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DOROTHY'S HOUSE PARTY
by
EVELYN RAYMOND
Illustrations by S. Schneider
Chatterton-Peck Company
New York, N. Y.
Copyright 1908
by
Chatterton-Peck Co.
[Illustration: THE MOONLIGHTED FIGURE BY THE LILY POND.
_Dorothy's House Party._]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I END OF AN INFAIR 9
II CHOOSING THE GUESTS 21
III THE FIRST AND UNINVITED GUEST 35
IV TROUBLES LIGHTEN IN THE TELLING 44
V RIDDLES 61
VI A MORNING CALL 79
VII A MEMORABLE CHURCH GOING 93
VIII CONCERNING VARIOUS MATTERS 106
IX HEADQUARTERS 118
X MUSIC AND APPARITIONS 133
XI MORNING TALKS 145
XII THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH 159
XIII IN THE GREAT KITCHEN 174
XIV AUNT BETTY TAKES A HAND 189
XV A MARVELOUS TALE AND ITS ENDING 203
XVI THE FINDING OF THE MONEY 215
XVII THE STORY OF THE WORM THAT TURNED 229
XVIII CONCLUSION 244
DOROTHY'S HOUSE PARTY
CHAPTER I
THE END OF AN INFAIR
Dorothy sat up in bed and looked about her. For a moment she did not
realize where she was nor how she came to be in such a strange and
charming room. Then from somewhere in the distance sounded a merry,
musical voice, singing:
"Old Noah of old he built an ark--
One more river to cross!
He built it out of hickory bark--
One more riv----"
The refrain was never finished. Dorothy was at the open window calling
lustily:
"Alfy! Alfy Babcock! Come right up here this very, very minute!"
"Heigho, Sleepy Head! You awake at last? Well, I should think it was
time. I'll be right up, just as soon as I can put these yeller
artemisias into Mis' Calvert's yeller bowl."
A fleeting regret that she had not waked earlier, that it was not she
who had gathered the morning nosegay for Mrs. Betty's table, shadowed
the fair face of the late riser; but was promptly banished as the full
memory of all that happened on the night before came back to her.
Skipping from point to point of the pretty chamber she examined it in
detail, exclaiming in delight over this or that and, finally, darting
within the white-tiled bathroom where some thoughtful person had
already drawn water for her bath.
"Oh! it's like a fairy-tale and I'm in a real fairy-land, seems if!
What a dainty tub! What heaps of great soft towels! and what a lovely
bath-robe! And oh! what a wonderful great-aunt Betty!"
A moisture not wholly due to the luxurious bath filled Dorothy's eyes,
as she took her plunge, for her heart was touched by the evidences of
the loving forethought which had thus prepared for her home-coming
before she herself knew she possessed a birthright home. Of her past
life the reader if interested may learn quite fully, for the facts are
detailed in the two books known as "Dorothy's Schooling," and
"Dorothy's Travels."
So though it was still a radiantly happy girl who welcomed Alfaretta
it was a thoughtful one; so that Alfy again paused in her caroling to
demand:
"Well, Dolly Doodles, what's the matter? If I'd been as lucky as you
be I wouldn't draw no down-corners to my mouth, I wouldn't! I'd sing
louder'n ever and just hustle them 'animals' into that 'ark' 'two by
two,' for 'There's one more river to cross! One more river--One more
river to cro-o-o-oss!'"
But without waiting for an answer the young farm girl caught her old
playmate in her strong arms and gave her a vigorous hug.
"There, Miss Dorothy Calvert, that don't begin to show how tickled I
am 'bout your good fortune! I'm so full of it all 't I couldn't hardly
sleep. Fact. You needn't stare, though 'tis a queer thing, 'cause if
there's one thing more to my liking than another it's going to bed on
such a bed as Mis' Calvert has in every single one of her rooms. There
ain't no husk-mattresses nor straw shake-downs to Deerhurst. No,
siree! I know, for I went into every single chamber from roof to
cellar and pinched 'em all. The 'help' sleep just as soft as the old
lady does herself. Softer, Ma says, 'cause old-timers like her if they
didn't use feathers just laid on hard things 't even Ma'd despise to
have in her house. However, everybody to their taste! and say, Dolly,
which of all them pretty dresses are you goin' to put on? What? That
plain old white linen? Well, if you don't beat the Dutch and always
did! If I had all them silks and satins I'd pick out the handsomest
and wear that first, and next handsome next, and keep right on, one
after another, till I'd tried the lot, if I had to change a dozen
times a day. See! I found them cardinal flowers down by the brook and
fetched 'em to you."
With one of her sudden changes of mood Alfaretta dropped down upon
the floor and pulled from the pocket of her old-fashioned skirt a
cheap paper pad. It was well scribbled with penciled notes which the
girl critically examined, as she explained:
"You see, Dorothy, that your story is like reading a library book,
only more so; and lest I should forget some part of it I've wrote it
all down. Listen. I'll read while you finish fixin'. My! What a
finicky girl you are! You was born----"
"But, Alfy, please! I protest against hearing my own history that
way!" cried the other, making a playful dash toward the notes, which
Alfaretta as promptly hid behind her. Then, knowing from experience
that contest was useless, Dorothy resigned herself to hearing the
following data droned forth:
"You was born----"
"Of course!"
"'Twon't do you a mite of good to interrupt. I'm in real down earnest.
You'll--you'll be goin' away again, pretty soon, and having come into
your fortunes you'll be forgettin'----" Here Alfy sobbed and dabbed
her knuckles into her eyes--"'Cause Ma says 'tain't likely you'll ever
be the same girl again----"
"I should like to know why not? Go on with your story-notes. I'd even
rather hear them than you talking foolishly!"
"Well, I'll have to begin all over again. You was born. Your parents
were respectful--respective--hmm! all right folks though deluged with
poverty. Then they died and left you a little, squallin' baby----"
"Alfy, dear, that's unkind! I don't admit that I ever could be a
squaller!"
Alfaretta raised her big eyes and replied:
"I ain't makin' that up. It's exactly what Mis' Calvert said her own
self. 'Twas why she wouldn't bother raisin' you herself after your Pa
and Ma died and sent you to her. So she turned you into a foundling
orphan and your Father John and Mother Martha brung you up. Then your
old Aunt Betty got acquainted with you an' liked you, and sort of
hankered to get you back again out of the folkses' hands what had took
all the trouble of your growing into a sizable girl. Some other folks
appear to have took a hand in the business of huntin' up your really
truly name; and Ma Babcock she says that Mis' Calvert'd have had to
own up to your bein' her kin after awhile, whether or no; so she just
up and told the whole business; and here you be--a nairess! and so
rich you won't never know old friends again--maybe--though I always
thought you--you--you--Oh! my!"
Alfaretta bowed her head to her knees and began to cry with the same
vigor she brought to every act of her life. But she didn't cry for
long; because Dorothy was promptly down upon the floor, also, and
pulling the weeper's hands from her flushed face, commanded:
"It's my turn. I've a story to tell. It's all about a girl named
Alfaretta Babcock, who was the first friend I ever had 'up-mounting,'
and is going to be my friend all my life unless she chooses otherwise.
This Alfy I'm talking about is one of the truest, bravest girls in the
world. The only trouble is that she gets silly notions into her auburn
head, once in a while, and it takes kisses just like these--and
these--and these--to drive them out. She's going to be a teacher when
she grows up----"
Alfy's tears were dried, her face smiling, as she now interrupted:
"No. I've changed my mind. I'm either going to be a trained nurse or a
singer in an opera. Premer donners, they call 'em."
"Heigho! Why all that?"
Alfaretta dropped her voice to a whisper and cautiously glanced over
her shoulder as she explained:
"Greatorex!"
"Miss Greatorex? What has that poor, learned dear to do with it?"
demanded Dorothy, astonished.
"Everything. You see, she's the first woman teacher I ever
saw--the first _woman_ one. Rather than grow into such a stiff,
can't-bend-to-save-your-life kind of person I'd do 'most anything.
Hark! There's somebody to the door!"
Both girls sprang to open it and found a maid with a summons to
breakfast; also with the request that "Miss Dorothy should attend Mrs.
Calvert in her own room before going below stairs."
Dorothy sped away but Alfaretta lingered to put the cardinal flowers
into a vase and to admire afresh the beautiful apartment assigned to
her friend.
There was honest pleasure in the good fortune which had come to
another and yet there was a little envy mingled with the pleasure. It
was with a rather vicious little shake that she picked up the soft
bath-robe Dorothy had discarded and folded it about her own shoulders;
but the reflection of her own face in the mirror opposite so surprised
her by its crossness that she stared, then laughed aloud.
"Huh! Ain't you ashamed of yourself, Alfy Babcock? When you put on
that two-sticks, ten-penny-nails-look you're homely enough to eat hay!
'Tain't so long ago that Dolly hadn't no more in this world than
you've got this minute. Not half so much either, 'cause she hadn't
nobody belongin', nobody at all, whilst you had a Ma and Pa and a
whole slew of brothers and sisters. All she's found yet is a
terrible-old great-aunt and some money. Pa says 'money's no good,'
and--I guess I'll go get my breakfast, too."
Her good temper quite restored, this young philosopher skipped away
and joined her mother and sisters in the great kitchen where they were
already seated at table.
In Mrs. Calvert's room the happy old lady greeted Dorothy with such a
warmth of affection that the girl felt no lack of others
"belongin'"--for which lack Alfaretta had pitied her--and only yearned
to find a way to show her own love and gratitude. There followed a
happy half-hour of mutual confidences, a brief reading of the Word, a
simple prayer for blessing on their new lives together, and the pair
descended to the cheerful room where their guests were assembling:
each, it seemed, enjoying to the utmost their beautiful surroundings
and their hostess's hospitality.
Jests flew, laughter rang, and the Judge could scarcely refrain from
song; when just as the meal was over James Barlow appeared at the
long, open window, his mail bag over his shoulder, and instant silence
succeeded as each person within waited eagerly for his share in the
contents of the pouch.
There were letters in plenty, and some faces grew grave over their
reading, while for the Judge there was a telegram which Jim explained
had just come to the office where was, also, the post-office.
"Hmm! that ends my vacation in earnest! I meant to stay a bit longer
out of business, but--Mrs. Calvert, when's the next train cityward,
please?"
Mrs. Betty returned:
"I've half a mind not to tell you! But, of course, if--Dorothy, you'll
find a parcel of time tables in that desk by the fireplace. Take them
to Judge Breckenridge, please."
Nor was he the only one to make them useful; for it followed that the
Deerhurst "infair," begun on the night before and planned to extend
over several days must be abruptly ended. The hostess was herself
summoned elsewhere, to attend the sick bed of a lifelong friend, and
the summons was not one to be denied. Even while she was reading the
brief note she knew that she must forsake her post and with a thrill
of pride reflected that now she had one of her own kin to install in
her place. Young as Dorothy was she must act as the hostess of
Deerhurst, even to these gray-headed guests now gathered there. But,
presently it appeared, that there would be no guests to entertain.
President Ryall was needed to supervise some changes at his college;
merchant Ihrie must hasten to disentangle some badly mixed business
affairs; Dr. Mantler would miss the "most interesting case on record
if he did not come at once to his hospital;" and so, to the four old
"boys," who had camped together in the Markland forests, the end of
playtime had indeed come, and each after his kind must resume his
man's work for the world.
Young Tom Hungerford's furlough from West Point expired that morning,
and his mother felt that when he returned to the Academy she must
establish herself for a time at the hotel near-by. At her invitation
Mrs. Cook and Melvin were to accompany her; that these Nova Scotians
might see something of lads' military training outside their own
beloved Province.
Catching the general spirit of unrest, Miss Greatorex suddenly
announced that it was time she returned to the Rhinelander. Maybe she
dreaded being left the only adult in the house, for as yet no mention
had been made as to the disposal of her charges, Molly and Dolly.
Certainly, she felt that having been burdened with their cares during
the long summer she was entitled to a few days' rest before the
beginning of a new school year. The lady added:
"Besides all that, I shall have no more than sufficient time to
arrange my specimens that I obtained in Markland."
A short silence fell once more upon that company in the breakfast
room, and somehow the brilliant sunshine seemed to dim as if a storm
were rising; or was it but a mist of disappointment rising to
Dorothy's eyes as she glanced from one to another and realized how
well she loved them each and all, and how sad the parting was.
But her last glance fell upon her Aunt Betty's face and she bravely
smiled back into the kindly eyes so tenderly smiling upon her. After
all, that was the Calvert way! To meet whatever came with "head erect
and colors flying," and she, too, was Calvert. She'd prove it! Cried
she, with that characteristic toss of her brown curls:
"Well, if everybody _must_--what can I do to help? As for you two,
darling 'father' and 'mother,' I hope nothing's going to take you away
from Deerhurst all of a sudden, like the rest!"
But there was, although there was no suddenness in this decision. As
they presently informed her, the crippled ex-postman had made himself
so useful at the sanitarium where he had spent the summer that he had
been offered a permanent position there, at a larger salary than he
had ever received as letter-carrier in Baltimore. He had also secured
for his wife Martha a position as matron of the institution; and the
independence thus achieved meant more to that ambitious woman than
even a care-free home with her beloved foster-child. The death of
their old aunt had released Martha from that separation from her
husband which had so sorely tried her and, though sorry to part again
from Dorothy, she was still a very happy woman.
"We shall always love one another, Dolly dear, but we've come to 'the
parting of the ways.' Each as the Lord leads, little girl; but what is
the reason, now that Mrs. Calvert's grown-up party has ended, what is
the reason, I say, that you don't give a House Party of your very
own?"