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Page 23
But Stella seemed not at all conscious that her conduct was
different from the others, and she smiled mildly at their
rollicking fun, and agreed quietly to their eager enthusiasms.
At last Jane came in with the tea-tray, and the sight of the
crackers and milk, the strawberries and little cakes, created a
pleasant diversion.
Stella sat still in her chair, while Marjorie braced herself up on
her pillows, and Molly, who was sitting on the bed, bounced up and
down with glee.
Marjorie was getting much better now, so that she could sit
upright and preside over the feast. She served the strawberries
for her guests, and poured milk for them from the glass pitcher.
Molly and Marjorie enjoyed the good things, as they always enjoyed
everything, but Stella seemed indifferent even to the delights of
strawberries and cream.
She sat holding a plate in one hand, and a glass of milk in the
other, and showed about as much animation as a marble statue. Even
her glance was roving out of the window, and somehow the whole
effect of the child was too much for Marjorie's spirit of
mischief.
Suddenly, and in a loud voice, she said to Stella, "BOO!"
This, in itself, was not frightful, but coming so unexpectedly it
startled Stella, and she involuntarily jumped, and her glass and
plate fell to the floor with a crash; and strawberries, cakes, and
milk fell in a scattered and somewhat unpleasant disarray.
Marjorie was horrified at what she had done, but Stella's face, as
she viewed the catastrophe, was so comical that Marjorie went off
into peals of laughter. Molly joined in this, and the two girls
laughed until the bed shook.
Frightened and nervous at the whole affair, Stella began to cry.
And curiously enough, Stella's method of weeping was as noisy as
her usual manner was quiet. She cried with such loud, heart-
rending sobs that the other girls were frightened into quietness
again, until they caught sight of Stella's open mouth and tightly-
closed but streaming eyes, when hilarity overtook them again.
Into this distracting scene, came Grandma. She stood looking in
amazement at the three children and the debris on the floor.
At first Mrs. Sherwood naturally thought it an accident due to
Stella's carelessness, but Marjorie instantly confessed.
"It's my fault, Grandma," she said; "I scared Stella, and she
couldn't help dropping her things."
"You are a naughty girl, Mischief," said Grandma, as she tried to
comfort the weeping Stella. "I thought you would at least be
polite to your little guests, or I shouldn't have given you this
tea party."
"I'm awfully sorry," said Marjorie, contritely; "please forgive
me, Stella, but honestly I didn't think it would scare you so.
What would YOU do, Molly, if I said 'boo' to you?"
"I'd say 'boo yourself'!" returned Molly, promptly.
"I know you would," said Marjorie, "but you see Stella's
different, and I ought to have remembered the difference. Don't
cry, Stella; truly I'm sorry! Don't cry, and I'll give you my--my
paper-doll's house."
This was generous on Marjorie's part, for just then her paper-
doll's house was her dearest treasure.
But Stella rose to the occasion.
"I w-wont t-take it," she said, still sobbing, though trying hard
to control herself; "it wasn't your fault, Marjorie; I oughtn't to
have been so silly as to be scared b-because you said b-boo!"
By this time Jane had removed all evidences of the accident, and
except for a few stains on Stella's frock, everything was in
order.
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