Part 13 (2/2)

”But I shouldn't like that old lady, though. I know how she looked: it was just this way,” said Prudy, drawing down her mouth, and looking cross-eyed.

”She didn't want the potatoes frozed,” added Dotty; ”for if she did, she might have laid 'em out doors all night, and they'd have freezed as hard as a stick.”

Grandma Read had a thought just then, though she did not express it. She was thinking what a contrast this cheerful family presented to another ”burnt-out” family, who had this very day moved into a house across the street. The mother she had seen from the window, and she looked perfectly discouraged. The children were fretful, and it seemed as if they were all trying, with one accord, to see which could do most to make the new home disagreeable.

”I should say they freeze their potatoes,” thought Mrs. Read.

She meant that, instead of trying to improve matters, they only made them worse.

After supper, just as the Parlins were sitting down for a quiet evening, the door-bell rang furiously, and shook for a minute afterwards, as if it were in an ague-fit. Who had come to break up the family harmony?

I will tell you in the next chapter.

CHAPTER X.

A SURPRISE.

Norah went to the door, hardly expecting to find any one there; for when the bell pealed in that violent manner, it was often some roguish boy who rang it, and then ran away. But this time, to her amazement, there stood on the door-step and in the yard as many as twenty boys and girls.

”Is Miss Susy Parlin at home?” said one of them.

”And Miss Prudy?” added another.

”She is--I mean they are. Will you please walk in?”

As Norah spoke, she swung open the parlor door, too much ”fluttered,”

as she afterwards said, to announce the arrival in due form. The guests poured in with all speed. Susy sprang up as suddenly as if the piano stool were exploding; but what to say she did not know, and stood still in dumb surprise. Prudy caught her by the skirts, and whispered, ”Good evening;” but n.o.body heard it. Dotty Dimple, not in the least abashed, was about to do the honors, when Mr. and Mrs. Parlin came forward, and relieved her of the trouble. They greeted the little people very cordially, and gave them a pleasant welcome to the new house. Then Mrs.

Parlin directed her daughters to carry away the hats and sacques of the young misses; and by the time this ceremony was over, the stiffness had somewhat worn away, and Susy and Prudy could breathe more freely.

Flyaway went up first to one, and then to another, with the question,--

”Did you _came_ to see _me_?”

The two heads of the family retreated, Mr. Parlin saying to his wife as they went,--

”When you and I were children, we had our parties in the afternoon; but this is a new fas.h.i.+on, I suppose.”

”It is the first time our little girls have ever received company in the evening,” replied Mrs. Parlin. ”I do hope these children will not stay late. It happens that I have made a large quant.i.ty of vinegar candy, but not enough, I think, for the whole company.”

”Very well,” said Mr. Parlin; ”and now, as the little people seem to be doing very nicely, suppose we go out for a walk, and call at a confectioner's on our way home.”

Susy felt very much flattered by this surprise party. It gave her an a.s.surance that she was held in kind remembrance by her schoolmates, many of whom had been ”burnt out,” and knew exactly how to sympathize with her.

But Susy's satisfaction was by no means complete. In the first place, Katie would not go to bed, and could not be persuaded to leave the room any longer than just to bring in her ragged black Dinah, and the yellow-and-white kitten.

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