Part 21 (1/2)
”You think an evening dinner would be--distinngwy?”
”Oh, yes--the way we've planned it out!” affirmed Tess. She, less diffident than Missy, was less reserved in her disclosures. She went on eagerly: ”We've got it all planned out. Five courses: oyster c.o.c.ktails; Waldorf salad; veal loaf, Saratoga chips, devilled eggs, dill pickles, mixed pickles, chow-chow and peach pickles: heavenly hash; and ice-cream with three kinds of cake. And small cups of demita.s.se, of course.”
”Three kinds of cake?”
”Well,” explained Tess, ”you see Beula and Beth and Kitty all want cake for their share--they say their mothers won't be bothered with anything else. We're dividing the menu up between us, you know.”
”I see. And what have you allotted to Missy?”
Missy herself found courage to answer this question; Mother's grave inquiries were bringing her intense relief.
”I thought maybe I could furnish the heavenly hash, Mother.”
”Heavenly hash?” Mother looked perplexed. ”What's that?”
”I don't know,” admitted Missy. ”But I liked the name--it's so alluring.
Beulah suggested it--I guess she knows the recipe.”
”I think it's all kinds of fruit chopped together,” volunteered Tess.
”But aren't you having a great deal of fruit--and pickles?” suggested Mrs. Merriam mildly.
”Oh, well,” explained Tess, rather grandly, ”at a swell function you don't have to have many substantial viands, you know.”
”Oh, I nearly forgot--this is to be a swell function.”
”Yes, the real thing,” said Tess proudly. ”Potted palms and hand-painted place-cards and orchestra music and candle shades and everything!”
”Candle shades?--won't it be daylight at six o'clock?”
”Well, then, we'll pull down the window shades,” said Tess, undisturbed.
”Candle-light 'll add--”
Aunt Nettie, who couldn't keep still any longer, cut in:
”Will you tell me where you're going to get an orchestra?”
”Oh,” said Tess, with an air of patience, ”we're going to fix the date on a band-practice night. I guess they'd be willing to practice on your porch if we gave them some ice-cream and cake.”
”My word!” gasped Aunt Nettie.
”Music always adds so much e'clat to an affair,” pursued Tess, unruffled.
”The band practicing 'll add a-clatter, all right,” commented Aunt Nettie, adding a syllable to Tess's triumphant word.
Missy, visioning the seductive scene of Tess's description, did not notice her aunt's sarcasm.
”If only we had a butler!” she murmured dreamily.
Aunt Nettie made as if to speak again, but caught an almost imperceptible signal from her sister.