"I haven"t had one since I was a very little girl," said Dora; and Ikey added, "And neither have I."
"Did you have one when you were a little girl, Ikey?" asked Aleck gravely, making everybody laugh.
After they were gone Miss Brown sat alone in the firelight, thinking that of all the blessings the year had brought her, not the least was the friendship of these girls and boys.
Of all the young people invited to Uncle William"s party, no one was in such a flutter of delight as Dora. Affairs of this kind were new to her, and as the Hazeltines had talked so much about it, it was no wonder she felt eager and excited as she dressed next evening.
"I suppose Elsie wouldn"t go if she had to wear such plain things as mine," she thought as she took out her white dress. "Louise said they were going to wear white. Oh, dear! I should like to have nice clothes, but I can"t bother mamma about it." Dora sighed, for she liked pretty things as much as anybody.
All trace of anything like discontent had disappeared when she stood before her mother to have her sash tied.
"You should have had a new dress, poor child," Mrs. Warner said sadly.
"No, Mamma dear," was the cheerful answer, "you must not mind. It does not matter what I wear; I shall have a good time."
"How fortunate it is that Dora cares so little about dress!" her mother thought as her daughter kissed her and ran down to the parlor, where Carl was waiting with a bunch of roses which he presented with much grace. The girls were in the carriage outside, and the drive through the streets, where the electric lights were just appearing, was no small part of the pleasure. Helen said it was like grown people going to a party. "But it is more fun to be children, I think," said Dora, burying her face in her flowers.
It was not quite like a grown-up party, for Uncle William"s guests were invited to come at the sensible hour of six o"clock, but the beautiful house was all thrown open for their entertainment.
Dora forgot her dress as they went up the steps and were ushered into the brilliantly lighted hall.
They were the first arrivals, for the Hazeltine children were to a.s.sist in receiving the others, so when they came downstairs there were only Aunt Marcia, handsome and stately as usual, and Cousin Helen, looking exceedingly pretty in her pale-blue gown. The next comer was a tall gentleman whom Bess and Louise seemed to know very well. They called him Mr. Caruth, and were evidently delighted to see him.
"I am glad you came home in time for the party," Louise said to him; and Carl with an eye to business added, "You must come to our entertainment on New Year"s eve, Mr. Caruth."
"What do you charge for reserved seats?" asked the gentleman, laughing.
"Suppose we give him an arm-chair and make him pay a dollar for it,"
suggested Miss Hazeltine.
"He is a very nice man," Bess whispered to Dora. "We wish he would marry Cousin Helen, for then he would be related to us."
"Upon my word!" Miss Hazeltine exclaimed, so suddenly that Bess gave a guilty start, "I have forgotten my office; come here and be decorated before any more arrive." From a basket she took a handful of badges.
"What are these for?" Louise asked as her cousin pinned one on her shoulder.
"You will find out by and by," said Uncle William, coming in with a red rose in his b.u.t.tonhole.
And now the fun began. The children came in so rapidly that Cousin Helen had to have an a.s.sistant to fasten on the badges, and Mr.
Hazeltine was here, there, and everywhere, seeing that no one was left out of the good time. They played games and danced, grown people and all, and later in the evening Mr. Frank Hazeltine actually induced Aunt Marcia to take part in "Tucker," to the delight of her young relatives.
It was particularly exciting when Uncle William was "Tucker." They came through the grand right and left positively breathless, and everybody was glad of a few minutes" rest before supper.
"Isn"t it strange that Dora does not have prettier dresses?" Elsie Morris whispered to the girl next her. "I like her ever so much, but she wears the plainest clothes."
As she spoke Dora pa.s.sed to join Bess, who was beckoning to her from the other side of the room. She heard enough of what was said to make her color deepen as she went straight on.
"Elsie, she knew you were talking about her," cried Constance Myer.
"No, she didn"t," Elsie insisted, feeling very much ashamed.
"She won"t have any use for you after this," remarked Jim Carter, who was standing near. He found that he was mistaken, however. When they were decorating themselves with the tissue-paper caps and favors found in the bonbons, Elsie, who was a most fastidious little mortal, exclaimed, "I wish my cap was not green. I can"t wear it with a blue dress."
"I"ll change with you, for mine is blue and I like green quite as well."
It was Dora who stood beside her, holding out the cap. Poor Elsie was greatly abashed and couldn"t say a word, but Dora insisted.
"Please take it; I want you to have it, you will look so pretty in it."
She was exceedingly surprised when Elsie put her arms around her neck and kissed her, saying:
"You are the best girl in the world."
It was a small thing, for Dora had spoken truly when she said that she liked one as well as the other, but it made a deep impression upon two people. Elsie began from that moment to be more careful and kind in her criticisms, and Jim rather reluctantly came to the conclusion that this was better and finer than showing resentment.
When supper was over the company was pervaded by a feeling that something interesting was about to happen.
"What is on hand, Louise, do you know?" Aleck asked, and at that moment Uncle William was heard making an announcement. He had had an interview with Santa Claus, he said, as the old gentleman was pa.s.sing through the city in a hurry to get home, and after some persuasion he had prevailed upon him to wait over and receive any of the young people present who cared to call on him.
This occasioned great applause, and all were eager to pay their respects to jolly St. Nicholas.
Half a dozen at a time, according to the numbers on their badges, were conducted to a curtained doorway and told to enter. They all seemed to enjoy the interview, for they came out with smiling faces, and not empty-handed either.
The children of the family were, of course, the last to go in, and Dora waited for them.
The room was one which Uncle William called his den, and the figure in the arm-chair would have been recognized anywhere by his rosy countenance and long white beard. He wore his fur great-coat, and his cap and gloves lay on the table.
He gave them a friendly greeting, saying, "So you are the last? It is a fortunate thing, for if I wait much longer I shall miss my train."
"I did not know you travelled in that way," said Carl mischievously.
"Dear me, boy! How could I manage with a sleigh and reindeer in this mud? I save those for colder climates. Now, before I am off, I think I have something left in my bag."
Opening a large satchel, he brought out half a dozen packages, and then taking up his cap and gloves and wishing them a Happy New Year, he was off before they could say "Jack Robinson."
"He is a fine old fellow," said Carl, examining the gun he had been wishing for.
"Indeed he is!" echoed Dora, taking a peep at the beautiful ill.u.s.trated copy of "Little Women," and then she was called to lead in the closing Virginia reel with Uncle William.
"Well, how did you like the party?" Carl asked her as they drove home.
"I have had the best time I ever had in my life," she answered with a happy laugh.
CHAPTER XIII.