THE COMMITTEE BUY RIBBONS AND MAKE AN ACQUAINTANCE.
Miss Blake and the committee went up to the village milliner’s the next
afternoon to select the ribbons which were to give the last touch of
elegance to the dolls’ toilets.
It was a grave responsibility, for some of the dolls’ dress-makers had
very positive ideas about the shade, quality, and width needed for
certain costumes, and as Miss Smith’s stock was exceedingly limited the
purchasers would in most instances have to use their own judgment about
choosing the next best things.
Miss Blake was very patient and good-natured and gave all the advice
she could, but the girls deliberated so long over some of the least
satisfactory things that after a while she excused herself, as she had
a sick friend to visit, and promised to call for them in half an hour.
The important decisions were made before it was time to expect her, and
Delia proposed going over to Mr. Williams’s store, a place where every
thing under the sun to eat, drink, or wear, or to work with might be
asked for with a reasonable hope of finding it. It was the only place
in the village, except the station restaurant, where candy could be
bought, and it was very disappointing to the girls to-day to be told,
when they applied to the man who waited on that department, that there
had been some delay in receiving their usual weekly supply and there
was nothing in stock except some deplorable specimens which would not
tempt any one.
It was very provoking, for a number of the girls had commissioned them
to buy candy and would be very much disturbed at not receiving it. The
same thought was in the mind of each, but neither liked to express
it, but the thought moved their footsteps in the same direction; and,
leaving Mr. Williams’s, they slowly sauntered toward the station and
presently found themselves at the door of the little waiting-room, one
end of which was crossed by a counter where hurried travelers could
regale themselves with coffee and sandwiches at one end, or fill their
pockets with cakes and candy at the other.
The girls looked at each other as they stopped at the open door. Mrs.
Abbott had never actually said no one should go into the station
unless accompanied by a teacher, because she never supposed any one
would want to go there, but she was very particular, and they knew well
she would disapprove of their going in.
“Well?” said Bell, wrinkling her brows and looking steadily at her
companion.
“There isn’t a soul in there now except the girls behind the counter,”
said Fannie.
“I don’t suppose we really ought to go in,” said Bell, putting her foot
on the first of the four steps.
“No,” said Fannie, stepping up to her side; “but after all what harm
can there be?”
“And the girls will be so awfully put out about not getting the candy,”
said Bell, going one step higher.
“Come along in,” said Fannie, with sudden decision, grasping Bell’s
hand and drawing her in the door. “It’s all right. Nobody need ever
know we came here if we don’t choose to tell.”
Their easily quieted scruples were all forgotten when they saw the
enticing supply of confectionery seductively displayed under glass
covers. There was no such trouble in selecting here as there had been
in buying ribbons, for there were chocolate creams, maple caramels,
and candied cherries among the extensive variety, and those were the
things that all the girls longed for more than any other sweets.
It was delightful to feel that they were preparing a pleasant surprise
for their friends, who never dreamed of having any thing more luscious
than the lemon sticks, peppermint balls, and “sat-upon” cocoanut cakes
of a pallid white or dangerous red which Mr. Williams, true to the
traditions of his far-away childhood, considered the proper stock of
confectionery.
The saleswoman was a little indifferent and slow, and so engrossed with
a conversation of deep interest she was maintaining with the other
clerk that it was hard to get her attention; and then she lingered so
over tying up the packages that the girls grew very impatient, for a
sharp whistle told them that a train was coming. The young woman tried
to hurry then, but she had tied up the creams in too thin paper, and
they burst their bonds and flew over the counter and floor. She seemed
ashamed of her awkwardness then, and weighed out another half-pound
and put them into a paper bag of firmer constitution, delivering them
over to the girls just as the train stopped and quite a little crowd
of passengers rushed up to the lunch-counter. In the hurry of serving
coffee and glasses of milk which were wanted instantly, the woman
could not stop to make change for the girls. Bell had handed her a
two-dollar bill, from which she was to deduct eighty-five cents for the
candy. Clearly it would not do to give up one dollar and fifteen cents,
particularly as the money was not their own, so there was nothing else
to do but to keep their places and wait till the greedy travelers could
spare the clerk long enough to get their change. They deplored their
folly then in having given Miss Smith all their silver and small change
and left themselves with only the bill; but it was too late to mourn
for that now, and they stood impatiently at the end of the counter,
wondering how even the fear of being left behind by the train could
give men the courage to pour boiling hot coffee down their throats.
At last a lull came, the clamorous travelers were supplied, and
the girls’ change was handed them and they hurried off toward the
milliner’s, greatly fearing that Miss Blake would have come back and
would demand an explanation. They passed a showily dressed young man
with a traveling-bag, who did not look quite like a gentleman, but were
so occupied with their own uneasiness that they did not notice that he
quickened his tardy steps soon after they passed him, till, with a
very low bow, he stopped them, just before the road turned to go up the
hill, and asked if they would kindly direct him to the village.
“Why, you can’t miss it,” said Fanny, rather startled at being
addressed by a stranger; “there’s just this one road and no other.”
“If the ladies are going to the town and do not object I will walk with
them so I can be sure of going right,” said the man.
The girls were uncomfortable, but did not know what they ought to do;
so they walked on without speaking.
“Very pretty little town, Coventry,” said the man, with a smile and bow
that he evidently meant to be very engaging. “Is there a nice hotel
here?”
“There isn’t any at all now; if any one spends a night they have to
stop at the big tavern by the station,” said Fannie, with a wild hope
that he would retrace his steps and seek the big tavern’s shelter.
But he still accommodated his steps to theirs, and presently asked if
they were residents of Coventry.
“Our parents don’t live here, but we are boarding scholars at Mrs.
Abbott’s school,” said Bell, haughtily, thinking that the mention of
Mrs. Abbott’s name might prove discouraging.
“You walk very fast, young ladies,” said their companion affably. “Mrs.
Abbott is a very particular friend of mine, and I am going over to see
her about taking my sister into the school.”
“There is no room for another scholar,” said Fannie; “the school is as
full as can be.”
“O, Mrs. Abbott will do any thing to oblige me,” said he, confidently.
“I can talk her over. How young does she take pupils? My little sister
would not be happy unless there were some other very small girls there
besides herself.”
“There are none very small,” said Fannie.
“Except Elfie,” corrected Bell.
“Why, Bell, you can hardly call Elfie a scholar, and you know she was
only taken out of regard for Mr. Bellamy. No one else so young would be
admitted.”
“It would be very sad for me if my poor little orphaned sister were
refused,” said the man, who had been listening eagerly; “but please,
young ladies, say nothing about it to Mrs. Abbott; I prefer to open the
matter myself when I call on her this evening.”
He touched his hat very politely then and turned back, murmuring
something about securing a room at the tavern.
“Wasn’t he horrid!” exclaimed Fannie, almost before he was beyond
hearing her words.
“Horrid!” agreed Bell, giving a great sigh of relief as she looked into
the milliner’s window and saw that the shop was empty. But they had
hardly seated themselves on two tall stools in front of the counter
before Miss Blake came in full of apologies for staying twice as long
as she intended.