Читать книгу The Outdoor Girls at Foaming Falls - Stratemeyer Edward - Страница 6

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“Menagerie!” repeated Stella indignantly.

“I’ll have you understand, Mr. Allen Washburn,” Mollie laughed, “that if you expect to remain on speaking terms with us you had better treat Mr. Wags with respect.”

“A case of ‘love me, love my dog,’ is it?” grinned Allen. He reached out a finger and stroked one silken ear of Mr. Wags. “Cute little pup. Where did you pick him up?”

“Pick him up!” repeated Grace, with a withering look. “He can ask where we picked him up when we pretty nearly impoverished ourselves buying him away from that dreadful person with the two chins!”

“We bought him,” Mollie explained, taking pity on Allen’s bewilderment. They were walking on again, Allen accompanying them as far as the corner of the street on which his little new bungalow—his and Betty’s—stood. “Furthermore we bought him for Betty—for her birthday, you know. She said something about wanting a dog.”

“Great!” Allen’s approval was prompt and genuine. “A fine idea!”

“And one which you are to keep all to yourself,” said Mollie solemnly. “This is to be a surprise party, Allen. If Betty knows a word of it, the whole thing will be spoiled.”

“I shall be as mum as an oyster,” Allen assured her gravely. “Who’s coming? The regular crowd, I expect?”

“They don’t know it yet,” Mollie chuckled. “‘At least, the boys don’t. We decided only this morning to give the party. I don’t imagine we shall have any difficulty getting the boys to come, though,” she added.

“I’m quite sure you won’t,” Allen returned gravely, though there was a twinkle in his eye. “By the way, Amy,” he turned to the quiet girl, “I met Will this morning. He seemed excited and happy about something. He was dashing to the ’phone to call you when I met him. Wanted to come around to-night. I imagine.”

Amy’s face clouded.

“I can’t have him to-night. There’s a relative of Aunt Sarah’s visiting us and I have to take her to the movies.”

“Cheer up, honey!” Grace’s voice was almost too sweet as she tucked her arm through Amy’s. “You will be sure to see him the night of the surprise party, anyway.”

Grace was just the least bit jealous of her brother’s fondness for Amy and there were times when she could not keep this fact from showing. Now, although Amy flushed a little at the sting conveyed in the other’s words, she said nothing.

They had reached Allen’s corner and stood there a moment for a parting word or two, Mollie with an eye fixed anxiously on Betty’s house ready to fly with Stella and Mr. Wags should the Little Captain appear.

“We had to tell you about the party,” Irene explained, “so you would keep Betty at home that night. But if you breathe a word of it, to her— Are you going to be home for the rest of the day?” she interrupted herself to ask.

“No such luck!” replied Allen. “I was merely on my way home to get some briefs I forgot to take with me this morning.”

“Good!” said Irene, with a satisfied nod of her head. “Then you’ll have that much less time to let the cat out of the bag.”

“Only in this case it’s a dog,” grinned Allen, as he turned away. “Such lack of confidence,” he added dolefully, “is little less than an insult.”

“If you only knew what we really think,” Mollie called after him, but received only a mocking wave of a hat in reply.

The Outdoor Girls went on together to Mollie’s house where the latter insisted that Stella hand Mr. Wags over to her keeping.

“If I let you have him another day,” she said, in response to the latter’s remonstrance, “you would never give him up.”

Mr. Wags seemed willing enough to go to Mollie. In fact, he appeared to have reached that resigned state where nothing could surprise his doggy mind. He had changed owners so many times, why not one time more?

“Be careful Dodo and Paul don’t get hold of him,” Grace cautioned. “Mr. Wags, minus all his beautiful black hair, wouldn’t be a pretty present for any one.”

So far from resenting this criticism of her small brother and sister, Mollie acknowledged the justice of it. For Dodo—christened Dora and given the nickname by herself—and Paul were two of the most mischievous children who had ever plagued the heart and tried the patience of an older sister. It was proof of the strength of family ties, so Mollie had been heard to admit, that she “loved the twins just the same.”

Meanwhile there were numerous matters to be attended to.

Will Ford would naturally be informed of the proposed party by Grace, but Frank Haley and Roy Anderson must be called up and invited.

Then there was the caterer to be engaged. Deepdale was very proud of its caterer and the fact that a party could be arranged almost on a minute’s notice.

The girls would really have preferred to prepare the refreshments themselves. But in a surprise party, especially when it is to take place in the home of the person to be surprised, this is, to say the least, a difficult matter.

No, the caterer was the only thing. And although his prices were rather high, the girls found that they had sufficient capital left, even after the purchase of Mr. Wags, to defray the expense.

Then there was the problem of what to wear. Though this might have seemed the simplest matter of all, in reality it required more thought, consideration and discussion than all the other details combined.

At last all decisions were made, all details attended to. It was dinner time on the night of the party. In five separate households girls hastily swallowed portions of the evening meal, excused themselves as soon as decency would permit, then flew to their several chambers, there to make themselves as pretty as possible for the events of the evening.

Grace dressed with unusual care. She thought a great deal about Allen and what he had said concerning her brother. Will had been happy about something and his first thought had been to get Amy on the telephone, to tell her about it, probably.

In the old days, before he became so interested in Amy, she, Grace, had been Will’s confidante. He had told her his hopes and troubles and had always been sure of sympathy and understanding. But now!

All through dinner Grace had expected him to say something about his good news—if good news it were. He was very much elated over something, she could see that, but he said nothing to his family. Saving it all for Amy!

Grace slipped her green and silver chiffon gown over her head, careful not to muss the hair she had arranged so carefully. It was pretty, the dress, and very becoming. As Grace gazed at her reflection in the glass confidence returned and with it, her usual good spirits.

She would go down on the porch a little early before Stella and Irene arrived. The two girls were to stop in on their way to Mollie’s house. Perhaps Will would be there early too, and then, when they were alone, he would tell her his news.

But in this hope she was destined to disappointment.

Stella and Irene arrived early, Irene radiant in pink voile that made her look like a rose, Stella, pretty and eager, in a corn-colored frock.

“I feel ready for anything to-night,” announced Irene. “Where’s Will?”

“Primping,” said Grace, with a sigh. “These boys are so vain!”

“What base slander is this?” Will himself emerged on the heels of this exclamation. He was in full evening dress and looked happy—pleased with himself and the world.

Irene tucked her arm confidingly within his.

“We’ll be late for the party,” she said. “But you do look nice.”

“Don’t flatter me,” Will warned her, with a grin. “I’m not used to it.”

Irene giggled.

“You look horribly abused, poor thing! Come on, every one. Let’s hurry!”

When they reached the Billettes’ house they found the other girls and boys waiting for them.

Mollie looked flushed and excited. As a matter of fact, she was on the verge of tears.

“Those awful twins!” she cried to the newcomers. “They thought it would be fun to hide Mr. Wags. Imagine it! I found him only five minutes ago in the clothes press with a belt tassel tickling his nose!”

“Well, you have him now, haven’t you?” said Frank Haley consolingly.

“And him do look too buful with that red ribbon around his neck,” said Stella.

The boys exchanged alarmed glances.

“Come on, fellows,” cried Roy Anderson. “Something tells me it’s time we left!”

It took them only a few moments to reach Betty’s corner. From there on they maintained a dead silence, walking on the grass so that even their footsteps would be muffled.

Tiptoeing up on the porch, Mollie put a finger to her lips.

“The door’s on the latch!” she whispered. “I’ll just put Mr. Wags inside.”