"I found the pearl in an oyster stew, grandma. It is such a very funny place Out West"
"Yes, it is really a pearl," said Percy, "only spoiled by boiling. Look her, Toddlekins; oysters don"t grow Out West; they grow here on the coast. You"d better study astronomy."
Dotty took refuge in silence again, like an oyster withdrawing into his sh.e.l.l.
"O, Dotty," said Susy, presently, "tell me what you saw Out West. I want to hear all about it."
"Well, I saw a pandrammer," replied Dotty, briefly.
"What in the world is that?" said Johnny.
"It is a long picture, and they keep pulling it out like India rubber."
"She means a _panorama_" cried Johnny. "Why, I went to one last night. We can see as much as you can, without going Out West, either."
Here was another sensation. Dotty might as well have been eating ashes as the delirious dinner before her.
"Don"t you like your pudding, dear?" asked aunt Eastman.
"O, yes"m; I always like _c.o.ker-whacker"_ replied the unfortunate Dotty, stumbling over the word _tapioca_.
In spite of their mother"s warning frown, the three young Eastmans laughed, while Susy and Prudy, who had kinder hearts and better manners, drew down their mouths with the greatest solemnity.
"I ain"t going to speak another word," cried the persecuted little traveller, setting down her goblet, and hitting it against her plate till it rang again.
"_Error!_" called out Florence from the other side of the table; "there"s no such word as _ain"t_."
This was too much. Dotty had smarted under these cruel blows long enough.
She hastily arose from the table, and rushed out of the room.
"Florence and Percy, you are both very thoughtless," said Mrs. Eastman, reprovingly.
Mrs. Parlin looked deeply pained, as she always did when her little daughter gave way to her temper; but she made no allusion to the subject, and tried to go on with her dinner as if nothing had happened.
Dotty ran into the front yard, threw herself on the ground, and buried her face in a verbena bed.
There! it wasn"t of any use; she couldn"t be good; it wouldn"t last! When she had just come home, and had so many things to tell, and supposed everybody would be glad to see her and hear her talk,--why, Percy and Florence must just spoil it all by laughing. O, it was too bad!
"I wish I hadn"t come! I wish I"d been switched off!" sighed Dotty, meaning, if she meant anything, that she wished the cars had whirled her away to the ends of the earth, instead of bringing her home, where people were all ready with one accord to trample her into the dust.
"Here I"ve been "way off, and know how to travel, and keep my ticket in my glove. Six years old, going on seven. Been down in a coal mine,--Prudy never"d dare to. Had a jigger cut out of my side. Been to the "Sylum.
One of the conductors said, "That"s a fine little daughter of yours, sir." I heard him. Aunt "Ria washed all those grease-spots out of my dress, and I had on a clean ruffle. And then, just "cause I couldn"t say _c.o.ker-whacker_--"
"There, there, don"t feel so bad, you precious sister," said a soothing voice; and a soft cheek was pressed to Dotty"s, and a pair of loving arms clasped her close. "Percy was real too-bad, and so was Flossy--so there!"
"O, Prudy, I wish they were every one of "em in the penitential, locked in, and Johnny too! Me just got home, and never did a single thing to them! And there they laughed right in my face!"
"But you know, dear, they don"t think," said Prudy, who found it unsafe to sympathize too much with her angry sister; "they never do think; they don"t mean any harm."
"I"ll make "em think!" cried Dotty, fiercely. "I"ll scare "em so they"ll think! I"ll take a pumpkin, and I"ll take a watermelon, and I"ll take--"
"Dear me, Dotty, that is a beautiful ring on your finger. I wish I had one just like it."
Dotty cast a suspicious glance at her sister.
"Don"t you try to pacify ME, Prudy Parlin."
Prudy held a handful of southernwood to her nose, and smiled behind it.
"This isn"t _temper_, Prudy Parlin, "cause you said your own self they "bused me."
"Such a cunning little pearl!" remarked Prudy, still admiring the ring; "how glad I should be if you"d wish it on to my finger, Dotty!"
"They "bused me, Prudy Parlin, and you know it."
"Only till night, Dotty Dimple. Just wish it on till night."
"Well, there," exclaimed Dotty, at last; "hold out your finger if you can"t stop teasing. But I _haven"t_ any temper, and you needn"t act just"s if you"s trying to pacify me."
"O, thank you, Dotty; on my third finger."
"Now I"ve wished it on, Prudy; and its a good-enough wish for you, when you won"t pity me; but now I"m going up in the bathing-room to stay, and you can"t make me come down--not a single step."
"I shan"t want you to come down, Dotty. There"s the very place I"m going to myself. We"ll carry up the needle-gun; it"s the nicest thing to play with. Come, let"s hurry up stairs the back way, little sister, for they"ll be out from dinner, and see us."
Dotty needed no second hint. In half an hour she was so far recovered from the _megrims_ as to be hungry; when Prudy secretly begged some pudding for her of the willing Angeline.
Then the same little peacemaker went to her cousins, and made them each and all promise to be more careful of her sister"s feelings; after which there was nut-cracking in the wood-shed, and a loud call for Miss Dimple, who consented to go down after much urging, and was the merriest one of the whole party.
CHAPTER V.
PLAYING TRUANT.
For several days after her return Dotty Dimple was in a state of jubilee.
She had a great deal to tell, and the whole household was ready to listen. Norah would stand with a dish or a rolling-pin in her hand, and almost forget what she had intended to do in her desire to hear every word Miss Dotty was saying.
Once, when she related her adventure with the pigeon-pie, grandma Read, who was clear-starching her caps, let the starch boil over on the stove; and at another time Mrs. Parlin was so much absorbed in a description of Phebe, that she almost spiced a custard with cayenne pepper.
All these evidences of interest were very flattering to Dotty. Sometimes she took Prudy one side, and told her the same story twice over, to which Prudy always listened with unfailing politeness. As I said before, while this excitement lasted Miss Dimple was in a state of jubilee. But by and by the novelty wore off; she had told the family everything she could possibly think of, and now longed for a few pairs of fresh ears into which to pour her stories. Everybody else was working for Christmas; Dotty alone was idle; for no one had time to give her a daily stint, and see that she accomplished it.
"After the holidays I shall have to go to school; so now is my time to play," said she to herself, "and I ought to play every minute, as tight as I can spring."
But she tried so hard to be happy that the effort was really very tiresome. If she had only had something to do, I am almost sure she would not have fallen into the misfortune which I am about to record.
One day her mother sent her to a worsted store to pattern some worsteds.