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Page 15
"'No, ma'am,' answered the tallest girl, as she gazed about the
handsome room with wide-open eyes, I could see that she was not
accustomed to such beautiful things.
"Where did you get acquainted with him, then?' went on Mrs. Morris
kindly.
"'We hain't acquainted at all, ma'am; but he seed us on the street this
morning, and said for us to come to his party to-day. He thought as
how maybe they'd be ice-cream to eat, and he told us where he lived,
and so we are here.'
"'Well, we must try to make you have a pleasant time,' she replied.
'Sarah, please call Johnny and tell him his guests have arrived.'
"But Sarah had been answering a second peal of the bell, and now
appeared with a very queer smile on her face at the head of a line of
three girls and a small boy, whom she introduced by saying:
"'A few more children, ma'am, who have come to take tea with master
Johnny.'
"'Why, really,' exclaimed Mrs. Morris, in a sort of flutter, as she
helped Sarah to seat the new arrivals. 'The house is hardly in order
for company.'
"The children appeared quite embarrassed, and ranged themselves
silently and sedately on the chairs to which they had been directed.
"'Dear me, Sarah, what a predicament to be in! Where do you suppose
Johnny scraped up all these youngsters? I don't know what I ought to
do to him for playing me this trick.' Mrs. Morris said this to the
maid as they came to my side of the room. 'Think of all the work to be
done, and which will have to be stopped for the day--the house all
upside down--no chance for preparations for an extra supper for his
company. And that big girl bespoke ice-cream as soon as she entered.'
And then Mrs. Morris and Sarah turned into the recess of the bay window
and laughed softly. Her vexation seemed to pass away in a few minutes,
for she added, 'We must make the best of it, since they are here, and
let everything else go. But there's the bell; I expect it's another
batch of Johnny's friends.'
"And so it proved, for these were old acquaintances, eight or ten of
his schoolmates. Little misses dressed in fine style, in dainty
ruffled frocks and necklaces and bright hair-ribbons, tripped
gracefully in and advanced to meet Mrs. Morris, quite like grown ladies
in their manners. Behind them came several boys, spick and span in
fresh white linen waists and silk neckties and well-fitting shoes.
"'Ah! here are Frances and Naomi and Justice and Karl and Mary Ethel
and Philip and Jessica and all the rest,' said Mrs. Morris, giving them
each a hand of welcome as they gathered about her in a pretty group.
'Will you make yourselves quite at home and help me to entertain these
other visitors till Johnny comes in? I don't know what keeps him so
long. If you'll excuse me I'll go and look for him. There are the
pictures in the portfolio that you might like to show to these little
girls. And there's the admiral, our redbird, and Bessie, the parrot.
Maybe they would like to look at them.'
"The two girls whom she had designated as Jessica and Frances looked at
the strange children a minute but made no movement to carry out Mrs.
Morris' wishes. Instead they drew a little apart and began to talk to
each other. Mary Ethel, a round-faced girl who giggled a great deal
behind her fan, crossed over to where sat the large girl who had
mentioned the ice-cream, and started a conversation by remarking that
it was a warm day. The girl made no audible answer, only nodded.
"'Do you like to go to school?' inquired Mary Ethel.
"The girl again nodded. There was a little pause. Mary Ethel, who was
bent on carrying out Mrs. Morris' suggestion to help her entertain
them, began again on the weather. I suppose she couldn't think of
anything new to say, so she observed:
"'It's a nice warm day for the first of September, don't you think?'
"The girl's head once more wagged up and down in assent, but not a word
did she utter. At this a subdued titter came from Frances and Jessica.
Mary Ethel's face grew red and she frowned at them.
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