Part 31 (1/2)

The audience was most appreciative and encored them again and again.

When they had finally retired, with many bows and flourishes Jane appeared dressed in a long full skirt of flowered muslin-one of her grandmother's, shortened-a white kerchief crossed on her breast and a quaint little cap on her head. She carried her doll Sally in her arms.

”Letty's handiwork,” whispered Mrs. Hartwell-Jones proudly as she surveyed the costume.

In her sweet, piping voice Jane recited ”Beautiful Grandma.” The audience clapped and clapped and called ”encore” again and again but the piece was long and had taxed shy little Jane's powers. She shook her head as she gave her cunning little bob of a curtsey and finally called:

”I don't know anything else that would go with this costume and besides, I have to get dressed for--” She stopped and ran off, laughing.

There was a slight pause and then Christopher reappeared in his costume as ringmaster. Again he mounted the keg and made another speech, cracking his whip to secure attention.

”Ladies and gentlemen,” he shouted impressively, ”we have made arrangements for a rare treat for you all this evening. I wish to announce the only and positively the last public performance of Punch and Judy! All right, bring 'em along, Perk.”

Jo Perkins appeared in sight around the corner of the house leading the Shetland ponies. They were literally covered with wreaths and festoons of goldenrod and wild asters. The little carriage to which they were harnessed was decorated in the same manner and Letty, sitting enthroned on the seat, was dressed, not in the imitation Roman toga she had worn under Mr. Drake's direction, but in a short white frock such as she had worn at Willow Grove when she had first exhibited the ponies for Mr.

Goldberg. She had on long pink stockings and white tennis shoes-a result of the shopping trip-and carried a long wand wrapped in silver paper. A crown of silver paper, with a bunch of flowers at the sides, completed her costume.

”That is exactly the way she was dressed when I saw her at Willow Grove,” Mrs. Baker, Jr., whispered to Mrs. Hartwell-Jones.

”Poor child, do you suppose she will miss the old life, with its constant change and excitement?” asked Mrs. Hartwell-Jones a little wistfully.

”I am quite sure she will not. See how happy she has been this summer.

And her blessed mother would be so thankful to know she had been saved from it. She did not like Letty's occupation; she told me so herself, and always went to the theatre with her as long as she was able.

Afterward she sent a maid. Dear little Letty, how she must have missed her mother's care! But the lack of it has not harmed her, Mrs.

Hartwell-Jones. She is as sweet and gentle-hearted as ever.”

They turned their attention to the little performer. Letty had unharnessed the ponies and in response to a hearty burst of applause led them forward, one on each side, and all three bowed in a most fascinating manner. Then Punch and Judy went through their simple tricks as accurately and docilely as if they had performed them regularly twice every day all summer. Christopher, sitting on his keg which he had moved to one side, played ”Listen to the Mocking-Bird” on a mouth-organ for an orchestra.

But, contrary to the expectations of the audience, the showing off of Punch and Judy did not complete the entertainment. Billy Carpenter took Christopher's place at the mouth-organ and Letty dropped down out of sight behind a little screen of bushes near by, while Jo Perkins reharnessed the ponies and drove them off.

Perk reappeared in a few moments pus.h.i.+ng a wheelbarrow in which reposed a large crate. He was followed by Jane, who was dressed this time in Letty's Roman toga. She carried her two largest dolls, which she placed in two small chairs facing the ring. Then Jo Perkins, with some effort, lifted the crate from the wheelbarrow, and opening this improvised cage released a monster that leapt to the ground with a truly blood-curdling growl. The audience really looked a little startled. The strange animal was clothed in s.h.a.ggy black fur and waved a pair of forelegs that ended in alarming looking claws.

”My best bearskin rug out of the camphor chest,” whispered grandmother in a voice choked with laughter. ”Kit must have coaxed Huldah to lend it to him. How well he has fastened it on. How do you suppose he manages to hide his face so cleverly?”

Gravely, Jane proceeded to put the clumsy bear through his tricks. But the animal was unruly and growled and threatened his trainer in quite a fearsome way. At length he turned and shambled, growling fiercely all the while, straight toward the audience. He stopped as he perceived the two children (the dolls), stiff and immovable in their chairs, sniffed the air a moment and then charged them with a terrific roar. The trainer screamed, threw aside her toga and a.s.suming the character of fond mamma rushed forward, clasped the dolls to her breast and shrieked for help.

Up rose Letty, like a good fairy in her filmy white frock, and bounding across the ring flung a cover, which looked suspiciously like one of Huldah's kitchen ap.r.o.ns, over the infuriated bear. After a long, exciting tussle (and some suppressed laughter) in which Jane and Billy Carpenter joined, the bear was subdued and bundled into his cage, from which he popped out at once to respond with the others to the peal upon peal of applause from the highly amused audience.

Poor Mrs. Baker, Jr., did not know whether to laugh or cry, and eased her feelings by doing a little of each.

”It was so exactly like the real thing,” she whispered to grandmother wiping her eyes. ”My poor, precious little lambs!”

During the confusion that followed, audience and performers all talking together, grandmother saw Huldah and the maids disappear indoors. Huldah wore such an air of mystery and importance that grandmother immediately suspected that refreshments were to complete the programme.

It was quite dark by now and a little chilly as well, and the grown-ups suggested going indoors to talk over the grand affair. Whereupon Christopher bounded ahead to make sure a certain door was shut and ushered everybody into the parlor. Before many minutes had pa.s.sed, however, every one was summoned to the dining-room. There the table (which it seemed to all the grown-ups had only just been cleared from supper) was loaded down with every delicacy that the fertile minds of the twins could suggest and Huldah concoct.

”Kit had a voice in the planning of this menu, I'll be bound,” said that young gentleman's father with a laugh.

”Surely,” agreed his wife, ”and I noticed that he did not eat quite as much supper as usual this evening. I felt anxious at the time, but now I understand; he was saving up.”