There was something exceedingly pleasant in her straightforward manner.
"I don"t care much for parties myself," said Carl, "but if you want to get acquainted you must not stick in a corner."
"What must I do?" Dora asked, smiling.
"Well, to begin with, you make friends with somebody who knows somebody else, and so on. It is very easy."
"Then I have begun with you, though I do not know your name."
"Very well, here goes! My name is Carl Hazeltine, the girl over by the oak tree is my sister Louise, the boy with her is Isaac Ford--the one who is laughing I mean; next to him is Elsie Morris, and that fellow coming this way is Aleck Hazeltine, my cousin, and--"
Dora put out her hand appealingly. "I can"t possibly remember so many, and I haven"t told you my name. It is Dora Warner."
"We used to have a cat named Dora," Carl remarked gravely, taking a small round gla.s.s from his pocket and composedly surveying his necktie, "a nice, white, meek little p.u.s.s.y cat."
"I had a dog once, when we were in London, named Carl--o. He was a curly dog and ever so vain when we tied a ribbon on his collar," was the prompt response. Then they both laughed merrily, and Carl asked with friendly interest, "Were you really in London!"
"Yes, we were there last winter."
"Wasn"t it great fun?"
"No, for papa was ill, and mamma always with him, so I was lonely."
Something in Dora"s tone made Carl notice that her sash was black.
"So I suppose her father is dead," he thought, but could think of nothing to say, and jumping up suddenly was off like a flash.
Dora thought her new acquaintance a funny one, but his friendly manner had made her feel cheerful again.
She saw him coming back presently, accompanied by a little girl with soft dark eyes and a sweet face which she recognized at once.
"This is my sister Bess," he announced.
Bess sat down beside her, saying gravely, "Carl says you don"t know anyone. Wouldn"t you like to come and play with us? We are going to begin a new game."
Dora was quite ready. "Only I am afraid I shall not know how," she said.
"That won"t make the least difference, for we haven"t any of us played it before. It is very easy--just throwing bean-bags," and, taking her hand in a friendly clasp, Bess led her toward a gay group that was all in an uproar over some of Aleck"s nonsense.
"Here comes that odd-looking girl," whispered Elsie to Helen. "Just see what a plain dress she has on!"
"Why, you are the girl who brought our Carie home yesterday, aren"t you?" cried Louise, as Bess introduced Dora.
"Are you really? She has been talking about you all day. Carl, it was Dora who found Carie," Bess exclaimed delightedly.
From this moment the charmed circle was open to her. Dora could hardly believe she was not dreaming. To be taken into the midst of all the fun under the protection of her new friends--to find herself suddenly popular! What could have seemed more incredible half an hour before?
Louise, who was a born leader, and whose bright face and sunny temper made her a general favorite, took her in charge, and Dora entered so heartily into the game, laughing so merrily at her mistakes, that her companions begun at once to like her.
"Come, Elsie, aren"t you going to play?" asked Bess.
"I don"t know how," was her reply, in a fretful tone.
"It is perfectly easy," said one of the others.
"Never mind; she doesn"t know beans," laughed Aleck, tossing a bag to Dora.
"I know you are very rude," pouted Elsie.
"Do play," urged Dora, running to her. "I will show you exactly how,"
and half reluctantly she yielded, for she really wanted to play.
Before they were through the game, supper interrupted, and gave them something else to think about.
Mrs. May, remembering the stranger and coming to look for her, concluded that she was quite able to take care of herself, for she seemed to be having an extremely good time.
A good time truly it was, Dora thought, as she sat among her new friends.
"I am so glad we are acquainted with you," Louise said.
"I am sure I am glad," she answered, "and I do hope I shall see Carie again sometime. There is one thing I must tell you," she continued.
"The other day I walked by your house, and I was so tired I sat down on your carriage-block to rest. It was very quiet, and n.o.body was in sight, and I was sitting there thinking how very big your front door was--"
"How did you know it was our house?" asked Bess.
"I didn"t then, but presently the door opened and you two came out.
You had on blue dresses, and Louise had a book, and you came and sat under a tree not very far from me."
"Why, we didn"t see you!"
"I know you did not, and, of course, I ought to have gone away, but"--here Dora"s face flushed--"I couldn"t help hearing the beginning of your story, and then I forget what I was doing--it was dreadful; I want you to know about it--I listened to all you said."
"How funny! And we did not see you! Why, Dora, we don"t care a bit, do we, Bess?"
"I am very glad if you don"t. I was so ashamed of myself. I hoped some day I should know you, but I did not think it would happen so soon,"
and Dora heaved a sigh of relief.
"But isn"t it funny that you should have found Carie?" said Bess.
"And then have tripped me up," added Carl, joining them. "It is really as curious as our getting acquainted with Miss Brown."
"Who is Miss Brown?" asked Elsie.
"She is a person who has lately moved into Nottingham castle," he replied gravely.
"Robin Hood broke one of her windows," added Aleck.
"What does he mean? I don"t understand it at all," fretted Elsie, who was so easily teased the boys could never resist the temptation.
"Carl is talking nonsense. I will tell you about her sometime," said Bess.