This was considered a very just arrangement and Dorothy began to turn over the pieces for her first choice.
"I think I should like this pretty piece of blue silky stuff," she said, "and I will dress the doll with the middle colored hair; I think it will be becoming to her."
"Then I will take this little speckly piece for the doll with the lightest hair. She can have a pink sash and will look too sweet."
Jennie decided upon a thin bit of yellow for her doll of decidedly brunette type and they set to work.
"I can cut out for mine and then you two can cut yours exactly the same," Edna told them, "for the dolls are all the same size and it will be very easy." But the cutting out had scarcely begun before it was time for dinner and the dolls had to be put away till later in the evening when all should gather around the big table in the living-room.
However, after dinner it was found that the larger package had arrived, so of course this had to be opened, and what with talking over this and admiring that, it was bedtime before anyone knew it. But the dolls were all carried upstairs and were set a-row where the children could see them first thing in the morning. The bag of pieces was lugged along, too. "For we might want to get up early and work before breakfast,"
said Jennie with industrious intent.
But the breakfast hour arrived before the children were out of bed, so tired were they from their trip, and the row of staring dolls was given little attention in the haste to get dressed. After breakfast the piece bag was dragged out again. Emma"s work was taken by one of the other servants and the morning long hands and tongues were busy, so that by lunch time the three little dolls appeared nicely clad, and one of Edna"s and one of Jennie"s were nearly ready. To dress nine children was quite a task even for three little girls, especially as the children increased in size as the work progressed and though a skirt for a doll six inches long required but few st.i.tches, when it came to one twice the size the fingers grew very tired.
"Suppose you don"t do any more doll clothes to-day," said Mrs. Ramsey noticing the weary sighs. "You have done a fine morning"s work, and to-morrow you can start in again. I think this afternoon you"d better take the pony and do some errands for me, and I will make a fair exchange by helping you with the dolls to-morrow."
This was such a sensible and just arrangement that the little girls readily agreed and started off in high spirits to leave an order here, take a note there, and finally to wind up with a call upon Miss Eloise, who, they knew, would be interested to know about their trip to the city.
"I was just thinking about you children," said Miss Eloise from the little porch of the bungalow, where she was sitting when they drove up. "I am going to have a sewing-bee to make things for the bazar, you know, and I want you all to come."
"Oh, lovely," cried they. "Tell us about it, Miss Eloise."
"Day after to-morrow, it is to be, and those that have dolls to dress can bring them, or you can bring anything else, fancy work or anything.
I can"t sew very long at a time, but I can try to entertain you and can come in strong with advice." She laughed, and the girls crowded around her.
"Tell me about the trip to Boston," she went on. "How many dolls did you buy, and what else did you get? Sister and I have thought of several nice things to do for the bazar, and ever so many of the young people are going to help. Rudolph is going to donate some photographs and will take orders for others; then some of the boys are going into the woods for tiny little cedar and pine trees which we are going to plant in pots. Mrs. Morrison"s sister has promised to make some paper dolls--I remember the beautiful one she made for Louis to send to you last year, Edna,--and, oh my, we are going to have a big time."
She stopped to take breath and the children began to tell of their trip to the city, of their purchases, and all the rest of it.
"If Ben were only here," said Miss Eloise when they had finished their account, "we might give the little play that the G. R. club gave at the close of the year, but we couldn"t do it without him."
"Besides," said Jennie, "we are the only ones of the club who are here, and there wouldn"t be enough time to get it up."
"Why couldn"t we do it when we go back?" suggested Edna. "We might sell tickets, you see, and get ever so many to come, for there were quant.i.ties of people who wanted to come last time, but we could invite only so many."
"Why, Edna, that is a great scheme," cried Miss Eloise. "It would be very little trouble, for those who took part before, as they all have their costumes and would only have to look over their parts. Let"s tell sister." She called Miss Newman from the house and it was agreed that such a plan might easily be carried out. "And," said Miss Eloise, "it will be a true Golden Rule performance. Dear me, what wonderful things are happening all the time, now that I have come out of my sh.e.l.l."
This new idea was talked of all the way home and the children were so eager to tell Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey of it, that the little pony was urged on at his smartest pace. Of course Mrs. Ramsey was charmed at the new plan for raising funds for Cap"n Si, and Edna felt much pleased that she had thought of it. "Although," she said when she was praised for her quick wit, "I might not have thought of it if Miss Eloise had not spoken of how nice it would be to have it here."
"Then we"ll give Miss Eloise her share of credit," said Mrs. Ramsey smiling at the child"s honesty.
That evening was given to the winding of worsteds, the marking of designs, and the cutting out of various bits of card-board for certain fancy articles. Four more dolls were dressed the next morning by the help of Mrs. Ramsey and Emma, and in the afternoon there was a sewing-bee on the bungalow porch, and more plans were made for the bazar. Mrs. Ramsey was present and organized an idea party to meet at her house the next day. Everyone was to bring an idea to be carried out at the bazar and so the ball was kept rolling and the work for the entertainment went forward in a way that promised a very successful affair. Dorothy and Edna did not fail to write home about the fire and the bazar and made their request for contributions of money or fancy articles. They watched eagerly for replies, and when these came in the shape of two letters apiece, they gave little squeals of delight, for both Mrs. Conway and Mrs. Evans wrote and enclosed a dollar to be spent at the bazar. "For," said the mothers, "we know you have taken all your spending money for the dolls and things, and will not have any to spend."
"Now I am perfectly happy," cried Edna. "Is yours a dollar, too, Dorrie?"
"Yes, a whole dollar. And Edna I think I shall buy back one of my own dolls. I love the one in blue so much that I just can"t give her up."
"Maybe I will buy my dear one with the light hair," returned Edna. "I don"t suppose a dollar would be enough to buy one of Mrs. Ramsey"s beauties, though I believe I would rather have one of those than anything in the world, even if I didn"t have a cent to spend on anything else."
"Oh, but I think it would be more fun to spend the money for different things, and not for just one."
"But when the one is a doll like that exquisite creature in evening dress, with the cunning fan and the sweet little lace handkerchief, I think I"d be perfectly satisfied not to have another thing."
"You mean the one with the golden hair? She is a darling but although I like her dress, I think I would rather have the dark-haired one."
"That is because you have golden hair yourself; you always want dark-haired dolls, I notice." The two were sitting on the porch with Jennie just inside by the window busily working away at an embroidered centerpiece she was doing in outline. She did not join in the talk, but had long ago decided that her choice of the three handsome dolls would be the one with ruddy brown hair dressed in street costume with hat and feathers.
Her father, in whose smoking-room she was sitting, looked up with a smile as Jennie arose to join her friends. "Bless their dear little hearts," he said to himself. "I think they are about the sweetest three it has ever been my lot to see, and my own girl is the dearest of them all, even if she isn"t quite the beauty Dorothy is."
CHAPTER X
THE BAZAR
So the days went by till the time came for the opening of the bazar.
It was to be held in the little hall which served as a place of amus.e.m.e.nt for the community of summer visitors. Here concerts were given, dances took place, lecturers found a platform. On this occasion it was decorated with greens from the woods. Tea was served in a tent outside near a gypsy camp where pretended fortunes were told by a pretty girl with dark eyes, whose costume made one almost believe she really belonged to that wandering race. A bower of green in one corner of the hall sheltered the flower girls who offered all kinds of blooms, from a bunch of field flowers to a bouquet of American Beauty roses.
Another table showed such an array of cakes and candies as made one"s mouth water, while the articles of fancy work were so numerous that the children were afraid the half would not be sold. The dolls had a place of honor to themselves, the three donated by Mrs. Ramsey occupying the most conspicuous place.
Dorothy and Edna made their way to this table first of all, and Dorothy was prompt in exchanging a quarter for her little doll in blue. "I was so afraid it would be sold first thing," she explained to Edna, "and I still have seventy-five cents to spend on other things."
Edna was not so fortunate, for the doll of her choice was already sold, while the impossible one among Mrs. Ramsey"s trio, was far beyond her pocket-book. "It is marked three dollars," she whispered to Dorothy.
So she put this out of her mind, and decided that she would first buy something to take home to her mother and sister and then, if there were enough left, she might get one of the little dolls.
The room was beginning to be thronged with people, although the children had arrived early, and it was noticed that sales were being made rapidly. Everyone was eager to buy, though the cheaper articles went first, and Edna had some difficulty in getting something very pretty for the amount she could afford. However, Miss Newman came to her rescue.
"Here is a little girl," she said to one of the ladies behind the table, "who has worked very hard for this bazar, and who wants something very nice to take home for her mother. What is the very prettiest thing you have for twenty-five cents?"
"Why, let me see," said the lady smiling down at Edna, and then casting her eye over the table, "there ought to be some of those nice little handkerchief cases. There were several on the table, but they went off like hot cakes. I will see if there are any more that haven"t been put out." She rummaged around in the boxes at the back, and finally produced what she was looking for which pleased Edna greatly, and it was handed over to her. Next a pretty picture-frame was chosen for Celia and the most important purchases were made.
Dorothy and Jennie were wandering around together, the doll in blue sitting up very stiffly where Dorothy carried it on her hand. Jennie"s father had given her two dollars to spend, and she had already parted with most of it. The caramels and panuchee were not to be resisted, and there were so many pretty things that one"s money did not last long.
"I wish papa would come," she remarked to her two friends. "I know he would buy something for me when he knows I can"t buy it for myself."
"There he is now," cried Edna as a tall man was seen making his way toward them.
Jennie wedged her way between ranks of small boys who were consuming peanuts and pop-corn, and reached her father"s side. "Oh, Papa," she cried, "I am so glad you have come. There is such a lovely crocheted sacque over here that I want you to buy for me to give to Miss Eloise."
"For you to give to Miss Eloise? Why shouldn"t I be giving things to Miss Somebody-or-other?"
"Because I think it would be nicer for me to. You can buy things for mother and me, if you want to."
"And for no one else?"
"Oh, yes, you can get anything you choose for Edna and Dorothy."
"Thanks for your kind permission. I think I know exactly what those young ladies would like. Let"s see about the worsted thingamabob first."