"oh, we had a perfectly glorious time, doris," cried rosalie, skipping into the manse with her face fairly glowing. "it is such a lovely crowd, and we have such laughing times together—and we got whole sacks full of hickory nuts, and bert gave me his share, too. is supper ready? i am so hungry. we thought we had twice too much lunch, but we ate it all, and were tempted to raid the orchards coming home, we were so ravenous. do hurry along, there's a nice general. do we have to wait for anybody?"
"oh, rosalie, how young you are when you are hungry," cried doris affectionately. "it isn't nearly time for dinner, but we'll eat as soon as the girls come. father won't be here to-night, and we only have cream potato soup, but you love it, and i made heaps. aren't the girls in sight? they promised to come early and—"
[pg 134]
"yes, here they come. you dish up the soup, and i'll carry it in."
so with a great deal of chattering and laughter, and endless running back and forth, rosalie pulled up the chairs and carried the plates of soup to the table, waltzing doris to her place just as the younger girls came in.
"hurry, hurry," begged rosalie. "father isn't here to-night, so you needn't take time to brush. for once i am glad we don't have to wait for the blessing."
so the girls rushed to the table, and when rosalie was happily immersed in her soup, doris said, rather shyly:
"i am glad you spoke of the blessing, rosalie, for—i want to say something about that myself, and i haven't had the nerve, though i have been thinking of it for quite a while. i think it is a shame for us preachers to sit down and eat without giving thanks, just because father is not here to do the talking for us."
rosalie paused, spoon lifted in mid-air. "mercy, general, are you brave enough to tackle that?"
[pg 135]
"i agree with you, doris," said zee promptly. "i feel like a heathen when we eat without the blessing. and i think you and rosalie ought to be ashamed of yourselves."
"i am willing to take my turn," said treasure, "if you won't be critical."
"why, treasure, you dear little thing. then is it all settled that we take turns giving thanks when father is away? for i believe father thinks we do it right along, and i should be ashamed to let him know we don't."
"i can't—i am too young," said zee bashfully.
"you aren't too young to thank father when he gives you a nickel."
"well, i will try it once, but i speak for the last turn. and if rosalie so much as smiles i'll never do it—"
"say, do you think i am an infidel?" demanded rosalie indignantly. "of course i shall not smile. go ahead, then, general, begin." she dropped her spoon and shut her eyes.
"maybe—shall we—do you think i ought to—"
[pg 136]
"let's draw cuts to see who takes the first plunge," cried zee. "i'll hold the straws while the rest of you draw."
"zee, sit down. i am surprised at you. we must not draw cuts about the blessing. i will begin." doris looked anxiously about the table, scanning her sisters' faces for signs of amusement, but they were preternaturally grave and earnest.
so in a meek and lowly voice, in a manner that spoke of anything but a pharisaical blasting of trumpets, doris asked a blessing on their food. and the girls sighed with satisfaction when she said amen, proclaiming their comfort in having conformed to the ministerial proprieties, and kept the sanctity of the manse intact.
"we had a perfectly ducky time to-day," said rosalie, while doris was refilling her plate with soup. "we got a half a bushel of nuts apiece, and bert gave me his besides, on condition that i invite him to help eat them once a week."
"by the way, who went nutting to-day, anyhow?" asked zee suddenly.
[pg 137]
"we did—our college bunch."
"it was not your sunday-school class, was it?"
rosalie flashed a questioning look at her sister. "no, it was not the class—exactly," she said reluctantly. "the girls are in my class, though."
"was it the whole class?" persisted zee.
"why are you asking so many questions? what difference does it make to you who went? whatever made you think of the sunday-school class anyhow?"
"we met little nora gordon on the street to-day, and she asked if you went nutting, and who went along, and i said mabel and frances and gloria and annabelle and sara and the college boys. and she said, 'then it was their sunday-school class, and they didn't invite my sister and she feels awful.'"
"oh, mercy," said rosalie, "we tried to keep it from her—that is, we didn't suppose she would find out—anyhow, it was a college crowd, and alicia gordon does not go to college."
"did all the rest of the class go except alicia?" asked doris.
[pg 138]
"well, yes, it isn't a very big class, you know, and we all go to college, except alicia. she works. but is was a regular college crowd—and the boys don't like alicia, she never has a date with anybody. she is kind of poky."
"you knew it would hurt her feelings if she found it out, didn't you?"
"well, perhaps, but we didn't intend she should find it out. i wonder who told her? it was a nasty little trick, and if you did it, miss zee—"
"i didn't. what did i know about your old picnic? and when i saw how nora felt, i told her over and over it was a college affair, didn't i, treasure?"
"yes, but their feelings are hurt, anyhow."
"now, of course, you are blaming me, doris, but we couldn't take her along. the boys don't care for her, and she can't expect us to make dates for her."
"what is the matter with her?"
"nothing, but she sits around like a stick and never says boo. boys make her nervous. i like her well enough myself, though she never says[pg 139] much and clams up completely when a man heaves in sight. a pretty enough girl, and dresses well—but what could we do with her on a nutting party?"
"i think it was a very un-manse-like thing to do, and i am sorry."
"i am sorry she found it out myself. but i hardly know her."
"why don't you know her, if she is in your class?"
"she never goes where we go, and—you just can't get acquainted with her."
"did you ever try?"
"um, not very hard, i suppose. she ought to meet one half-way."
"some people can't, and you know it. that is why they have us preachers, to go the whole way to meet those who can't, or won't, come a step toward us. i'm afraid—you ought to be disciplined, rosalie."
zee leaped up, clapping her hands. "good. whip her, doris. go on, give her a good one, for once, the bad thing."
[pg 140]
"oh, zee, doris can't whip a big thing like rosalie," protested treasure anxiously.
"don't be silly, girls," said rosalie. "i see what you mean, doris, and i am quite willing. pronounce the sentence, general."
"well, alicia works on saturday morning, but she is off in the afternoon, isn't she? so the punishment is that you must have her come and spend the afternoon and stay for supper and all night and go to sunday-school with us the next morning. then you will have a good chance to get regularly acquainted with her."
rosalie went directly to the telephone. "well, now is the— oh, doris, not this week. we are going to stay all night at adele's you know, and make taffy."
"i am sorry," said doris gently.
rosalie soberly searched her sister's face a moment, then without comment, called the number, and asked for alicia. she gave the invitation in a friendly cordial voice, showing no hint of perturbation or coercion, and after a moment's pause, alicia accepted.
[pg 141]
"but whatever in the world we are going to do with that solemn alicia gordon for eighteen hours, i do not know. you'll have to do most of the talking, doris."
"oh, no, indeed; she is your guest. we put her in your hands absolutely and you alone will be responsible for her comfort."
"but, general—"
"if she is my company, you won't get much punishment out of it, will you?"
rosalie sighed heavily. "eighteen hours—she will come right from work—that means luncheon. oh, doris, you do not know what a blow she is. and a nice enough girl, too—but whatever can we talk about for eighteen hours?"
doris had no suggestions forthcoming, and to make the affliction greater, on saturday she made unexpected arrangements to drive to the country with her father.
"and you can get lunch for yourself and the girls, can't you, rosalie dear?"
"but alicia gordon—"
"oh, she won't mind. i'll be home in time to[pg 142] have a nice dinner for you. bye, rosalie; good luck."
alicia arrived from her work almost as soon as rosalie came in from a business meeting of the literary society, and a heated discussion of menus was immediately in progress.
"you must help us, alicia. we are trying to get up a fashionable company luncheon in your honor, and we can't think of anything fashionable that i have brains enough to cook."
zee watched closely, but alicia never so much as smiled, though any one might know rosalie had meant to be funny.
"let's not be fashionable," she said evenly. "let's figure out what is easiest to prepare, and have it."
"wouldn't be proper," insisted rosalie. "doris always wants us to be proper when we have company."
"french fried potatoes are fashionable," said zee.
"too much work."
"corn fritters are nice," said treasure.
[pg 143]
"i do not like corn," said alicia.
they looked at one another soberly. "i tell you what," said rosalie at last. "let's go to the pantry and see what we can find."
the four ran pell-mell to the pantry, and looked over the shelves hastily, but with thoroughness.
"a custard pie, thank goodness," said rosalie. "that settles the dessert."
"i am going to have this apple sauce and bread and butter," said treasure suddenly. "you folks can get what you like."
"oh, i'm going to have toast and milk," cried zee. "i'll toast it myself—and—"
"i'd like a fried egg sandwich," said alicia, "if you do not mind. and i want to fix it myself. i just love them, and mother never has time to make them for our big family."
"i'll have one, too," decided rosalie. "suppose you fix mine when you do yours, and i'll be making hot chocolate for all of us. and we'll have some sweet pickles if zee will bring them from the cellar."
[pg 144]
in the confusion of getting four separate luncheons on one gas stove at the same minute, one could not find time for much formality. zee stepped on alicia's toes, and alicia splashed hot butter on treasure's hand, and rosalie let the chocolate boil over on the eggs. but finally they were seated companionably about the table, and by that time they were fairly well acquainted.
when luncheon was over, zee and treasure set about the dishes, and rosalie and alicia disappeared. but when rosalie came into the kitchen on an errand a little later, zee said:
"she seems all right, i think. i bet she needs a beau."
"what makes you think that?"
"well, you say you need them to keep your soul in—to—to—i forgot just what you do say, but anyhow you always declare you can't be normal without a beau. and i guess all girls are alike, so alicia needs one, too."
rosalie went out of the kitchen, thinking hard. "i wonder—" she said. "i believe i can—" she went directly to the telephone, and called bert.
[pg 145]
"i have a friend spending the night with me," she said. "a town girl. you know i told you i was busy and could not keep our date. but i wonder if you can't get another man and come and help us make candy?"
bert was desolated, but since rosalie had said she was busy, he had made other arrangements—he didn't care two cents about the girl they picked out for him—wasn't it beastly luck— he would break the date, that's what he'd do.
rosalie would not hear of it, and she stopped the conversation abruptly and looked at alicia.
"men are all alike, aren't they? here he has been telling me for two months that i am the only girl in college—i shall get even with him. i'll just have a senior, and that will make him wild. bob harton is always asking me for dates, but is always just too late. so i can ask him perfectly all right, and we'll have him bring—let me see—i know—arthur gooding, a 'post'—and terribly sensible."
so she ran to the telephone again, in spite of alicia's protests, and called the second number.
[pg 146]
"oh, bob," she began, "this is rosalie artman. i am always taken when you try to make a date with me, so i thought i would try my hand on you. i have a town girl staying all night, and we want you to come and help us celebrate. and can't you ask arthur gooding to come? i do not know him very well myself, but he is so sensible, and this is a very sensible girl, so they ought to get on wonderfully. will you see? oh, that is just lovely."
"i do not know how to talk to men, rosalie, i never had a date in my life. i can't think of things to say."
"leave it to me," cried rosalie blithely. "i can do most of the talking. and arthur is so sensible you won't have to talk. just sit back and look wise, and he will think you are wonderful. and bob is lots of fun, and—oh, it will be easy."
the rest of the afternoon passed comfortably enough getting ready for the evening, and the girls had told the boys good night, and gone up-stairs before rosalie remembered that alicia was a bore.
[pg 147]
when they went into their room for the night, she turned alicia's face to the light and scrutinized the bright quiet eyes, and the flushed but still placid face.
"marvels will never cease," she said solemnly. "i am not sensible, i don't want to be sensible, i don't even believe in sense, and i talk all the time, and the silliest talk i can think of—but that perfectly dignified sober arthur gooding, who is a 'post,' fell for me like a flash, head over heels. and he was invited for you! and you sat back in a corner saying as near nothing as possible, but that irrepressible bob harton could not keep three feet away from you all evening, and never took his eyes off your face once. come now, 'fess up. did he make a date with you?"
"three—one for to-morrow, and two for next week," admitted alicia, smiling softly. "isn't he funny and bright?"
rosalie turned her back, and stared up at the ceiling. "well," she said at last, "i always have thought you quiet girls were dangerous, if you ever get started."
[pg 148]
alicia came over to her suddenly, and said, "thank you for getting me started. i had a lovely time. i thought you did not like me, rosalie. you'll forgive me, won't you?"
rosalie flung her arms impulsively around alicia's shoulders. "i had a lovely time myself. and i do like you—but i shall try to forgive you, if you never do it again," she said virtuously. but as they were getting into bed, she said suddenly, "isn't that zee the shrewd one, though?" and alicia wondered what zee had to do with the question in hand.
