess."
"But that's disturbing the peace, or something like that."
"Huh! the Peace must be awful easy disturbed! Well, you've got to do it,
anyhow."
"I haven't got to, either! Not just 'cause _you_ say so!"
Dotty was beginning to learn that mild-mannered Dolly had a will of her
own, and she said, placatingly: "Well, what do you want to do, then?"
"Let's do something like this. When we're all ready to hop into bed,
let's turn our lights up and down three times in succession; that'll
mean good-night."
"Oh, yes, I see; now, listen! we'll do it separately. You flash first
and then I will; and after three flashes, we'll leave the lights out and
jump into bed at the same minute!"
So it was settled, and the eventful occasion duly arrived.
The girls' bedtime hour was nine o'clock, but some time before that they
were in their new rooms, enjoying their beauty and freshness.
At quarter before nine, Dolly appeared at the Rose house, and said
solemnly, "I've come over to wish Dorothy good-night."
"Come in," said Mrs. Rose, trying not to smile at the ceremonial visit.
"You'll find her in her room; go right up."
Dolly went up, and found Dotty waiting for her.
"_Isn't_ it pretty!" Dolly exclaimed, seeing, as if for the first time
the beauties of the room. The bed was turned down, and a lovely new
nightdress, with a rose-coloured ribbon run through its lace edge, lay
in readiness for the sleeper.
"Oh, it's _lovely_!" returned Dotty; "I can hardly wait to go to bed! Go
on, say your piece."
Dolly stood a minute, her hands clasped, her eyes wandering about with a
thoughtful far away gaze.
"It's all gone," she said at last; "I can't remember it, only a line:
"Sleep sweetly in this quiet room, oh, thou, whoe'er thou art;
Nor let a troublous something or other disturb thy peaceful heart.
"Honest, that's all I can remember."
"Well, that's enough. Thank you, sweet friend and playmate, now go I
with thee!"
Grabbing Dolly by the arm, Dotty flew downstairs and across the lawn to
the other house; Dolly running by her side.
Up to Dolly's new room they went.
"Lovely!" exclaimed Dotty, as she saw almost the counterpart of her own
room, even to the new nightdress,--only Dolly's had a white ribbon.
"You might have had green," said Dotty, doubtfully.
"No, I don't like coloured ribbons in my underclothes. They're all right
for you," Dolly added politely, "but I never did like them."
"Now I'll say _my_ piece;" and Dotty bowed to her audience of one. "I
haven't forgotten it, but it's very short.
"Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a girl healthy and wealthy and wise.
"Thank you, sweet friend and playmate, now go I with thee."
"No; _you_ don't say that! You've _been_ with me. Now, I go home and we
both get ready for bed. When you're all ready, put out your light and--"
"Yes, I know."
Dotty scampered downstairs and over home, and fairly flew up to her
room.
In less than twenty minutes Dotty was all ready for bed; she put out
her light, and throwing a dressing-gown over her nightdress, she sat in
the window, watching the light in Dolly's room.
She waited and waited, but the light behind the pulled-down shade
remained.
"H'm!" said Dotty to herself, yawning, "she is the _slowest_ thing! I
could have undressed twice in this time!"
But at last, Dolly's light went out, and her shade was slowly raised.
Then, according to their plan, Dotty flashed her light on and off again.
Dolly's light repeated this manoeuvre. Then Dotty did it again, and
then Dolly did. The third time the flashes came and went, and then all
ceremonies over, the two girls went to their new pretty, inviting beds,
and were very soon asleep.