by Nell Speed
CHAPTER V.--DODO'S SURPRISE PARTY.
The old red brick house, where Professor Green had his bachelorquarters, had been put in good order for his sister's regime, and withthe furniture that had been in storage for many years since the death oftheir parents was made most attractive. It was designed for parties,seemingly, as the whole lower floor could be turned practically into oneroom. It had begun to snow, which made the glowing fire in the big halleven more cheerful by contrast.
"Whew! aren't we festive?" exclaimed Dodo, bursting in at the front doorwith Lawrence Upton, whom he had picked up at Exmoor. "Looks to me likea ball, with all of this holly and the bare floors ready for dancing.Andy and his little Jap are coming around this evening to see you,Gracey, and I wish we could get some girls to have a bit of a dance. Ihave been learning to dance along with my other arduous tasks at theUniversity, and I'd like to trip the light fantastic toe with some realflesh and blood. I have had nothing but a rocking chair to practice withfor ever so long. I've got a little broken sofa that is great to 'turkeytrot' with."
"How about the old tune, 'Waltzing 'Round with Sophy, Sophy JustSeventeen,' for that dance of yours?" laughed his older brother. "Ideclare, Dodo, we ought to do better than that for you at a girls'college, even in holiday time. Let's wait and see if young Andy comes,and then with his help maybe we can scare up a girl or so."
Miss Grace thanked Edwin with an appreciative pat for keeping up thegame of surprise party. Just then Richard Blount came blowing in fromNew York, and they all went in to supper, where the greedy Edwinpermitted them to have a try at his ham.
"What a girl that Miss Brown is!" declared Dicky. "She seems to me to bethe most attractive blonde I have ever seen." Richard, being very fair,of course, had a leaning toward brunettes. "We were talking about herthe other evening at the Stewarts', and we agreed that when all was toldshe was about the best bred person we knew."
Miss Fern, to whom praise of Molly seemed to be bitterness and gall,gave a sniff of her aristocratic nose and remarked: "There must havebeen some question of Miss Brown's breeding for you to have beendiscussing it. I have always thought breeding was something taken forgranted."
"So it should be," said Professor Green, laconically.
"Do you know, it is a strange thing to me, but the only two persons inthe world that I know of who don't like Miss Molly Brown of Kentucky areour two cousins on different sides of the house--Judith Blount and you,Cousin Alice."
This from Dodo, enfant terrible. Edwin turned the color of his old hamand looked sternly at Dodo, who was entirely unconscious of having saidanything amiss. Miss Grace and Lawrence Upton giggled shamefully, whileRichard Blount hastened to say, "I think you are mistaken about Judith.On the contrary, she now speaks very highly of Miss Brown, and looksupon her as a very good friend."
"As for me," said Alice, "I have never given Miss Brown a thought oneway or the other. I do not know her well enough to dislike her. Sheimpresses me as being rather pushing."
At this Miss Grace made a sign for them to rise, as she was anxious toget the dining-room in readiness for the entertainment.
"All of you boys had better put on your dress suits if there is a chanceof scaring up some dancers," she tactfully suggested, so there was ageneral rush for their rooms, and she was left in peace to geteverything ready for the surprise party.
The guests, as had been agreed upon, arrived together. The old house wassuddenly filled with dancers enough to satisfy the eager Dodo, and dearMrs. McLean, ready to play dance music until they dropped. Dodo wasastonished enough to delight his sister, and the fun began.
Dr. McLean and Mr. Oldham found much to talk about, so Nance felt thather father was going to have a pleasant evening, and with a glad sighgave herself up to having a good time with the rest. Young Andy was notlong in attaching himself to her side, and they picked up conversationwhere they had dropped it the year before and seemed to find each otheras agreeable as ever.
All the girls looked lovely, as girls should when they have an eveningof fun ahead of them and plenty of partners to make things lively.Several more young men came over from Exmoor, in response to a secretinvitation sent by Miss Grace through young Andy, so, as Judy put it,"There were beaux to burn."
Judy was going in very much for the picturesque in dress, as is theusual thing with art students, so she was very aesthetically attired in aclinging green Liberty silk. Molly wore her bridesmaid blue organdy,which was very becoming. Nance,--who always had the proper thing to wearon every occasion without having to scrape around and take stitches andlet down hems, and find a petticoat to match, and for that reason hadtime to do those necessary things for the other girls,--wore a prettylittle evening gown of white chiffon, and she looked so pretty herselfthat Dr. McLean whispered to his wife that he took it all back aboutyoung Andy's having picked out a plain lassie. Little Otoyo had on thehandsomest dress of the evening, a rose pink silk embroidered in cherryblossoms. The clever child had bought the dress in New York at a swellshop and taken it to Japan with her, and there had the wonderfulembroidery put on it. Melissa was a revelation to herself and herfriends. The black Seco silk fitted her so well that Nance was reallyelated over her success as a mantuamaker. Melissa had never gonedecollete in her life, and at first the girls could hardly persuade herto wear the low-necked dress; but when she saw Molly she was content.
"Whatever Molly does is always right, and if she wears low neck then Iwill, too," said the artless girl.
Her hair was rolled at the sides and done in a low knot on her neck. Asshe came into the parlor Richard Blount, who was going over some musicat the piano, did not see her at first. Looking up to speak to Edwinabout a song he was to sing, he was struck dumb by her beauty. ClutchingEdwin he managed to gasp out, "Great Caesar! who is she?"
"She is not Medusa, my dear Dick. Don't stand as though you had turnedto stone. It is Miss Hathaway, a friend of Miss Brown's, and a veryinteresting and original young woman, also from Kentucky, but from themountains. I will introduce you with pleasure."
Edwin Green did introduce him, and if Richard Blount took his eyes fromMelissa once during the evening he did it when no one was looking.
Mr. Seshu, young Andy's friend, proved to be a charming, educated youngman, who understood English perfectly and spoke with only an occasionalblunder. He made himself very agreeable to Molly, who was eager to talkwith him, hoping to find out if he were worthy of their little Otoyo.The girls were almost certain that he had come to Wellington with theidea of viewing Otoyo and passing on her as a possible wife. Otoyo hadlet drop two or three remarks that made them feel that this was thecase. She was very much excited, and her little hands were like ice whenMolly took them in hers to tell her how sweet she looked and howbeautiful and becoming her dress was. It was a trying ordeal for anygirl, and Molly wondered that the little thing could go through with it,but honorable father had thus decreed it and it must be borne.
"I fancy it is better than having the marriage broker putting his fingerin, which is what would have happened if the Sens and Seshus had not'hugged the Christian faith' and come to America," whispered Molly toNance as they took off their wraps.
"I'd see myself being pranced out like a colt, honorable father or not,"said Nance. "I fancy he is very nice, however, or Andy would not be sochummy with him."
Molly was amused at the farce of telling Mr. Seshu that one of hiscountry women was a student at Wellington, and she hoped to have thepleasure of introducing them. He received the information with a politebow, and no more expression than a stone image, but with volublyexpressed thanks and eagerness for the introduction.
"Our little Otoyo is very precious to us," said Molly, "and we are veryproud of her progress in her studies. She takes a fine place with herclass, and will graduate this year with flying colors. She writesperfect English, but there are times in conversation when adverbs aretoo many for her. She is excited to-night over coming to a dance, havingbut recently added dancing to her many accomplishments, and her adve
rbsmay get the better of her." Molly was determined that the seeker for awife should not take the poor little thing's excitement to himself.
Mr. Seshu seemed more anxious to talk about Otoyo than to meet her.
"And so you are trying to pump me about my little friend, are you, youwily young Jap? Well, you have come to the right corner. I'll tell youall I can, and you shall hear such good things of Otoyo that you willthink I am a veritable marriage broker," said Molly to herself.
"Is Mees Sen of kindly heart and temper good, you say?"
"She has the kindest heart in the world and a good temper, but she iswell able to stand up for herself when it is necessary."
"He shall not think he is getting nothing but a good family horse, but Iam going to try to let him understand that our little Otoyo has a highspirit and is fit for something besides the plow," added Molly toherself.
After much talk, in which Molly felt that she had been most diplomatic,Mr. Seshu was finally presented to Miss Sen. Poor little Otoyo was notas embarrassed as she would have been had she not learned to conversewith honorable gentlemen quite like American maidens. The practice shehad had with young Andy and Professor Green came in very well now, andher anxious friends were delighted to see that she was holding her ownwith her polished countryman, and that he seemed much interested in herchatter. At the instigation of Molly and Nance, Andy McLean soon came upand claimed Otoyo for a dance. She looked very coquettishly at herJapanese suitor and immediately accepted, and Mr. Seshu was asdisconsolate as any other young man would have been to have a pleasantcompanion snatched from him.
"We'll teach him a thing or two," said our girls. "And just look howwell Otoyo is 'step twoing,' as she calls it, with Andy!"
"While the dancers are resting we will have some music," said thegracious hostess. "I am going to ask you, Miss Hathaway, to sing forus."
Melissa looked astonished that she should be chosen, but, with thatpoise and dignity that years in society cannot give some persons, sheagreed to sing what she could if Molly would accompany her on theguitar.
"Sing 'Lord Ronald and Fair Eleanor,'" whispered Molly. "I wantProfessor Green to hear it."
The two Kentucky girls made a wonderfully charmingpicture.--Page 252.]
The two Kentucky girls made a wonderfully charming picture as they tooktheir places to do their part toward entertaining the guests--Molly sofair and slender in her pretty blue dress, with her hair "makingsunshine in a shady place," seated with the guitar, while Melissa, talland stately, with figure more developed, in her clinging black dressstood near her. Judy was so overcome at the picturesque effect that shebegan to make rapid sketching movements in the air as was her wont.
"Oh, what don't we see when we haven't got a gun! I'd give anything fora piece of charcoal and some paper."
"I don't know all of this song, but I shall sing all I do. I learned itfrom my grandmother, and she learned it from hers. This is all Grannyknows, but she says her grandmother had many more verses," said Melissaas Molly struck the opening chords of the accompaniment.
"So she dressed herself in scarlet red, And she dressed her maid in green, And every town that they went through They took her to be some queen, queen, queen, They took her to be some queen.
"'Lord Ronald, Lord Ronald, is this your bride That seems so plaguey brown? And you might have married as fair skinned a girl As ever the sun shone on, on, on, As ever the sun shone on.'
"The little brown girl, she had a penknife, It was both long and sharp; She stuck it in fair Eleanor's side And it entered at the heart, heart, heart, It entered at the heart.
"Lord Ronald, he took her by her little brown hand And led her across the hall; And with his sword cut off her head, And kicked it against the wall, wall, wall, And kicked it against the wall.
"'Mother, dear mother, come dig my grave; Dig it both wide and deep. By my side fair Eleanor put, And the little brown girl at my feet, feet, feet, And the little brown girl at my feet.'"
* * * * *
As the beautiful girl finished the plaintive air there was absolutestillness for a few seconds. The audience was too deeply moved to speak.Melissa's voice was sweet and full and came with no more effort than thesong of the mocking bird heard in her own valleys at dawn. She took highnote or low with the same ease that she had stooped and lifted herlittle hair trunk at Wellington station.
* * * * *
The song in itself was very remarkable, being one of the few originalballads evidently brought to America by an early settler, and handeddown from mother to daughter through the centuries. Edwin Greenrecognized it, and noted the changes from the original from time totime. Richard Blount was the first to find his tongue, although he wasthe one most deeply moved by the performance.
"My, that was fine!" was all he could say, but he broke the spell ofsilence, and there was a storm of applause. Melissa bowed and smiled,pleased that she met with their approval, but with no airs oraffectation.
"She has the stage manner of a great artist who is above caring for whatthe gallery thinks, but has sung for Art's sake, and, as an artist,knows her work is good," said Richard to Professor Green. "MissHathaway, you will sing again for us, please. I can't remember havingsuch a treat as you have just given us, and I have been to every operain New York for six years."
The demand was general, so Melissa graciously complied. This time shegave "The Mistletoe Bough."
"The mistletoe hung in the castle hall, And the holly branch shone on the old oak wall; And all within were blithe and gay, Keeping their Christmas holiday. Oh, the mistletoe bough, Oh, the mistletoe bough."
And so on, through the many stanzas of the fine old ballad, telling ofthe bride who cried, "I'll hide, I'll hide," and then of the search andhow they never found the beautiful bride until years had passed away,and then, on opening the old chest in the attic, her bones werediscovered and the wedding veil.
When the applause subsided, Miss Grace asked Richard Blount to sing.
"I'll do it, Cousin Grace, but I have never felt more modest about mylittle accomplishments. Miss Hathaway has taken all the wind out of mysails. I am going to sing a little thing that I clipped out of anewspaper and put to music. 'It is a poor thing, but mine own.' I thinkit is appropriate for this party, and hope you will agree with me."
"Now, Dicky, you know we love your singing, and because Miss Hathawayhas charmed us is no reason why you cannot charm us all over. Caruso cansing, as well as Sembrich," said Miss Grace.
Richard Blount had a good baritone voice, and sang with a great deal oftaste; and he played on the piano with real genius. With a few brilliantruns he settled down to the simple, sweet air he had composed for thelittle bit of fugitive verse, and then began to sing:
"The holly is a soldier bold, Arrayed in tunic green, His slender sword is never sheathed, But always bared and keen. He stands amid the winter snows A sentry in the wood,-- The scarlet berries on his boughs Are drops of frozen blood.
"The mistletoe's a maiden fair, Enchanted by the oak, Who holds her in his hoary arms, And hides her in his cloak. She knows her soldier lover waits Among the leafless trees, And, weeping in the bitter cold, Her tears to jewels freeze.
"But at the holy Christmas-tide, Blessed time of all the year, The evil spirits lose their power, And angels reappear. They meet beside some friendly hearth, While softly falls the snow-- The soldier Holly and his bride, The mystic Mistletoe."
Richard had been delighted by Melissa's performance, and now shereturned the compliment by being so carried away by his singing and thesong that she forgot all shyness and reserve and openly congratulatedhim, praising his music with so much real appreciation and fervor thatthe young man was persuaded to sing again. He sang the beautiful Indiansong of Cadman's, "The Moon Hangs Low," and was beginning the openingchords to "The Land of
Sky-blue Water," when there came a sharp ringingof the bell, followed by some confusion in the hall as the door wasopened and a gust of wind blew in the fast falling snow. Then a man'svoice was heard inquiring for Professor Green.