A GARDEN PARTY
All was serene in the house of Selden by the end of another week. The
new maids proved to be more than ordinarily acceptable, Mrs. Selden was
herself again and Joanne was hard at work in school. The first rally
of Sunflower Troop found an enthusiastic set of girls ready for any
undertaking which might be suggested.
“We’ve had such a wonderful summer,” said Winnie, “that we should do
something wonderful this winter. I’m ready for anything myself.”
“Same here,” said Betty Streeter. “What can we do, Miss Dodge?”
Miss Dodge thoughtfully tapped the table before her with a pencil.
“There are so many calls these days,” she answered at last. “The
trouble is to select the most needy cause. For instance I have just
had a letter from a friend in France who tells of the need of funds
for carrying on an enterprise in which she is deeply interested. You
know in some of those war-torn districts the people are still without
any other shelter than such as they can make themselves of rocks and
the remnants of the houses which were shelled. These places must be
something like caves, I imagine, but the people are content to live
there, for it means some sort of home, and they cling to the village,
devastated as it is. They have not much food, but the children receive
a cup of chocolate or cocoa with a biscuit every day. My friend
writes that the fund for this food must be kept up by contributions.
In many cases this little lunch is the best meal the children get in
the twenty-four hours, so you see there is a very worthy cause, for
failing of contributions this work must be stopped. Then, of course,
there are objects nearer home, the Tuberculosis League, mission schools
in mountain districts, Christmas gifts for the poor, and so on ad
infinitum.”
She paused and looked around at the thoughtful young faces. Every girl
seemed to be thinking deeply. “Well, Winnie,” she said presently, “you
look as if you had an idea.”
“Just the beginnings of one. I was wondering if we couldn’t get up some
sort of thing like a garden party; it is still quite warm, you know.
We could have tea and cakes and every cup of tea we sold would buy a
cup of chocolate for those children, wouldn’t it? How much does it cost
over there?”
“About six cents, I believe.”
“Then it would more than cover the price.”
“We might have some sort of entertainment besides just a garden party,”
spoke up Claudia; “we could have theatricals or a dance, then we could
divide up the profits and give to two or three things.”
“That’s an idea,” agreed Miss Dodge.
“But where could we give it?” inquired Esther.
“Why not at our place?” said Claudia. “I think it is big enough and I’m
sure Mother and Dad would be delighted.”
“We’ll have to start right in to make our plans if we are to do all
that,” said Winnie.
There was more talk, several new suggestions, and finally the troop
separated full of the scheme.
But from the modest idea of a small garden party the plan grew till it
embraced much more. This came about because some of the Boy Scouts got
wind of it, and proposed to join forces.
Joanne and Winnie were working over their lessons one afternoon when
Chet Lacey and Hal Fosdick came up on the porch where they were
sitting. “Hallo, Jo,” said Chet. “We’ve been looking for you.”
Joanne laid down her French grammar. “For me? Why am I in request?”
The boys established themselves on the railing of the porch. “Well, you
see, ‘great oaks from little acorns grow,’” said Chet. “Aunt Nan was
telling me about your garden party, and as we boys have been thinking
of getting up some sort of a show, we might combine forces and have a
big affair. I talked it over with the other boys and they are keen for
it, then I saw Miss Dodge and she also fell for it. Next came Claudia
followed by Price mère and Price père who most sweetly came into line.
Now you are next on the list.”
“But why me?” Joanne was puzzled.
“Well, you see we have had a sneaking idea that we wanted to have a
sort of Wild West show, but there didn’t seem to be any good place
available. Now the Price place would be fine. We thought of it, but it
seemed cheeky to ask for it until this garden party scheme came up and
Hal says, says he, ‘What’s the matter with chipping in with the girls
and having a combination show?’ Result as aforesaid mentioned.”
“Do you mean we are to take part in a Wild West show?” inquired Winnie
eagerly.
“Some of you, maybe, but that’s not the point I’m coming to. Speak up,
Hal; my courage has all oozed out.”
“Well--ahem!” Hal began and then paused to look helplessly at Chet.
“It must be something perfectly desperate,” said Joanne; “you both of
you look scared to death. Out with it.”
“We want you to lend us Chico,” blurted out Hal. Then he took a back
somersault over the rail and out upon the grass plat, covering his face
with his hands as he stood with his back to the others, while Chet sat
anxiously scanning Joanne’s face.
She hesitated but for a moment, then she said: “You can have him so far
as I’m concerned, but I shall have to ask Grad and Cousin Ned.”
“That’s all right,” said Chet cheerfully. “What you say goes, and I
know they’ll consent. Come back, Hal, the ordeal is over.”
“How should you like to borrow Pablo, too?” asked Joanne. “You know
what splendid stunts he can do, and I can ask Cousin Ned about him when
I am asking about Chico.”
“Oh, lady!” cried Chet falling on his knees and kissing Joanne’s hand.
“You are the daughter of a prophet!”
“Of course we can’t be sure,” said Joanne drawing away her hand with
dignity. “How silly you are, Chet. Pablo may refuse to come even if he
has Cousin Ned’s consent.”
“He’ll come,” replied Chet with conviction. “He would go through fire
and water for you. He’ll be the star performer, I can tell you that. We
might get him to dance, too. How’s that, Hal?”
“Fine. This thing is getting to be a regular corker of a show.”
“Wouldn’t it be funny to have Unc’ Aaron, too?” said Joanne warmed up
to greater enthusiasm.
“Oh, boy!” Hal took another back somersault. “I say, folkses, we’ll be
the talk of the town if we keep on.”
“What I want to know is where do we come in?” said Winnie. “We were
the originators of the plan and we don’t mean you shall have all the
glory.”
“Calm yourself, dear lady,” said Chet, stroking Winnie’s hand. “You
shall do anything you please; ride bareback, be a wild Indian, or
Buffalo Bill himself, if you want to.”
“Silly!” exclaimed Winnie contemptuously. “You tell, Hal. What do you
expect us to do?”
“Well,” began Hal, “there will have to be pioneer women, of course; the
Indians will try to capture them and drag them around by the hair.”
“What a delightful part to take,” said Winnie. “Aren’t you crazy to be
dragged around by the hair, Jo?”
Joanne laughed. “It doesn’t appeal to me particularly.”
“Oh, well,” continued Hal, “I didn’t mean that exactly. We haven’t
decided upon the programme entirely. Mr. T. and some of the other
boys are working at it. Pete is writing a new song for the occasion.
We thought we’d have music between the acts. But, really, girls, we
haven’t the whole thing arranged, we couldn’t till we knew about Chico.
When do you think you can tell us for sure, Jo?”
“To-morrow at the latest. If I can have a talk with Cousin Ned this
evening and get it settled I’ll call you up.”
“Good! Come on, Hal. We’ve had a charming time, ladies.” And the two
started off.
“Don’t count too much upon Pablo,” called Joanne after them.
Chet wagged a hand as if in derision and went on.
The boys did not let the grass grow under their feet, neither did
the girls for that matter. They were anxious that the entertainment
should take place before the leaves should fall, for they wanted the
brilliant setting of the fine old oaks, upon the Price place, whose
scarlet foliage made a gorgeous background. While the girls were busy
baking cakes and making sandwiches the boys were arranging seats for
the audience. The Wild West show was to come first, and would begin at
two o’clock. It would be followed by the tea, the whole thing to end up
with a dance.
The boys had ransacked the town for some sort of vehicle approaching
a prairie schooner in appearance, and had managed to hire an old
Conestoga wagon. The hunt for a stage-coach was less successful, but
finally an antiquated omnibus was made to do. It was a ramshackle
affair, and might collapse if overloaded, but the boys viewed it with
great pride. They had also hired two horses, had borrowed a cow and a
crate of chickens. Dogs were easily available, so at last the outfit
was complete.
Of course two o’clock came before they were ready. Such scurrying
around as there was! such mad rushings back and forth from house to
grounds! Pablo and Chico had arrived upon the scene the day before and
had been put through their paces. Hal Fosdick had taken them in tow
and promised that they would show up at the proper time.
It was nearing two o’clock. The girls had finished the last of the
sandwiches, had stacked them up and covered them with damp napkins, had
arranged the plates of cakes and had set the teacups in order.
“There!” exclaimed Claudia, “that’s the last. You girls that are in the
show had better hurry off and get into your costumes. The rest of us
will cut the lemons and see to anything else.”
Off went Joanne, Betty Streeter, Minerva Lacey and Virgie Ambler.
Joanne had stipulated that if they would drag her around by her apron
strings instead of by the hair she would not be averse to taking part.
She had just donned calico frock, plaid shawl and sunbonnet when up
rushed Hal in a state of wild excitement. “Seen anything of Pablo?” he
panted.
Joanne paused in the act of tying her bonnet strings. “Why, no. I
thought he was coming with you.”
“Just what I thought. We started out together. Pablo was riding Chico.
I told him to follow me. We were almost here when I looked around and
not a sign of either Pablo or Chico. The show can’t go on without them,
and lots of people are already here. It’s two o’clock.” Hal clutched
his hair wildly.
Joanne looked dumbfounded. “How perfectly awful!” she exclaimed. All
sorts of fancies took possession of her. Suppose Pablo had suddenly
taken it into his head to run away with Chico. Suppose a motor car had
run into him. Suppose! Suppose! “What in the world do you suppose has
happened to them?” she said helplessly.
“Don’t I wish I knew? It’s like magic. I looked around and there they
were. I looked around again and there they were not. I’m wild. I don’t
know what to do.”
“Did you go back?”
“Of course. We were near a corner. I looked up and down both streets
but they had vanished utterly.”
“There was no crowd as if there had been an accident?”
“Nothing unusual.”
“It is the most mysterious thing I ever knew,” declared Joanne, joining
Hal who was starting back toward the dressing tent. “It makes me fairly
ill.”
“It’s enough to make any one ill. We’ll have to start the thing in some
way. It was to be so effective with Pablo dressed as an Indian and
mounted on Chico. He was to look off over the prairies, you know the
way it is done.”
“I know---- Oh, Hal, Hal, look, look! There they are!” Joanne broke off
her speech to point to three figures deliberately entering the grounds.
They set off on a run to meet Pablo leading Chico, and who but Unc’
Aaron?
“Pablo! Pablo!” cried Joanne, “what has happened?”
“Nothing, señorita.”
“But why are you late? Why did you not follow Hal?”
“It is this old one, señorita, this Unc’ Aaron. I see him arriving. I
dismount. He comes to me. We turn the cornder. He say ‘I knows this
place. I work here when boy! We will enter at back, is more shorter the
way.’ There comes at once a leetle--what is it you call him? A alleys.
There comes a gate which we cannot enter for is lock, so then we must
go around. Now we are here.”
“That’s enough!” cried Hal. “Come along, Pablo. Hurry!”
Pablo sprang agilely upon Chico and dashed off in the direction Hal
started. Joanne gave a great sigh of relief as she turned to Unc’
Aaron. “This certainly is a surprise,” she said. “I was so afraid
something awful had happened. You shouldn’t have taken Pablo out of the
way, Unc’ Aaron.”
“Lawsy, little lady, I ain’t tucken him outen de way,” protested Unc’
Aaron. “I knows dis ole place lak a book. When Mr. Ned tells me whar is
de show, I says: Um-um, reckons I’ll go and see de ole place once mo’.
Dey won’t deny de ole man adsmission ef so be I comes wid one o’ de
reformers. I a leetle teensy bit late an’ I sholy were glad when I sees
de boy ahaid. I ketches up wid him, and dat’s de way it are.”
Joanne walked on by a side path to the back of the scene that she might
be on hand when required. She felt annoyed with Unc’ Aaron for causing
the delay, but the old man was so unsuspecting, and so pleased to be
there, that she could not keep up her resentment, and told him to find
himself a place where he could see, then went on and disappeared behind
the row of army blankets stretched across to serve as curtains.
But Unc’ Aaron had no idea of being a mere spectator. He followed her
all the way, and presented himself before the excited company with:
“’Scuse me, ladies and gemmans, wharin kin I be of resistance?”
“Here, get Chico into these contraptions as quick as you can,” cried
Hal, tossing him some gay trappings, and Unc’ Aaron fell to work with
all the dexterity possible.
After this he was here, there, everywhere, waiting on the girls,
helping the boys, taking charge of Chico when he was not needed,
harnessing the horses to the wagon, strapping the crate of chickens
in the right place under the wagon, and altogether expediting matters
so much that long before the performance was over every one forgot
his part in causing Pablo’s tardy appearance and thought only of his
helpfulness.
It was a great show, and if the principal features lacked something of
the exactness shown by Buffalo Bill, it was none the less enjoyed by
both spectators and performers. Indeed, it is probably true that the
very makeshifts added greater amusement. The girls wouldn’t have been
girls if they hadn’t enjoyed shrieking when the band of Indians came
down upon them interrupting the peaceful supper scene. Joanne wasn’t
dragged very far by her apron strings because of the fact that the
strings gave way and she found herself sprawling on the ground. She
wasn’t very successful in turning her laughter back into shrieks, but
she did her best, and was rescued in a state of convulsive mirth which
might very well be considered sobs of joyful relief.
The stage-coach didn’t break down entirely, but it creaked so under the
strain, that but for the popping of pistols one might have feared the
passengers would suffer greater damage from a collapse of the vehicle
than from the bandits. That the boys revelled in this part of the show
goes without the saying, though perhaps those of them who had also
belonged to the band of Indians were quite as happy in such character.
But probably none of the performers won more applause than Chico who
acquitted himself with great distinction. Pablo, too, received an
ovation for his feats in riding, greatly to Unc’ Aaron’s delight. The
old man was utterly oblivious of the fact that he formed a part of the
company of spectators. He kept edging further and further around toward
the front and finally stood in full view uttering such exclamations
as: “Go it, child! Das right, li’l’ hoss, prick up dem yeahs. Mekin’
pertend he buckin’, ain’t it de troof? Keep yo’ seat, honey! Keep yo’
seat! Looky dar! ain’ dat purty, de way dat chile pick up de hankercher
when hoss a-goin’ lickerty split?”
But when at last Pablo galloped off the stage, the old man came to a
realizing sense of being in the face and eyes of every one, and that
he was as much a cause of amusement as any one else had been. Then he
lifted his hands and rolled his eyes heavenward as he beat a hasty
retreat. “I done los’ mah haid,” he snickered, as he appeared behind
the scenes. “I so wrop up in watchin’ dat boy I clean fergit mahse’f. I
hopes yuh-alls escuse me.”
This being no time to talk of excuses no one paid any attention to the
speech, and Unc’ Aaron was set to work.
Later on when the singing and dancing was a part of the programme some
one in front called out: “Unc’ Aaron! Unc’ Aaron! Give us a dance from
Unc’ Aaron!” But no amount of persuasion could induce the old man to
come out. He still regretted what he considered a loss of dignity in
showing off his powers on a former occasion, and was not going to place
himself in a position to be chaffed by “Mistah Ned.” If he had but
known it, Mister Ned was the very one who gave the call.
At last the show was over, then khaki colored figures were seen rushing
around with cups of tea and plates of cakes. Here, too, Unc’ Aaron
made himself useful. He was in his element and really added much to
the event. In his queer costume he was the observed of all observers.
“Who is the dear old-fashioned darkey?” was the question continually
asked. And so did Uncle Aaron do his part in making a goodly sum for
the hungry children overseas.
By six o’clock the tea drinkers had departed, and the girls hurried
home to dress for the dance. It was to be an early affair since it was
Saturday night, and was to begin at eight o’clock. Joanne had brought
her dress with her. It was of pale yellow organdy and was vastly
becoming, the girls told her.
“I just love you in that dress,” said Winnie turning her around. “Your
grandmother knows what is becoming to you.”
“Yes,” said Joanne a little doubtfully, “but sometimes she likes my
things a little fussy and I like them plain.”
“It’s just the opposite with me,” said Claudia; “mother likes my things
plain and I like them a little fussy to hide my bones, but mother is
most punctilious about it.”
“You mean pink-tulleous,” retorted Winnie with a laugh and a little
touch upon Claudia’s diaphanous gown.
“Oh, Win, that’s dreadful,” exclaimed Claudia.
“I thought it was rather good, myself,” responded Winnie airily. “Is it
you or your mother who is responsible for this get up?”
“Well, we made a compromise,” answered Claudia. “I wanted a few more
ruffles and mother wanted a few less, so we split the difference,
though I hope I shall not split the underskirt, which is a bit skimp.”
“It certainly is pretty,” commented Joanne. “You look like a rose in
it, Clausie, a pink rose.”
“And you look like a yellow one. No, I should say more like a pansy
with your dark hair and eyes. As for Win, in that white frock and with
those pink cheeks she is just like an apple-blossom. Come on, let’s go
down; I hear guests arriving.”
“I’m glad we took an hour’s rest,” said Joanne as they descended the
stairs, “for now I feel as fresh as possible, and I really felt all in
when the last cup of tea was served.”
“What a blessing dear old Unc’ Aaron has been,” said Claudia. “He
washed up all the cups and things, and now he is on hand to do anything
we want him to.”
They entered the prettily decorated drawing-room and soon the dance was
in full swing. The boys had exchanged their khaki for evening dress,
the girls flitted about in daintily hued costumes. There were flowers
everywhere and ruddy autumn leaves. The music by a volunteer band was
slightly jazzy but no one cared as long as it served for dancing. The
room was so full that many couples betook themselves to the hall, for
not only the younger set, but older persons were there. Mr. Pattison
saw to it that there were no wall flowers, and Mrs. Pattison was in
great request.
Dr. and Mrs. Selden arrived late, looked around for Joanne and finally
caught sight of her graceful little figure dancing with Mr. Travis.
She shot them a happy smile as she whisked by. Presently the music
stopped, then it struck up the old time melody of “Turkey in the Straw.”
“All take your partners for the Virginia Reel,” called out Mr. Price.
“Everybody join.”
Joanne slid across the floor to her grandfather. “Come, Grad, come,”
she cried seizing him by the arm.
“Pshaw! an old fellow like me? Go find some younger partner.”
“No, you, you, I want you. A navy man not dance? It’s absurd. Of course
you will; Gradda must, too.”
“Please to count me out,” expostulated Mrs. Selden. But here Mr.
Pattison came up to join his entreaties to Joanne’s, so off the four
went, Joanne as proud as Lucifer of her grandparents.
This was the last dance. The clock was nearing the hour of midnight.
There was a rush for the cloak room. Automobiles honked outside. The
tang of fallen leaves filled the air as the door opened. Good-night,
and good-night and good-night. It was all over.
“Had a good time, little girl?” asked Cousin Ned who was taking the
party home in his car.
“I never had such a good time in all my life,” responded Joanne with a
happy sigh.
“I’ve had a pretty good time myself,” returned her cousin, as they
passed out into the broad street.