Part 14 (1/2)
That's what we want. Plays and lectures are too commonplace.”
”Marie,” said Madeline, laughingly, ”you talk as if ideas were cabbages and my head was a large garden. I can't produce ideas to order any more than the rest of you can. But if I should think of anything, I'll let you know.”
”Thank you,” said Marie, sweetly, and went back to her room, where she gave vent to some forcible remarks about the ”exasperatingness” of clever people who won't let themselves be pinned down to anything.
It was Betty Wales who, dancing into Madeline's room the next afternoon, gave, not Madeline, but Eleanor Watson,--who had been having tea with Madeline and listening to her absurd version of Marie's request,--an inspiration.
”I wish it wasn't babyish to like toys,” she sighed. ”I've been down-town with Bob, and they've opened a big toy-shop in the store next Cuyler's, just for the holidays, I suppose. Bob got a Teddy bear, and I bought this box of fascinating little j.a.panese tops for my baby sister.
They're all like different kinds of fruit and you spin them like pennies, without a string. I just love toy-stores.”
”So do I. So does everybody,” said Madeline, oracularly, clearing a place on the polished tea-table and emptying out the miniature tops.
”They renew your youth. Let's get all these things to spinning at once, Betty.”
”Why don't you have a toy-shop for your senior entertainment?” asked Eleanor, watching the two absorbed faces.
”How do you mean?” asked Madeline, absently, trying to make the purple plum she was manipulating stay upright longer than Betty's peach.
”Why, with live toys, something on the plan of the circus that you and Mary got up away back in soph.o.m.ore year,” explained Eleanor. ”I should think you might work it up beautifully.”
Madeline stared at her for a moment, her eyes half-closed. ”Eleanor,”
she declared at last, ”you're a genius. We could. I can fairly see my friends turning into toys. You and Betty and the rest of the cla.s.s beauties are French dolls of course. Helen Adams would make a perfect jumping-jack--she naturally jerks along just like one.”
”And Bob can be a jack-in-the-box,” cried Betty eagerly, getting Madeline's idea.
”Or a monkey that climbs a rope,” suggested Eleanor. ”Don't you think Babe would pop out of a box better?”
”And that fat Miss Austin will be just the thing for a top,” put in Madeline. ”We can ask five cents for a turn at making her spin.” And Madeline twirled the purple plum vigorously, in joyous antic.i.p.ation of taking a turn at Miss Austin.
”Then there could be a counter of stuffed animals,” suggested Eleanor, ”with Emily Davis to show them off.”
”Easily,” agreed Madeline, ”and a Noah's ark, if we want it, and a Punch and Judy show. Oh, there's no end to the things we can have! Let's go over and tell Marie about it before dinner.”
”You and Betty go,” objected Eleanor. ”I really haven't time.”
”Nonsense,” said Madeline firmly. ”It's long after five now, and--Eleanor Watson, are you trying to crawl out of your responsibilities? It was you that thought of this affair, remember.”
”Please don't try to drag me in,” begged Eleanor. ”I'll be a doll, if you like, or anything else that you can see me turning into. But Marie didn't ask me to suggest, and she might feel embarra.s.sed and obliged to ask me to be on the committee, and--please don't try to drag me in, Madeline.”
Madeline looked at her keenly, for a moment. ”Eleanor Watson,” she began sternly, ”you're thinking about last fall. Don't you know that that stupid girl didn't stand for anybody but her own stupid self?”
”She was in the right,” said Eleanor simply.
”Not wholly,” objected Madeline, ”and if she was this isn't a parallel case. In making you toastmistress 19-- was supposed to be doing you an honor. You're doing her a favor now, and a good big one.”
”And if we tell Marie about the toy-shop, we shall tell her that you thought of it,” put in Betty firmly.
”And we shall also say that you hate committee meetings as much as I do,” put in Madeline artfully, ”but that we are both willing to help in any way that we can with ideas and costumes.”
Eleanor looked pleadingly from one to the other.