"Well, we are so much obliged," remarked Dorothy. "And good-bye, Emily.
You"ll have everything ready for Santa Claus; won"t you?"
"I"ve got my parlor set from last year," said the child, "and mamma says Santa Claus always likes to see the other things, to know we took care of them."
"Thanks, Sanders," called Peter, at the window. "The horse is as good as ever. Don"t sell him without giving me a chance. I could do something if I owned a mare like that."
"All right," called back Sanders, whose pride was being played upon. "He might be worse. Did you put her in the far stall?"
"Just where I got her. And I tell you, Sanders, even a horse can play at Christmas. Only for him I never could get those trees to town."
"And only for Peter," put in Dorothy, "we could not have gotten Emily her tree. Now that"s how a horse can turn Santa Claus. Good-bye, Mr. Sanders, you may expect us before Christmas."
And then the two girls followed the chuckling Peter back to the _Fire Bird_, where the boys impatiently awaited them, to complete the delayed party bound for home, and for the Christmas holidays.
CHAPTER IV A REAL BEAUTY BATH
"This is some," remarked Bob Niles, before he knew what he was talking about. They had just been ensconsed in Daddy Brennen"s sleigh. Tavia was beside him-that is, she was as close beside him as she was beside Daddy Brennen, but the real fact was, that in this sleigh, no one could be beside anyone else-it was ever a game of toss and catch. But that was not Daddy"s fault. He never stopped calling to his horse, or pulling at the reins. It must have been the roads, yet everyone paid taxes in Dalton Township.
"Don"t boast," Tavia answered, adjusting herself anew to the last jolt, "this never was a sleigh to boast of, and it seems to be worse than ever now. There!" she gasped, as she almost fell over the low board that outlined the edge, "one more like that, and I will be mixed up with the gutter."
"Perhaps this is a safer place," Bob ventured. "I seem to stay put pretty well. Won"t you change with me?"
"No, thanks," Tavia answered, good-humoredly. "When Daddy a.s.signs one to a seat one must keep it."
"Nice clean storm," Daddy called back from the front. "I always like a white Christmas."
"Yes," Tavia said, "looks as if this is going to be white enough. But what are you turning into the lane for, Daddy?"
"Promised Neil Blair I"d take his milk in for him. He can"t get out much in storms-rheumatism."
"Oh," Tavia e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. Then to Bob: "How we are going to ride with milk cans is more than I can see."
"The more the merrier," Bob replied, laughing. "I never had a better time in my life. This beats a straw ride."
"Oh, we have had them too, with Daddy," she told him. "Doro and our crowd used to have good times when she lived in Dalton."
"No doubt. This is the farmhouse, I guess," Bob added, as the sleigh pulled up to a hill.
"Yes, this is Neil"s place," Tavia said. "And there comes Mrs. Blair with a heavy milk can."
"Oh, I must help her with that," offered the young man. "I suppose our driver has to take care of his speedy horse."
Disentangling himself from the heavy blankets, Bob managed to alight in time to take the milk can from the woman, who stood with it at the top of the hill.
"Oh, thank you, sir!" she panted. "The cans seem to get heavier, else I am getting lazy. But Neil had such a twinge, from this storm, that I wouldn"t let him out."
"And did you do all the milking?" Tavia asked, as Bob managed to place the can in the spot seemingly made for it, beside Daddy.
"Certainly. Oh, how do you do, Tavia? How fine you look; I"m glad to see you home for Christmas," Mrs. Blair a.s.sured the girl.
"Thank you. I"m glad to get home."
"Fetchin" company?" with a glance at young Niles.
"No, he"s going farther on," and Tavia wondered why it was so difficult for her to make such a trifling remark.
"Well, I"m glad he came this way, at any rate," the woman continued. "But Daddy will be goin" without the other can," and she turned off again in the direction of the barn.
"Are there more?" Bob asked Tavia, cautiously.
"I"m afraid so," she replied. "But I guess she can manage them."
"My mother would disown me if she knew I let her," Bob a.s.serted, bravely.
"This is an experience not in the itinerary," and he scampered up the hill, and made for the barn after Mrs. Blair.
Tavia could not help but admire him. After all, she thought, a good-looking lad could be useful, if only for carrying milk cans.
"And has that young gent gone after the can?" asked Daddy, as if just awaking from some dream.
"Yes," Tavia replied, rather sharply. "He wouldn"t let Mrs. Blair carry such a heavy thing."
"Well, she"s used to it," Daddy declared. At the same time he did disturb himself sufficiently to get out and prepare to put the second can in its place.
A college boy, in a travelling suit, carrying a huge milk can through the snow, Tavia thought rather a novel sight, but Bob showed his training, and managed it admirably.
"I"ll put her in," offered Daddy, "I didn"t know you went after it."
"So kind of him," remarked Mrs. Blair, "but he would have it. Thank you, Daddy, for stopping. Neil"ll make it all right with you."
Daddy was standing up in the sleigh, the can in his hands, "I think," he faltered, "I"ll have to set this down by you, Miss Travers," he decided.
"All right," Tavia agreed, making room at her feet.
He lifted the can high enough to get it over the back of the seat. It was heavy, and awkward, and he leaned on the rickety seat trying to support himself. The weight was too much for the board, and before Bob could get in to help him, and before Tavia could get herself out of the way, the can tilted and the milk poured from it in a torrent over the head, neck and shoulders of Tavia!
"Oh, mercy!" she yelled. "My new furs!"
"Save the milk," growled Daddy.
"Jump up!" Bob commanded Tavia. "Let it run off if it will."
But Tavia was either too disgusted, or too surprised, to "jump up."
Instead she sat there, fixing a frozen look at the unfortunate Daddy.