Part 15 (1/2)
So it happened that Judith's time was fully taken up by her fairy G.o.dfathers until the supper-time intermission.
CHAPTER XV
Cinderella Revealed
The rattle of china and silver had begun in a room beyond the dancing hall and an aroma of coffee and a suggestion of savory food was in the air. Dancers and spectators sniffed in antic.i.p.ation. The music stopped. Judge Middleton walked towards the end of the hall. He had Judith Buck by his side, her hand resting lightly on his arm. She was chatting gaily, but the Judge looked rather serious.
When the couple reached a spot near the ba.s.s drum, the Judge stopped and, borrowing the stick from the musician, he rapped sharply on the side of the drum.
”He's going to make a speech!”
”Be quiet!”
”Judge Middleton is going to talk!”
The other nine old men called for order. Another sharp rap on the drum and all was still.
”Friends,” the Judge said, ”I have something to say to you.” One could have heard a pin drop. ”Of course all of us old men know that you have had a very good time, laughing at us because we sent out invitations calling this a debut party. We are pleased to have given so many of our friends a good laugh. We did it on purpose, because we have all of us lived a long time and we know how popular it makes you to furnish a good laugh. We are proud and happy that so many persons have seen fit to come to our party and we hope you are having a pleasant time to repay you for your trouble.”
”Hear! Hear!”
”The best this year!”
”Do it again!”
”I wonder if any of you noticed that our invitation did not say to whom we were giving this debut party? We left that out on purpose, because we were afraid it might scare off the person whom we are delighted to honor. Up to this moment the dear child whose debut party this is has been entirely ignorant that it is hers.”
Judith, who had been standing by her old friend, utterly unconscious of self, wholly absorbed in his speech, now looked at him with an expression of startled amazement. She gave a little gasp and blushed violently.
”Friends of Ryeville and our county, we, the old men of the neighborhood, wish to tell you that this debut ball is in honor of our fairy G.o.dchild, Miss Judith Buck.”
A ripple of applause ran around the room.
”We know that we are not doing the conventional thing in the conventional way,” the Judge continued, ”but we wanted to do something different for a girl who is different. Only a few days ago we were sitting, talking, discussing matters and things, when the thought came to us that we should like to do something for a girl who has never been too busy to stop and have a pleasant word with us old men. It was my friend, Pete Barnes, who thought of this way.”
”Yes, my idee, my idee!” cried Pete.
”I am sure a great many of you already know our young friend. You have seen her grow from childhood to young womanhood--watched her trudging in to school in all weathers, determined to get an education at any cost--noted her record at school, always at the top or near the top.
Perhaps others in Ryeville besides the old men have been cheered by her happy face and ready wit and sympathy.”
”Hear! Hear!”
”And now we old men wish to present formally to society Miss Judith Buck. If you have any criticism to make of our method, please blame us and not our guest of honor. This is a surprise party for her.”
”Well, I call that right down pretty,” said Big Josh to his Cousin Bob. ”I have been wanting all evening to get in a word with some of the crowd concerning this young lady, but it looks like it's hard to get away from the women folk long enough to talk sense.”
”I believe I know what you mean,” said Mr. Bucknor uneasily. ”It won't do, Josh, it won't do.”