"If I am invited?"
"Then I invite you now. You need not say you got my invitation before the others were out--but be sure to come!"
CHAPTER X
A LAWN PARTY "WITH BOYS!"
The day was perfect--an item of much importance where lawn parties are concerned. Dorothy and Tavia were kept in ignorance of the testimonial that had been arranged in their honor, and were now, at one hour before the appointed time, dressing for an afternoon with Alice. Ned and Nat were to go with them and then--
"I am going to dress in my brand new challie," Tavia announced to Dorothy, as she left for that operation. "I"ll show Miss Cuc.u.mber what I can look like when I do dress up."
"I"ll wear my cadet blue linen," said Dorothy, "I think that such a pretty dress."
"Splendiferous!" agreed Tavia, "and so immensely becoming. Well, let us get there on time. I am just dying to say things at, not to, Miss Cuke."
"Tavia!" but that young lady was out of reach of the admonition Dorothy was wont to administer. The Green Violet, the Green Vegetable and all the other Greens seemed sufficiently abusive to Dorothy, but she was determined not to tolerate the latest epithet Tavia had coined to take the place of that name--Viola Green.
"Of course," admitted Dorothy, reflecting upon Tavia"s new word, "Viola does seem sour, and her name is Green, but that is no reason why we should make an enemy of her. She might make it very unpleasant at Glenwood School."
Ned and Nat arrived just as Dorothy finished dressing. They had been invited over the telephone by Alice, who, in taking them into the lawn party plot, had arranged that they bring Dorothy and Tavia ostensibly to spend the afternoon with her.
Scarcely had the cousins" greeting been exchanged when Tavia made her appearance. She did look well in the new challie--one of the school dresses so lately acquired through Mrs. White"s good management.
"We had better go at once," said Ned, after speaking a word to Tavia.
"I am really anxious to become better acquainted with Miss Alice. She seems such a jolly girl."
"And as good as gold!" declared Dorothy warmly. "We all just love Alice!"
"I am sure you do. I would to--if I had a chance," joked Ned.
Along the road Tavia was with Nat as usual, trying to find some heretofore unfound item of interest in reviewing the ride in the police wagon. But concerning the interference of the stranger, Viola Green, Tavia was silent. Nat might say something that would spoil Tavia"s idea of the joke on Viola.
Reaching the MacAllister gate both boys wondered that no sign of the festivities were apparent. Even upon the very threshold of the stately old mansion not a sound betrayed the expected lawn party. Alice answered the ring and, with a pleasant greeting, showed the company into the reception room, then, as she drew back the portiers opening up the long parlor there was a wild shout:
"Surprise! Surprise on Dorothy! Surprise on Tavia!" And the next moment there was such an "outpouring," as Tavia termed the hilarity, that neither Dorothy nor Tavia could find herself, so tangled had each one become with all the others in their joyous enthusiasm.
It was a complete surprise. This fact made the affair especially enjoyable--girls do love to keep secrets in spite of all proverbial statements to the contrary.
"Didn"t you even guess?" quizzed May Egner, addressing Dorothy.
"Never suspected a thing," declared Dorothy, as she finally managed to make her way to a cozy little seat in the arch, and there ensconced, began a pleasant chat with May Egner.
"Nettie is responsible for the boys," May began. "She was a committee of one on them. But she declares she never invited that Tom Burbank, see him over there with Viola? And Alice is a little put out about it.
He is a stranger, you know, and none of the boys seem to take him up."
"I am glad there are boys here," remarked Dorothy, looking pleasantly about the room and noting how well the Dalton boys had turned out, and what a really good-looking set they were. "But surely someone must have invited Tom Burbank."
"I suspect Viola," whispered May. "She seems to have something private to say to him and insists no one else shall hear it. Just see where they are."
In a most secluded nook indeed, a very small cozy corner under the stairway, could be seen the pair in question. Viola looked particularly pretty in a light green muslin that brought out to perfection the delicate tints of her rather pale face. Her dark hair was turned up in a "bun," and it might be said, in pa.s.sing, that no other girl in the room had a.s.sumed such a young lady-like effect.
This, with her society manners, and Tom at her elbow, easily gave Viola a star position at the lawn party.
Tavia was still gasping over her "surprise." The boys found it a matter of ease to become at once a part of the party where Tavia was concerned. They might have felt a trifle awkward before she came, this being the social debut of most of them, but when Tavia, "got going," as they expressed it, there was an end to all embarra.s.sment.
Like a queen she sat on the low couch, her head thrown back in mock scorn, while not less than a half dozen boys wielded palm leaf fans about her, in true oriental fashion. Someone brought a ha.s.sock for her feet, then another ran to the porch and promptly returned with a long spray of honeysuckle that was pressed into a crown for her head; Alice confiscated a j.a.panese parasol from the side wall for her "slave" to shade her with and then--
The couch was the kind without a back support, cartridge cushions under the rolled ends finishing the antique design. Against one of these Tavia was resting, but no sooner had all her accessories been completed than her suite fell into line, four "slaves" making hold of the couch, lifting it majestically from its place, and with the air of Roman history, "gents" solemnly marching off with the queen and her retinue in full swing.
George Mason was chief waver--that is, he had the post of honor, next the "chariot" with his fan.
"Ki-ah!" he called, "Tavy-wavy-Ki-yah!"
This was the signal for a solemn chant in which all of the twenty boys present, including Ned and Nat, but not Tom Burbank, partic.i.p.ated.
"Ki-ah!" called the leader.
"Ki-ah!" answered the retinue.
"Loddy-Shoddy, Wack-fi-Oddy Ki-ah!" sang out the head "Yamma," while Queen Octavia smiled majestically at her subjects, and bore the honor thrust upon her as gracefully as if born heir to an Indian throne.
The girls were bending and fanning and bowing, some even endeavoring to kiss the queen"s hand as she pa.s.sed.
"It takes boys to find fun," remarked Alice, "But see here, Yum-kim, or Loddy-Shoddy, whoever may be in authority," called Alice, "please bring back that couch, very carefully now, when you have dumped the queen on the lawn."
At this the slaves stopped, but did not dump their queen. Instead, they slowly lowered the chariot, and even a.s.sisted her to alight.
"Thanks, awfully," said Tavia, in common English, "I suppose that honor is saved for most persons" funerals. It"s something to have tried it--I think Indian funeral marches perfectly lovely. I must die in India."
"Funeral march! Well, I like that!" groaned George Mason. "Of all the frosts--"
"That, my dear queen," declared Ralph Wilson, "was your triumphant procession-all! Did you notice the procesh? Funeral indeed! You would never get off that easy with a funeral in India."
Viola was standing on the porch smiling pleasantly. Somehow she seemed very agreeable to-day. Dorothy noticed how cordially she had greeted her, and even Tavia felt she should certainly have to be civil to the "Green Violet" if the latter kept her "manners going."
"Introduce me to your cousins," said Viola affably, coming up to where Dorothy stood.
"Certainly," answered Dorothy. "I was waiting for an opportunity. The queen-show took all our attention."
"Wasn"t it splendid," and Viola seemed to have enjoyed the fun. "I do think boys do the funniest things."
"Yes, they certainly are original. I have two small brothers and they keep me going."
"How lovely to have brothers!" remarked Viola. "I am all alone at home."
"It must be lonely," sympathized Dorothy, "but then, you can have everything your own way."