CHAPTER V
THE DOUBLE PARTY
The party was from four to seven. Before the hour the girls were inreadiness and waiting on the lawn, midway between the two houses, toreceive their guests.
Dolly Fayre wore a white organdie, all lacy with little ruffles and alight blue sash with blue silk stockings and white slippers.
Dotty Rose had on a lovely white voile with pink ribbons and pinkstockings.
Both girls wore their hair in a long loose braid, with a big ribbon atthe top of the braid.
"Didn't leave off hair-ribbons, did you?" said Dolly, smiling.
"No, Mother wouldn't hear of it. She says we ought to wear them untilwe're sixteen, anyway."
"I don't care much, do you?"
"No; only I'd rather leave them off. It didn't rain, you see."
"I should say not! It's a perfect day. Did you put a pink ribbon onBlot?"
"Yes, he looks lovely! Oh, here's Flossy, in her blue bow. If they'llonly behave themselves!"
The puppy and the kitten had become fairly good friends, by reason oftheir two young mistresses' training; and frequently met withoutfighting, though this was not to be depended on.
"Oh, here comes somebody, Dolly! I feel as if I should run away!"
"Nonsense, Dot! don't be silly! It's only Joe Collins. Hello, Joe; thisis my new friend, Dorothy Rose. It's her party, same as mine."
Joe was far from bashful. "Hay-o, Dorothy," he said, gaily. "Aren't youafraid you'll get off the line? My, but you girls are particular tostand just so!"
Dorothy flashed a smile at him. Somehow her shyness vanished, and shereplied, "Oh, we only stood that way, waiting for somebody to come. Now,we can move around," and she took a few jumpy skips around the lawn. "Doyou live near here?" she went on, by way of conversation.
"Couple o' blocks away. Hope we'll be friends."
"'Course we will. And I've got a brother about your size; you'll likehim."
"Is he here?"
"No; he's away at school. Be home in about two weeks. Come and see himthen."
"I will. Here come the Brown twins. Know 'em?"
"No, I don't know anybody. My! Aren't they alike?"
They certainly were, and when Dolly introduced Tod and Tad Brown, Dottyfrankly stared at them.
"I never saw such twinsy twins before," she said; "do you knowyourselves apart?"
"Not always," replied one of them. "But I think I'm Tod, and my brotheris Tad. Of course our Sunday names are Todhunter and Tadema, but Tod andTad are much better for every day use."
Then some girls came; Clara Ferris was among the first; and then Graceand Ethel Rawlins, and Maisie May.
Dotty took a quick liking to the last named, for she was a bright,pretty girl who seemed eager to be friends.
Clayton Rawlins came too, and Lollie Henry, and then they came in suchnumbers that Dotty couldn't catch all the names nor remember those shedid catch.
The girls had laid off their hats and wraps in the Fayre house, and theboys in the Rose house, as every means was used to have the partyequally divided.
At first they played games. The Fayres had a tennis court, and the Rosesa croquet ground. Also, Mr. Rose had contributed as his "surprise" tothe party a set of Lawn Bowls. This was a new sport to many of them andall liked it, and took turns at the bowling. Others wandered about thegrounds or sat in the swings and hammocks, and at five o'clock they werecalled to supper.
Little tables had been placed on the lawn and four or six young peoplewere seated at each. Then the good things were brought to them. Bouillonand tiny sandwiches, ices, cakes, jellies, bon-bons, everything thatgoes to make a delightful party supper.
The two hostesses did not sit together, and Dotty found herself withClara Ferris, Joe Collins and one of the Brown twins.
"How do you like Berwick?" asked Tad Brown, as he finished his bouillon.
"Ever so much!" returned Dotty enthusiastically; "and now I'm acquaintedwith so many people I shall like it better than ever."
"Aren't you coming to school?"
"Not this term. It's so near closing, and Mother says next year I can goright into High School with Dolly Fayre."
"We'll all be in High next year," said Clara. "We're all in the samegrade, you know. But I wish you would come to school now, and be in theClosing Exercises. We need more girls."
"What for?"
"Oh, for the tableaux and things. We have a splendid program. Haven'twe, Tad?"
"How do you know he's Tad?" asked Dotty, laughing.
"I asked him," returned Clara. "It's the only way. Nobody can tell 'emapart."
"'Cept Mother," said Tad, grinning. "She never makes a mistake. But theteachers can't tell. I get kept in if Tod misses his lessons, and hegets marked if I'm late."
"Don't you mind?"
"No; 'cause it evens up in the long run. Tod's better-natured than I am,but I'm prettier."
"Why, how can you be?" cried Dotty; "you're exactly alike."
"Oh, _I_ can see it! I'm _much_ better-looking." Tad's honest, round,freckled face was winsome but not handsome, and the girls laughed atthis make-believe vanity.
Dolly was at a table with the other Brown boy and Grace Rawlins andLollie Henry.
"Dotty Rose is pretty, isn't she?" said Grace.
"Awfully pretty," agreed Dolly, "and a nice girl, too. I like her lots."
"Some looker!" declared Lollie Henry, gazing with admiration over atDotty, who was laughing merrily.
"She's my sister," put in Genie, who was a restless spirit, and havingfinished her supper, was roaming around among the tables talking todifferent ones.
"So she is," and Dolly patted the glossy, black curls.
"Looks like a spitfire, though, if she should get mad," commented TodBrown, who was an outspoken boy.
"Oh, I don't think so," returned Dolly; and then she remembered the fewtrifling quarrels they had already had. "No," she went on, "Dotty isn'ta spitfire; but when she gets mad she just flounces off and gets overit."
"Just like a girl!" said Tod; "why don't you have it out, and done withit?"
"That's what Bert always says," and Dolly laughed. "I guess girls andboys are different about such things."
"I guess they are," said Grace, looking rueful. "Maisie May and I havebeen 'mad' for two weeks now."
"Oh, how silly!" exclaimed Lollie Henry. "I'm going to get you two girlstogether and make you make up!"
"Yes, let's," said Tad; "come on now; I've finished my ice cream,haven't you, Dolly?"
They all had, and they followed Tad, who was ringleader in this game.The others had mostly risen from the tables, and Tad told Dolly to getMaisie and bring her over to their group.
Grace Rawlins looked a little uncertain. She honestly wanted to befriends with Maisie but she was not sure she liked the way it was beingbrought about.
Dolly came back, arm in arm with Maisie.
The two boys stood in front of Grace until the girls came up, and thenTad, whisking aside, said, with a low bow: "Miss Maisie May, I want tomake you acquainted with Miss Grace Rawlins, the nicest girl in Berwick,except the rest of them."
Maisie coloured and looked half-angry, half-amused, and Tad went on: "Isee by the papers that you two girls don't know each other to speak to,so Dolly Fayre and us two boys are a committee of three to see that youbecome acquainted immediately if not sooner. You two will therefore nowgreet each other with a nice, sweet kiss."
Tad's manner was so funny and so like a kindly old gentleman, that thegirls had to laugh.
But though Grace looked willing to obey the order, Maisie did not.
"Don't be silly, Tad," she said; "I guess you don't know what Grace saidabout me, or you wouldn't ask me to kiss her!"
"Tell me," said Tad, with the air of an impartial judge, "and I and mywise colleague, Mr. Lorillard Henry, will size up the case and pronouncejudgment."
"Why, she said I was the meanest girl in Berwick, because I wouldn'ttell her the answer to an algebra example. And I c
ouldn't, because MissHaskell had made us all promise not to tell the answers to anybody--shewanted everybody to do them without help."
"Seems to me you did the right thing," and Tad looked at Grace.
"I didn't know that," said Grace. "I wasn't at school the day MissHaskell said that."
"Then you couldn't be expected to know," said Tad; "now, it's just as Isaid, a boy would fight it out with another boy, and he might punch hishead, but the matter would be understood and straightened out, and notsulk for two weeks over it."
"I didn't sulk," said Grace.
"Well, you two sillies didn't speak to each other,--it's about the samething. _Now_ will you be good! Will you kiss and make up?"
"I will," said Maisie May, heartily, and she flung her arms round Grace,and gave her a most friendly kiss, which was as heartily returned.
"Bless you, my children!" said Tad, dramatically. "Now don't let me hearof your quarrelling again! Are you mad at anybody, Dolly?"
"No, sir, thank you; but if I am, at any time, I'll come to you for apeacemaker."
"Oh, _look_ who's here!" cried Lollie, spying a strange figure walkingacross the lawn.
The group joined the others and found themselves invited to take a seatin the rows of chairs which were lined up in front of aninteresting-looking table.
They did so, and soon all present were seated in breathless anticipationof what might happen.
The tea tables had been whisked away, and at the door of the tent thestranger stood,--a table in front of him.
He was a magician, and the tricks he did held his young auditorsspellbound.
Turning back his coat sleeves to prove he was concealing nothing, hewould take a large sheet of white paper, and with a swift movementtwirl it round into a cornucopia. This was, of course, empty, andshaking it about to prove its emptiness, he then held it upright, andinvited Dolly to look into it. But he held it so high, that she had tostand on tiptoe to peep in. However, she caught a glimpse, and it seemedto her there were pink flowers in it.
Then the magician asked Dotty to peep in. She peered over the edge, andjust as she exclaimed, "Why, it's full of flowers!" he overturned it onher head, and she was showered with lovely pink rosebuds made of tissuepaper!
"Where did they come from?" cried everybody, as they scrambled to pickthem up. "The cone was empty! Where did he get them?"
But the magician only smiled, and went on with his other tricks.
"Has any one a gold watch?" he asked.
Not many of the boys had gold watches, but Lollie Henry exhibited withpride one that his grandfather had given him on his birthday.
"May I borrow it?" said the magician; "ah, thank you," and he took itbefore Lollie had really consented.
"Now, a silk hat. Much obliged, sir," as Mr. Fayre provided the hat.
"Now, my young friends, we'll make an omelet. Two eggs,somebody,--please?"
Nobody had any eggs, and the magician seemed nonplussed. "What, no eggsin all this well-dressed crowd? Incredible! Ah, come here, little girl!"He caught Genie, who was running about. "Why, here is an egg in the bigbow of your hair-ribbon! And here is another in the other bow! What astrange place to carry eggs! Did Mother send you to the store for them?"
"No, sir," said Genie, looking in amazement at the unmistakable eggs theman had evidently found in her ribbon. "I should think they would havedropped out sooner!"
"I should think so too," returned the magician; "lucky for me theydidn't, or I could not have made the nice omelet I'm about to concoct."
He set the silk hat on the table, laid the watch and eggs beside it, andthen called for a cup of milk.
Somehow or other Mrs. Fayre had that all ready and handed it to him witha smile.
"Good!" said the magician; "now we'll to work! I suppose many of yougirls know how to make an omelet, so you must look sharp and see that Ido it right. First, we'll break the eggs and whisk them up."
He broke the eggs right into the silk hat, and stirred them with a forkand then poured in the milk slowly, stirring all the time.
"Something else goes to an omelet," he said, trying to think; "ah, yes,some sort of an herb. Ah, I have it! Thyme! Well, well, Mr. Fayre, doyou raise thyme in your kitchen garden? No? What a pity! But, luckily, Ihave time right here!" He took up Lollie's watch. "Ah, just, the thing!"
He threw the watch in the hat, and began to beat it with his heavy fork.
He looked anxiously in the hat. "Wants to be crushed," he said; "can'tget the flavour of time unless it's crushed. Ah, here we are!" and hepicked up a kitchen poker that had appeared from nowhere in particular.
With that he beat and pounded and banged the watch, and then with a bigspoon, he dipped up spoonfuls of the mixture and let it run back intothe hat. The children could distinctly see the bits of brass or steelwheels and springs, and even fragments of the gold case.
Lollie looked a little sober, but said no word of fear for his watch'ssafety.
"Now, we'll cook it," said the magician, and he poured the "omelet" intoa bright, clean frying-pan.
"Where's the fire?" he asked, holding the pan high aloft, and lookingall about.
"There isn't any," said Mr. Fayre; "you didn't tell me to provide afire."
"You should have known enough for that!" shouted the magician, as if inanger. "Well, as we have no fire, of course, we can't make our omelet.So take back your things."
From the frying-pan he poured a cup of clear milk, which he gave to Mrs.Fayre. Then he took out of the same pan two eggs, which he handed toGenie, intact and unbroken. Then he hesitated, saying, "What else did Iborrow?"
"A watch!" "A gold watch!" cried a dozen voices.
"Oh, yes, to be sure!" and the magician, smiling, passed the pan toLollie, and there on its clean, shining surface, lay the gold watch,absolutely unharmed.
Such a clapping of applause! for many of the young audience had beenforced to believe that the watch was utterly ruined.
That closed the entertainment, and soon after that the young guests wenthome.
"How do you s'pose he did it?" Dolly asked of Dotty, as they sat in theswing, talking over the party.
"Oh, it's easy enough," returned Dotty. "They don't really break up thewatch, you know."
"Of course I know that! But how _do_ they do it? What becomes of thebroken eggs and all?"
"I don't know, but I've seen magic tricks before and they always bringeverything out right somehow!"
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