Marjorie at Seacote

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XV

  A MOTOR RIDE

  "Isn't it done yet?" asked King, after half an hour had elapsed.

  "Nope," returned Kitty, positively. "It can't be done tillthree-quarters of an hour, and it's only a half."

  "Smells done!" exclaimed Marjorie, sniffing "I believe it's burning,Kit."

  "Pshaw, it can't be burning. That isn't a hot fire, is it, King?"

  "No," replied King, after removing one of the range covers andscrutinizing the fire. "That's what the cook books call a moderatefire."

  "Then that's all right," and Kitty wagged her head in satisfaction."Sponge cake requires a mod-rit fire."

  "But it's leaking out, Kitty!" cried Marjorie, dancing about thekitchen. "Oh, look, it's leaking out!"

  Sure enough, smoke was coming out through the edges of the oven door,and a sticky substance began to ooze through.

  "The door isn't shut quite tight," began Kitty, but before she couldfinish, King flung the oven door wide open.

  "Better see what's up!" he said, and as the smoke poured out in avolume, and then cleared away a little, a strange sight confronted them.

  The cake dough had apparently multiplied itself by ten, if not more. Ithad risen and run all over the sides of the pan, had dripped downthrough the grating to the bottom of the oven, and had bubbled up fromthere all over the sides and door. In fact the oven was lined with asticky, sizzling, yellow material that had turned brown in some places,and was burned black in others.

  "Something must have gone wrong," said Kitty, calmly, as she looked atthe ruins. "I was almost sure it didn't need any baking powder. That'swhat blew it up so."

  "H'm," said King. "I don't believe I care for any. Wonder what became ofthe raisins?"

  "You can see them here and there," said Marjorie. "Those burned blackspots are raisins. Phew! how it smokes! I'm going out."

  "Let's call Ellen," said Kitty, "she said to."

  Being summoned, Ellen arrived on the scene of action.

  "Arrah, Miss Kitty," she said; "shure, an' I thought ye cuddent makecake. Now, why did ye thry, an' put all in such a pother? Belikes yewant to make me throuble."

  "No, Ellen," said Kitty, smiling at her. "I didn't do it purposely forthat. I thought it would be good. You see, I did make it once, and itwas good."

  "Ah, go 'long wid yez,--all of yez! Shure I'll be afther clanin' up. An'niver a shcold I'll shcold yez if ye'll kape outen o' my kitchen aftherthis."

  "Good for you, Ellen!" shouted King. "I thought you'd raise a row! NiceEllen, good Ellen! Good-bye, Ellen!"

  "Good-bye, ye bad babies! I'll make ye some tea-cakes now as ye caneat!"

  "Isn't she a duck!" exclaimed Kitty.

  "Oh, that's 'cause you're sort of company. If you hadn't been here, andwe'd done that she'd have tuned up, all right!"

  This was King's opinion, and Marjorie agreed with him. "We never go inthe kitchen," she said. "I guess Ellen was so surprised she didn't know_what_ to say."

  "Well," said Kitty, quite undisturbed by the circumstances, "you see, atGrandma's, Eliza helps me, and sort of superintends what I put in."

  "Yes, I see," said King. "Now you do a lot of cooking after you get backthere, Kit, and try to learn your recipes better."

  Kitty laughed and promised, and then the three children wandered intothe dining-room to see what their elders were doing.

  "Can't we start at once?" Cousin Ethel was saying. "Oh, here are thekiddies now! Come in, you three blessings in disguise! Do you want to goon a jamboree?"

  "What's that?" asked Kitty.

  "Oh, a lovely motor ride, with two cars, and stay all night, and lots oflovely things like that!"

  "Oh, goody!" cried Marjorie. "Are we really going? Mother's been talkingabout a trip like that!"

  "I guess we will," said Mr. Maynard. "We haven't had an Ourday for sometime. How would you like to take the opportunity for one while we haveKitty-girl among us?"

  "Gorgiferous! Gay!" cried Marjorie, and King threw his cap high in theair and caught it deftly on his head.

  "When do we start?"

  "As soon as we can get off," said Mr. Maynard, looking at his watch."Scamper, you kiddies, and get into appropriate rigs."

  "Oh, what fun!" cried Marjorie, as they flew upstairs. "What shall wewear, Mothery?"

  "You'll find your frocks laid out in your rooms," said Mrs. Maynard, whowas prepared for this question. "Then put on your motor coats and takeyour motor bonnets with you,--but you needn't wear them unless youchoose."

  The girls danced away, and soon were in full regalia. They went flyingdownstairs to learn more of the particulars of the trip. Nurse Nannieand Rosy Posy were on the porch waiting, the little one greatly excitedat thought of the journey.

  "Oh, what a grand Ourday, Father!" cried Midget, giving him one of hermost ferocious "bear hugs." "We have so much vacation down here, Ithought we wouldn't catch any Ourdays!"

  "Well, this is an extra thrown in for good measure. I suppose you don'tcare, Midget, which car you ride in?"

  "Not a bit! We keep together, don't we?"

  "Yes, as much as possible. Cousin Jack will drive his own car, andPompton, of course, will drive ours."

  "It all happened so swift I can hardly realize it," said Kitty. "Only aminute or two ago I was making cake in the kitchen, and now here I am!"

  "Making _what_?" asked King, teasingly, but when he saw Kitty look redand embarrassed he turned the subject.

  Kitty had told her mother about the cake episode, but Mrs. Maynard saidit was an accident due to inexperience, and nothing further need besaid about it.

  "I'll divide up the passengers," said Cousin Jack as, with the two carsstanding in front of the door, no one knew just which to get in.

  "Ethel and I will take Marjorie and King with us, for I think Kitty willwant to ride with her mother, and Babykins, too."

  "All right," agreed Mr. Maynard, and then he packed Uncle Steve and Mrs.Maynard and Kitty on the back seat, Nannie and Rosamond next in front,and he climbed up beside Pompton.

  Some suitcases and a basket of light luncheon were stowed away, and offthey started, Ellen and Sarah waving to them from the steps as they flewdown the drive. It was a perfect day for motoring. Not too hot, not toobreezy, and no dust.

  Their destination was Lakewood, but for quite a distance their road layalong by the shore before they turned inland.

  Marjorie sat back, beside Cousin Ethel, and King sat in front withCousin Jack.

  "Let's play Roadside Euchre," said Midget.

  "We go too fast for that," said King. "We couldn't see the things tocount them."

  "What is it, Mehitabel?" asked Cousin Jack. "We aren't going so veryfast."

  "Why, you count the things on each side of the road. You and I are onthe right, you know, Cousin Jack, so we count all on this side. ThenCousin Ethel and King count all on their side."

  "All what?"

  "Well, a horse and vehicle counts one; a vehicle with two horses countstwo; and a horse without any wagon or carriage counts five. Anautomobile counts ten; a herd of cows, fifteen; and a load of hay,twenty. A cat in a window counts twenty-five, and people count fiveapiece. Any animal, not a horse counts ten."

  "But, as I am driving," said Cousin Jack, "I can turn either side, andso make them count as I like."

  "No, you must turn just as you would, anyway. Of course, as you turn tothe right, King and Cousin Ethel will count most of the vehicles wepass; but we'll make up some other way. Oh, here's a flock of chickens!I forgot to tell you, chickens count one each."

  The motor seemed to go right through the flock of chickens, but CousinJack was a careful driver and didn't harm one of them. There was aterrific squawking and peeping and clucking as the absurd bipeds ranabout in an utterly bewildered manner. The children and Cousin Ethelmanaged to count them fairly well, but Cousin Jack had to manage hismotor.

  "How many?" he asked as the last hen was left behind.

  "Fourteen for our side," announced Midget, triu
mphantly.

  "And nine for us," said King. "Never mind, we'll make up later."

  But they kept fairly even. To be sure, when they met motor-cars, or anyvehicles, they had to turn out to the right, which gave the count toKing's side.

  But on the other hand, motors sometimes passed them from behind, and ifthey went along on the right side they were Marjorie's count. Houseswere as apt to be on one side as the other, and these added their countof dogs, cats, chickens, and cows, as well as occasional human beings.

  Going through small towns was the most fun, for then it required quickcounting to get all that belonged to them.

  A flock of birds on either side was counted, but a flock of birds thatcrossed their path was omitted, as it would have counted the same foreach.

  The game grew more and more exciting. Sometimes one side would be morethan a hundred ahead, and then the balance would swing back the otherway. About six o'clock they neared Lakewood.

  "The game stops as we turn into the main street," said Cousin Jack,"and the prize is this: whichever of you two children win shall selectthe dessert at the hotel dinner to-night."

  "All right," said Marjorie, "but it isn't only us children. We each havea partner who must help us in the selection."

  Cousin Jack agreed to this, and in a moment the car swung into the mainstreet of Lakewood.

  Midget and King, who had kept account of their hundreds on a bit ofpaper, began to add up, and it was soon found that Marjorie and CousinJack's side had won by about two hundred points.

  "Good work!" cried King. "We losers congratulate you, and beg you'llremember that we love ice cream!"

  They were following the Maynards' _big_ car, and soon both cars stoppedand all alighted and went into a beautiful hotel called"Holly-in-the-Woods."

  "Oh, how lovely!" whispered Marjorie to Kitty, as she squeezed hersister's arm. "Isn't this fun, Kit?"

  "I should say so!" returned Kitty. "The best Ourday ever!"

  Then the children were whisked away to tidy up for dinner, and freshwhite frocks were found in the suitcases. Midget and Kitty tied eachother's ribbons, and soon were ready to go downstairs again. TheBryants met them in the hall, and took them down.

  "Isn't it like Fairyland!" said Marjorie, enchanted by the palms andflowers and lights and music. She had never before been in such anelaborate hotel, and she wanted to see it all.

  They walked about, and looked at the various beautiful rooms, and thenMr. and Mrs. Maynard came, and they all went to the dining-room.

  A table had been reserved for them, and Marjorie felt very grown up andimportant as the waiter pushed up her chair. After their long ride,their appetites were quite in order to do justice to the good things putbefore them, and when it was time for dessert, Cousin Jack announcedthat he and Marjorie were a committee of two to select it.

  "Though of course," he added, "any one who doesn't care for what wechoose is entirely at liberty to choose something else."

  So the two gravely studied the menu, and kept the others in suspensewhile they read over the long list. Many names were in French, butMarjorie skipped those.

  "Ice cream," Kitty kept whispering, in low but distinct stage whispers;and at last Cousin Jack proposed to Midget that they choose what wasbilled as a "Lakewood Souvenir."

  Marjorie had no idea what this might be, but she agreed, for she feltsure it was something nice.

  And so it was, for it turned out to be ice cream, but so daintily put upin a little box that it was like a present. The box was carved withcrinkly paper, and had a pretty picture of Lakewood scenery framed ingilt on the top. After every one had eaten his ice cream, the boxes werecarried away as souvenirs.

  Then they all went out and sat on the terrace while the elders hadcoffee. The three children did not drink coffee, so they were allowed torun around the grounds a little.

  "How long are we going to stay here?" asked Kitty.

  "Till to-morrow afternoon, I think," replied King. "I heard Father sayhe thought he'd do that."

  "I think it's beautiful," said Midget, "but I'd just as lieve be riding,wouldn't you, Kit?"

  "Oh, I don't care. I like 'em both,--first one and then the other."

  Kitty was of a contented disposition, and usually liked everything. Butthe other two were also easily pleased, and the three agreed that theydidn't care whether they were motoring or staying at the lovely hotel.

  "Now, then, little Maynards, bed for yours!" announced their father, ashe came strolling out to find them.

  "Father," said Marjorie, grasping his hand, "is this really an Ourday?"

  "Yes, Midget; of course it is. You don't mind the Bryants sharing it, doyou?"

  "No, not a bit. Only,--to-morrow can't I ride with you? If it's ourOurday, I like better to be by you."

  "Of course you can!" cried Mr. Maynard, heartily. "We'll fix itsomehow."

  "But don't tell Cousin Ethel and Cousin Jack that I don't want to ridewith them," went on Midget, "because it might hurt their feelings. Butyou know,--when I thought I didn't have any father,--I thought about allour Ourdays, and----"

  Midget's voice broke, and Mr. Maynard caught her to him.

  "My darling little girl," he said, "I'm so glad you're back with us forour Ourdays, and you shall ride just where you want to."

  "Let her take my place," said Kitty, kindly. "I'd just as lieve go inthe other car, and I don't wonder Midget feels like that."

  So it was settled that Kitty should ride with the Bryants next day, andthen the three children were sent to bed, while the elders stayed up afew hours later.

  The girls had a large room, with two beds, and with a delightfulbalcony, on which a long French window opened.

  "Isn't it wonderful?" said Marjorie, softly, as she stepped over thesill, and stood in the soft moonlight, looking down on the hotel flowergardens.

  "Yes, indeedy," agreed Kitty; "I say, Mops, I'd like to jump down, flip!into that geranium bed!"

  "Oh, Kitty, what a goose you are! Don't do such a thing!"

  "I'm not going to. I only said I'd like to; and I'd play it was asea,--a geranium sea, and I'd swim around in it."

  "Kit, you're crazy! Come on to bed, before you do anything foolish."

  "I'm not going to do it, really, Mops! but I like to imagine it. I'dwaft myself off of this balcony, and waft down to the scarlet of thegeraniums and fall in."

  "Yes, and be picked up with two broken legs and a sprained ankle!"

  "Well--and then I'd see a little boat, on the red geranium sea,--I'd bea fairy, you know,--and I'd get in the little boat----"

  "You come and get in your little bed, Miss Kitty," said Nannie, from thewindow, and laughing gayly, the two girls went in and went to bed.

  "Anyway, I'm going to dream of that red geranium bed," announced Kitty,as she cuddled into the smooth, white sheets.

  "All right," said Midget, drowsily; "dream anything you like."