the trip to boston became such an important topic that you would have thought the bazar was planned merely on its account, and not that the trip was planned on the bazar's account. each of the little girls made a careful list of the things she meant to buy, and everyone was consulted about these lists; even emma's advice was asked.
they were to make an early start so as to have plenty of time for their own shopping and that which mrs. ramsey meant to do. so on the all important morning there was much bustling about and comparing of notes.
"what are you going to wear, edna?" asked dorothy.
"i thought i would put on my gray linen. what are you?"
"white, of course."
"now why 'of course'? people don't always wear white when they are traveling."
"but this isn't exactly traveling; it's just going to the city and we're not more than an hour on the train."
"well, i don't care. i am going to wear the linen. at least i am going to ask jennie what she is going to put on, for of course i shouldn't want both of you to wear white and me not."
"what are you going to wear, jennie?" dorothy called out to the next room.
"my blue linen, the embroidered one."
"there, what did i say?" exclaimed edna in triumph.
"well, anyhow, it is much more dressy than yours; it is more colory, and it is embroidered. i wouldn't wear that plain thing if i were you."
all this made doubts arise in edna's own mind, and she sat disconsolately looking at the frock she had brought out to wear.
"you'd better hurry and get dressed and not sit there dreaming," dorothy warned her.
"i wasn't dreaming," edna contradicted, "i was just making up my mind. i might wear my peter thompson, only it might be too warm. i think i'd better go and ask mrs. ramsey." suiting the action to the word she went to mrs. ramsey's door and tapped gently. mrs. ramsey herself opened to look down on the little figure in its pink wrapper. "well, dear, what is it?" she said.
"i don't know just what to wear," edna confessed. "you see mother always tells me. dorothy thinks i ought to wear one of my white frocks and i think my gray linen would be better. i could wear 130the peter thompson, but it is flannel and is pretty warm."
"wear the linen by all means; it will be just the thing. you might take a little jacket of some kind and we can leave it at the station, in the package room, with my things. it may be cool coming back."
so edna went off in triumph, donned her gray linen and was ready quite in time. she was too excited to eat much breakfast, and when they were told that mack was at the door with the automobile she clutched her little handbag very tightly, for it contained the precious dollar which was to buy so many things that day. it was but a short distance to the station, but they were none too soon, for the train had whistled at the next station, and it seemed but a moment before they were aboard and on their way. the train was filled with men on their way to business, with ladies on their way to the city for a day's shopping, and there were a few who were bound for further places, their holiday over.
edna, jennie and dorothy all sat together with mrs. ramsey a little further along in front. edna wondered how the conductor would know who they were, for mrs. ramsey had a book of tickets. she thought maybe she would say, "i have the tickets for my little girl in the blue frock and the one sitting with her in gray, and there is another with fair hair dressed in white." would the conductor think 131they were all named ramsey? she looked around her to see if there were any other little girls dressed in blue or gray or white, who might be mistaken for the right ones. but there was no trouble at all, for the conductor seemed to know intuitively and passed them by without so much as a question.
the big north station reached, the matter of shopping seemed very near, and there was some discussion as to where they should go first. each little girl had determined to buy at least three dolls to dress; with the money that was left they would buy materials for fancy articles, for mrs. ramsey had promised them pieces enough for doll's clothes. the dolls being such a very important matter, it was decided to get these off their minds at once, and therefore to a big, though inexpensive shop they went.
such a bewildering array as was laid before them nearly distracted them. there was such a choice between blue eyes and black, brown hair and golden. then, too, it was not every doll that had a pretty face, or there might be two whose claims to beauty were equally great, but at last the nine dolls of different types were picked out. to these mrs. ramsey added three more on her own account, and that purchase was declared to be satisfactorily made.
each little girl had decided to spend but half her money on dolls, though as dorothy had but fifty cents to spend, her dolls did not make as much show as she would have liked, but the others comforted 132her by saying that the small dolls were just as pretty as the large ones, and would probably be sold at once.
"i almost wish i had bought two little ones and two big ones," edna said, "but i suppose it is too late now."
"if you had done that," said jennie, "you couldn't have had the three shades of hair, and you did like those three so much."
"that is so," returned edna, "i reckon i will let it go, but i don't see how i am going to give up any of them; they are all so pretty. i do love dolls."
"they are perfectly sweet," agreed dorothy, "while jennie's are even lovelier."
"they are bigger," said edna, "but i don't think they are really any prettier, but mrs. ramsey's are perfectly magnificent. i wish i had celia to help me dress mine; she does know how to make such pretty things."
"so does agnes, but i tell you who will help us out, and that is miss eloise." dorothy thought of this.
"so she will, though i expect she and miss newman will be busy making things themselves, for the bazar," replied edna.
"but she can give us hints," dorothy continued. "oh, edna, do you know i have thought of something."
"what?"
"why, we can write to our sisters and tell them about the bazar, and maybe they can make some things for it. we will ask them to. i know agnes will."
"and i know celia will. that is a lovely idea, but do you know, dorothy, i have thought of something else that isn't a bit nice, and that is we won't have a penny to spend at the bazar ourselves."
"that is so. i never thought of it before. i shall hate to go and not buy a single thing, but it can't be helped and if we give the things we are getting to-day it will be the same as buying things."
this view of the matter satisfied edna, and they followed mrs. ramsey and jennie, who were walking ahead, into the next shop where they were to get ribbons, gilt paint and a variety of things.
by one o'clock they were quite tired out and were glad when mrs. ramsey proposed that they have some lunch before doing any more. so they were taken to a pleasant restaurant and ate with a relish the broiled steak, fried potatoes and salad which mrs. ramsey ordered. then each chose her own dessert, dorothy taking a chocolate eclair, edna peach ice-cream and jennie charlotte russe.
then they started out again, and with mrs. ramsey's help managed to spend every penny to the best advantage, and that quite early in the afternoon, but they were tired enough to be ready to go when mrs. ramsey said they could get the four o'clock train. "some day," she said, "we must come 134down on a pleasure trip. we will have the motor-car, and can stay all night in town so you little girls can see something of the city. there is much that will interest you."
"oh, do take them to see the glass flowers at cambridge," cried jennie.
"yes, they shall see those, and we will go to old north church which is made famous by paul revere's ride, and they shall see lexington."
"oh, yes, and mother, they must go to concord where louisa alcott lived."
"that is a large order, as ben would say, but i think we can manage it even if we have to stay two nights."
"aren't we having the loveliest time?" whispered edna to dorothy.
dorothy nodded, and took a peep at the three dolls which she had insisted upon carrying herself. the others were to be sent.
"i wish i had kept out one of mine," said edna enviously; "it would be so nice to have it on the train to play with."
"i can't play with all three," said dorothy generously, "so i can lend one to you and one to jennie."
this was a fine plan, and the three little girls crowded into one seat on the train that they might have the satisfaction of playing with the little dolls which they dressed up in handkerchiefs. such a 135good time they had over them that mrs. ramsey had to call them twice when they reached their station. then they hurried out, nearly tumbling over one another lest they be left in the train.
mrs. ramsey had telephoned mack to meet them, so the three little dolls had their first ride in a motor-car and were the first of their company to arrive at the sea-shore. the children were so eager to get them dressed that they could scarcely wait for mrs. ramsey to get out her pieces. "do, mother, let us have them right away," begged jennie.
"don't you think you'd better wait till to-morrow when the other dolls will have come?"
"oh, no, there is lots of daylight left, and we can help dorothy dress these and then she can help us dress ours; it will be ever so much nicer that way. we are going to take them out on the porch and sew there."
"but, dearie, i think i ought to be with you, because these dolls for the bazar should be dressed very neatly, and not botchily as they might be if you were doing them merely for yourselves."
"indeed, indeed we will try to be very neat."
"can you cut out the things yourselves? to-morrow i thought i would let emma help. she could do some of the work on the machine."
"but these littlest dolls don't need a machine. it will be lovely to have emma help with the bigger 136ones. edna can cut out real nicely. her aunt elizabeth taught her how to sew, and she is as neat, oh, just as neat as can be. i wish you could see."
"very well, go along, then. i don't suppose it will do any harm since you are so very eager, and if i find they don't look well enough i can see to it afterward."
jennie scouted the idea of their not looking well enough and bore off the bag of pieces in triumph, and a happy trio was soon established on the porch, work-bags in evidence and dolls carefully placed out of danger. edna, who had been taught by her aunt elizabeth horner to be very systematic, proposed that they first select their materials. "this white stuff will do for their underclothes," she told the others. "i'll put that aside and then you each choose what you want for frocks. dorothy must choose first because they are her dolls."
"then you choose second because you are company," said jennie.
"we'll take turns, then," said edna. "you can choose first when it comes to your dolls and dorothy can be second, then when it comes to mine i will choose first, you can be second and dorothy can be third." this was considered a very just arrangement and dorothy began to turn over the pieces for her first choice.
"i think i should like this pretty piece of blue silky stuff," she said, "and i will dress the doll with the middle colored hair; i think it will be becoming to her."
"then i will take this little speckly piece for the doll with the lightest hair. she can have a pink sash and will look too sweet."
jennie decided upon a thin bit of yellow for her doll of decidedly brunette type and they set to work.
"i can cut out for mine and then you two can cut yours exactly the same," edna told them, "for the dolls are all the same size and it will be very easy." but the cutting out had scarcely begun before it was time for dinner and the dolls had to be put away till later in the evening when all should gather around the big table in the living-room.
however, after dinner it was found that the larger package had arrived, so of course this had to be opened, and what with talking over this and admiring that, it was bedtime before anyone knew it. but the dolls were all carried upstairs and were set a-row where the children could see them first thing in the morning. the bag of pieces was lugged along, too. "for we might want to get up early and work before breakfast," said jennie with industrious intent.
but the breakfast hour arrived before the children were out of bed, so tired were they from their trip, and the row of staring dolls was given little attention in the haste to get dressed. after breakfast the piece bag was dragged out again. emma's work was taken by one of the other servants and 138the morning long hands and tongues were busy, so that by lunch time the three little dolls appeared nicely clad, and one of edna's and one of jennie's were nearly ready. to dress nine children was quite a task even for three little girls, especially as the children increased in size as the work progressed and though a skirt for a doll six inches long required but few stitches, when it came to one twice the size the fingers grew very tired.
"suppose you don't do any more doll clothes to-day," said mrs. ramsey noticing the weary sighs. "you have done a fine morning's work, and to-morrow you can start in again. i think this afternoon you'd better take the pony and do some errands for me, and i will make a fair exchange by helping you with the dolls to-morrow."
this was such a sensible and just arrangement that the little girls readily agreed and started off in high spirits to leave an order here, take a note there, and finally to wind up with a call upon miss eloise, who, they knew, would be interested to know about their trip to the city.
"i was just thinking about you children," said miss eloise from the little porch of the bungalow, where she was sitting when they drove up. "i am going to have a sewing-bee to make things for the bazar, you know, and i want you all to come."
"oh, lovely," cried they. "tell us about it, miss eloise."
"day after to-morrow, it is to be, and those that have dolls to dress can bring them, or you can bring anything else, fancy work or anything. i can't sew very long at a time, but i can try to entertain you and can come in strong with advice." she laughed, and the girls crowded around her.
"tell me about the trip to boston," she went on. "how many dolls did you buy, and what else did you get? sister and i have thought of several nice things to do for the bazar, and ever so many of the young people are going to help. rudolph is going to donate some photographs and will take orders for others; then some of the boys are going into the woods for tiny little cedar and pine trees which we are going to plant in pots. mrs. morrison's sister has promised to make some paper dolls—i remember the beautiful one she made for louis to send to you last year, edna,—and, oh my, we are going to have a big time."
she stopped to take breath and the children began to tell of their trip to the city, of their purchases, and all the rest of it.
"if ben were only here," said miss eloise when they had finished their account, "we might give the little play that the g. r. club gave at the close of the year, but we couldn't do it without him."
"besides," said jennie, "we are the only ones of the club who are here, and there wouldn't be enough time to get it up."
"why couldn't we do it when we go back?" suggested edna. "we might sell tickets, you see, and get ever so many to come, for there were quantities of people who wanted to come last time, but we could invite only so many."
"why, edna, that is a great scheme," cried miss eloise. "it would be very little trouble, for those who took part before, as they all have their costumes and would only have to look over their parts. let's tell sister." she called miss newman from the house and it was agreed that such a plan might easily be carried out. "and," said miss eloise, "it will be a true golden rule performance. dear me, what wonderful things are happening all the time, now that i have come out of my shell."
this new idea was talked of all the way home and the children were so eager to tell mr. and mrs. ramsey of it, that the little pony was urged on at his smartest pace. of course mrs. ramsey was charmed at the new plan for raising funds for cap'n si, and edna felt much pleased that she had thought of it. "although," she said when she was praised for her quick wit, "i might not have thought of it if miss eloise had not spoken of how nice it would be to have it here."
"then we'll give miss eloise her share of credit," said mrs. ramsey smiling at the child's honesty.
that evening was given to the winding of worsteds, the marking of designs, and the cutting out of various bits of card-board for certain fancy articles. four more dolls were dressed the next morning by the help of mrs. ramsey and emma, and in the afternoon there was a sewing-bee on the bungalow porch, and more plans were made for the bazar. mrs. ramsey was present and organized an idea party to meet at her house the next day. everyone was to bring an idea to be carried out at the bazar and so the ball was kept rolling and the work for the entertainment went forward in a way that promised a very successful affair. dorothy and edna did not fail to write home about the fire and the bazar and made their request for contributions of money or fancy articles. they watched eagerly for replies, and when these came in the shape of two letters apiece, they gave little squeals of delight, for both mrs. conway and mrs. evans wrote and enclosed a dollar to be spent at the bazar. "for," said the mothers, "we know you have taken all your spending money for the dolls and things, and will not have any to spend."
"now i am perfectly happy," cried edna. "is yours a dollar, too, dorrie?"
"yes, a whole dollar. and edna i think i shall buy back one of my own dolls. i love the one in blue so much that i just can't give her up."
"maybe i will buy my dear one with the light hair," returned edna. "i don't suppose a dollar would be enough to buy one of mrs. ramsey's beauties, though i believe i would rather have one of those than anything in the world, even if i didn't have a cent to spend on anything else."
"oh, but i think it would be more fun to spend the money for different things, and not for just one."
"but when the one is a doll like that exquisite creature in evening dress, with the cunning fan and the sweet little lace handkerchief, i think i'd be perfectly satisfied not to have another thing."
"you mean the one with the golden hair? she is a darling but although i like her dress, i think i would rather have the dark-haired one."
"that is because you have golden hair yourself; you always want dark-haired dolls, i notice." the two were sitting on the porch with jennie just inside by the window busily working away at an embroidered centerpiece she was doing in outline. she did not join in the talk, but had long ago decided that her choice of the three handsome dolls would be the one with ruddy brown hair dressed in street costume with hat and feathers.
her father, in whose smoking-room she was sitting, looked up with a smile as jennie arose to join her friends. "bless their dear little hearts," he said to himself. "i think they are about the sweetest three it has ever been my lot to see, and my own girl is the dearest of them all, even if she isn't quite the beauty dorothy is."
