CHAPTER XI: THE “SURPRISE” PARTY
“What is the great scheme, Betty?” asked Doris.
“I’m not telling, Dodie,” said Betty, “but you will know before longperhaps. It’s just something the boys and girls are going to do. By theway, Mother, may I consult you about something? I need permission forsomething not to be divulged as yet.”
“You are making us curious, Betty,” lightly said Janet. “Come on, Sue,try that new tune of yours on Betty’s piano.”
Mr. Lee had left the room and Dick followed him to ask that the car begotten out for a ride. “All right, son. Perhaps the girls and Motherwill like to go.”
Betty and her Mother escaped to the kitchen, where they started on thedishes, hoping that the sounds of china would not be noticeable in thefront room. The visitors were only too good about offering theirservices. “You must go, Mother, with Amy Lou, because you’ve been inworking all day,” said Betty, with decision, “and that will never do onThanksgiving. Besides, there’s something else on hand and I don’t knowwhat you’ll think of it!”
“Confess, Betty,” said Mrs. Lee, smiling and making a fine suds for herglasses and silver.
“First tell me that you’ll go, Mother, for I’ll stay and finish these upand begin to fix things for our supper.”
“All right, child. I’ll go. Now what?”
Betty at once told about the surprise party “all rather on the spur ofthe moment, Mother, at least as far as having it tonight is concerned.And I think Ted is in it only because he found Ramon here and thought itwould be good for him to stay.”
“Why do you think so–because Ted is older?”
“Yes. But it gives him a chance to take Louise to something different,you see. I think that Ted has a sort of ‘case’ on Louise Madison.”
“I see. Yes, Betty, I think we can manage it. Haven’t you any idea howmany are coming?”
“No–that’s the mischief, but I suppose not a great many.”
“We are well prepared for things to eat. If the cake does not last aslong as we thought, it does not matter. Your friends will be welcome.There is that fruit cake that I baked for Christmas, too, and we can usethat if we run short. We’ll make a hot drink and the cake and ice?cream,with taffy, ought to be enough in all conscience, especially onThanksgiving. If your father is ready before we finish, whisk off thetablecloth, Betty, and use the lunch things for supper. But don’tconcern yourself about the meal. Just get your room ready for the girlsto take their wraps to and look around to pick up anything that is outof order. Fortunately, Amy Lou will want to go to bed before they come.”
“Yes, and everything is all fixed up for company, even if it doesn’texactly stay put with all of us. Oh, you’re so nice, Mother! It’s such arelief!”
At this point, Janet and Sue ran out to the kitchen and took aprons fromthe hooks upon the wall. “Did you think that we wouldn’t want to help?”asked Sue, reproachfully. “Let me wipe and you put away, Betty, for Idon’t know where things go.”
“Well, since you insist,” laughed Betty, pulling a dry towel from adrawer. “Come help me take off and fold up the big tablecloth, Janet,and a lot of the dishes and nearly all of the silver can go back on thetable. Where are the other linen things, Mother?”
“Same drawer as usual. After lunch we’ll take out the leaves and,”–butMrs. Lee did not finish, for she had nearly told the reason for makingmore room in the dining room. The two large rooms ought to hold quite anumber of boys and girls, she thought. But Mother was tired, as Bettyhad surmised, and she knew that she needed to get away for a few minutesat least.
Mr. Lee had been obliged to do something to the car, or change a tire,though no one inquired what, when, after just time enough to get themain part of the dishes done, they heard a honking in front. “Thatcouldn’t be Ted back with Ramon, could it?” thought Betty, ratherpanicky. But it was only the family car honking for passengers. All waswell!
“Aren’t you coming Betty?” asked Janet, surprised.
“No, Janet, I want to start things and some one ought to be here in caseRamon comes back early. He has to come when they bring him, you know.Moreover, if you all go, it is just as well not to be too crowded.”
Betty was glad to be by herself for a little while. She finished puttingthe kitchen in order, washing the last pan. Then she flew back to thebedroom to see that dresser and all were neat and to hang away a fewthings that she and the girls had left out. She decided that there was aprettier set of lace covers for the little dressing table and put themout. She hoped that the girls would not notice particularly and shelooked up some embroidered guest towels, ready to whisk them into placewhen the guest should first arrive. Or her mother could put on thefinishing touches in the bath room if she were welcoming the crowd.Betty felt a little excited, wanting her friends to like her home andknowing that some of them, Carolyn among others, had so much more room.It was hard to be so crowded. No, it wasn’t. It was all right when theywere by themselves, and she was sure that anybody that _was_ anybodywould like her for herself! It was Betty’s first feeling ofresponsibility for the appearance of a house, a temporary one, to besure. She had been accustomed to do what she was told, but the roomy oldplace “at home” had no such problems as this apartment.
There was a ring of the bell before Betty had thought about the lightsupper, though to be sure her mother had said she was to feel noresponsibility for that. Betty rushed to the door, to find Ramon there.Again he looked apologetic and hesitatingly said, “I’m afraid I’m tooearly, but Ted and the boys brought me on. Ted is driving around to seeone or two of the girls.”
“Come right in,” cordially Betty invited. “Sit down and read the paperor something till I start things a little in the kitchen. I think theearlier we get our supper, or lunch of a sort, out of the way thebetter, don’t you? Or did Ted tell you what is going on?”
“Yes, he did,” replied Ramon, as he obediently walked into the livingroom after having divested himself of his overcoat and hat. “Say, MissBetty, we had such a wonderful dinner that you surely won’t do much forsupper, will you? I feel as if it’s an imposition for me to come back,and yet,—”
“And yet what would be the use of going home and then coming right backto a party?” finished Betty.
“Well, that was it, of course; and then it is so homelike here and sodifferent from what I have all the time.”
“Do you really like it, then?” asked Betty, pleased.
“Who could help it? And now why couldn’t I help be _chef_? It would bewhat you call fun. I could tell you of so many things that I have donesince I came to your country, and I earned my meals one time in arestaurant. I do not always tell that to the boys and girls, for they donot understand, and yet my people in Spain and Hungary and Poland are ofthe best.”
“Father thinks it is what you are, inside, that makes you,” said Betty,nodding a determined little head. They were still standing just withinthe living room door.
“Oh, your father! He is a big man! I fix his car at the garage where Iwork after school, and before school, too. And he forgot to tell yoursweet mother and yet she made me welcome.” Ramon was smiling inamusement as well as appreciation.
“Oh, could you tell that?” Betty chuckled. “Mother thought that she hadsuccessfully concealed her surprise. But she was glad to have you come,you understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes, and all of you helped.”
“Well, now let’s see, Ramon. Come on into the kitchen and help me decidewhat we want. We’ve got a lot of that salad fixed and if you will cracka few more English walnuts we’ll fix a pretty big glass bowl of it andpass it instead of putting salad around at each place. Nobody couldfinish his salad at dinner time. And I’ll put on the lunch cloth orwhat?you?call?it–and you can set down all that fruit and the bowl ofnuts on the buffet. My, imagine me bossing the gr?reat football hero ofLyon High, and a senior at that!”
Ramon only laughed at that and took the large apron, soberly offered hi
mby a Betty with twinkling eyes, and tried to fasten it around himself.But he was not used to tying a bow in the back, Betty told him, so shewould finish the operation. “Now see what an artist you are in thedining room first, Ramon.”
Thus Betty, while she arranged the linen pieces on the table, waved ahand at the buffet and flew into the kitchen herself. “Won’t they besurprised when they come back?” she called, appearing in the door with awhole head of lettuce in her hands. “And it will be fine to have you tohelp us make the table small after supper. Father always has to helpwith that because the table sticks and we can hardly push it together.Do you think you would be strong enough?”
Ramon gave Betty an amused look. “Yes, Miss Betty, I think I’m strongenough and I’d do anything for any of you!”
“Well,” sighed Betty, “I really don’t believe in having your companywork, but under the circumstances it is a great help! You see Mother hadbeen doing so much cooking, so I made her promise to go out for a ride.”With this Betty disappeared from view, to wash the lettuce under thefaucet and run into the pantry for the big glass dish or bowl.
Ramon finished arranging the fruit and nuts and went out into thekitchen declaring that he was no artist and that she could changeanything that he had done. Betty managed to keep him busy, but it wasonly about fifteen minutes before the whole family arrived, Dick toutter another whoop at seeing his hero in an apron, and the girls tojoin the activities with much fun and lively conversation. Mrs. Lee wasallowed only to supervise and make the coffee and Mr. Lee declared thathe would not think of being underfoot in such a busy kitchen and diningroom.
“The boy looks happy,” he said to his wife. “I’m glad I asked him tocome. He’s a very sober, lonely chap, so far as home is concerned. Heprobably has a good enough time at school, especially since he made sucha hit in football, as you tell me.”
“I wonder how he gets his lessons, if he works so hard,” said Mrs. Lee.
“How do any of them get their lessons?” asked Mr. Lee in return, “withall that is going on. It hasn’t hit Betty yet, thanks to ourmanagement.”
Young appetites were ready for the supper that spread so invitingly onthe pretty table; for it was decided to set everything convenientlynear, since they were their own servants. Then afterwards the girlsquickly cleared the table, and Ramon, without remark and under Betty’sdirection, took out the leaves and made the table small. Betty and Janettogether at one end pushed against Ramon on the other. “It will give usmore room and look better,” explained Betty to the girls, who were stillignorant of what was to come. Betty, too, was ignorant in regard to_who_ was to come. She was as uneasy and restless as a girl could be andnot show that something was on her mind. Ramon was wondering what excusehe could offer for staying so long, but it took some time to clear awaythe supper and while Mrs. Lee told Betty to “go and entertain her guestsand she would finish up the dishes,” Betty, by way of camouflage, said,“we _could_ leave them till morning of course; but it will be nicer inthe morning not to have them before us.” Sue rather wondered at Betty’seasy compliance.
At last the bell rang, not a steady ring with perhaps another, but aseries of rings in rhythm. Janet and Sue looked up surprised from apuzzle that Betty had given them and Ramon to work out. But Ramongrinned and Betty laughed, running to the door. “_Something’s up_,” saidSue. “I _suspected_ it!”
Laughter and greetings filled the hall. “S’prise Party!” called Peggy’svoice.
“Ted again!” exclaimed Janet, rising, “and Peggy Pollard and CarolynGwynne!”
And now they thronged in, bringing the cold air with them from the openhall door. The girls entered first, surrounding Janet and Sue, to shakehands in the spirit of fun and surprise, while Carolyn saw that thenames of the girls were understood by Janet and Sue who might not havemet them all or had not remembered their names. Carolyn was alwaysthoughtful.
Betty, after telling the boys to leave their hats, caps and coats in thehall, came to the group of girls and led them back to the room wherethey could take off their wraps and powder their noses if they liked.Mother, bless her, had swiftly put on the finishing touches and theguest towels in the bath room after Amy Lou was in bed and the variouswashings up after supper were completed.
“Yes, Betty,” Carolyn excitedly told Betty, “we had thought of doing itand then pretty nearly gave it up because we weren’t sure of your likingit; and I hadn’t been in this ducky apartment before and wasn’t surethat you had room for a party. But when old Ted called up and told mewhat boys he’d rounded up, I telephoned then to the girls and we all metat Louise’s.”
So it was a “ducky apartment,” was it? Trust Carolyn’s generous soul.Betty was sure that Carolyn liked her for herself!
Naturally Ted had a “few souls” old enough for himself and Ramon. Therewas Louise Madison and a pretty junior named Roberta Ayers. The HarryNorris whom Betty had first seen with Ted Dorrance was there, a goodfriend, evidently, of a small, fair sophomore girl, Daisy Richards. Itwas rather unusual, of course, this mingling of ages or classes at asmall party, but the invitation to Ramon was the cause of it all, andBetty was so glad to have Ted, who had been so “nice” to her, shethought, at a party in her house. Yet, of course, she had not given theinvitations. Where would she have stopped if she had? For not all thegirls and boys that she would have wanted were here.
Of the younger boys there was Chet Dorrance, Chauncey Allen, BradWarren, Budd LeRoy, James Simmonds and two freshmen boys whom Bettyscarcely knew, Andy Sanford and Michael Carlin, whom the boys calledMickey or Mike according to their fancy.
Janet and Sue found themselves surrounded by the group of boys when theycame in from the hall and Betty had escorted the girls back to thebedroom. Ted did the honors of introduction, but it was only a fewminutes before Betty was back and acting as hostess.
Mr. Lee had disappeared long since. Mrs. Lee was putting Amy Lou to bedat last accounts and the door of bedroom and dressing room was shut.Dick and Doris, feeling rather out of it, had moved into the kitchentill Betty, at last seeing everything started, thought of them andlooked them up.
“No, Betty,” said Dick, “I don’t want to be introduced all around! ButI’ll come into the dining room, if you want us, and talk to some of theboys, if it happens that way.”
“I’d like to have you at least see the fun and of course when therefreshments are served you must be with us. I’ll probably need you.Would you mind?”
“I’ll help,” said Doris. “It would look better.”
“So it would. And will you, Dick?”
“Yes.”
“And you can help pull the taffy. I do hope Mother will know how to cookit, though perhaps Louise knows.”
“I’ll tell her,” said Dick, and Betty felt relieved about the family.Everything was just all right! And Mother did know, she said.
Ted and Louise were good at starting games. Brad, however, was prevailedupon to play some lively tunes upon Betty’s piano and the rest hummed totunes or sang when there were words to the melodies.
Pencils and paper were called for by Louise Madison, who announced thatfive minutes, or less, would be given for every one to make words out ofwhat would be given them when they were ready to commence. Betty hurriedto get paper and as many pencils as the family could command.Fortunately, most of the boys carried pencils in their pockets, Dick andDoris had a supply of stubs among their school things, and with muchwhirling of the pencil sharpener in the kitchen, they were soon ready.
“And, O, Mother, won’t you please start the candy to cooking? It has tocool and be pulled after that, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” said Mrs. Lee, who rather regretted sacrificing theexcellent syrup from the home town, so much better than that she boughtin the city. But it was worth while, for Betty’s pleasure, and toentertain her friends, after all. “I will see to it and call you when itis ready. Luckily Amy Lou is sound asleep.”
But no sooner had Betty remarked to Louise, as she handed her thesuppli
es, that her mother was starting the syrup than Louise cried, “Oh,I have to learn how to do that. I never pulled candy but once and it wassuch fun. Would your mother mind having me around?”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t.”
Immediately the kitchen was invaded by several of the girls, but allexcept Louise came back for the game. Ted, thereupon, told the “Don” to“call time,” and he vanished in the direction of the kitchen, while afew smiles were exchanged among those that were left. “Ted will know howto boil candy for taffy after this,” said Kathryn Allen.
“Well, somebody has to try and taste it.” smiled Betty.
“Everybody ready!” called the “Don,” quite at his ease by this time andwith a real home atmosphere back of him. Had he not been the only one ofthem invited to the Thanksgiving dinner? And Mr. Lee had not known thenthat he was a football player, either. “Don” was not aware that thatfact would have made no difference to Mr. Lee, one way or another,though he was not opposed to the game.
“Five minutes, Louise Madison said,” he continued. “I will now announcethe words. No proper names, or foreign words, Louise says. It’s ‘LyonHigh School.’”
The scribbling began. “Can you use slang?” inquired Brad.
“Better not.”
“Why isn’t there an ‘e’ or a ‘t’ in it?” remarked Janet. “I could makeso many more.”
Carolyn was writing fast and furiously. “Oh, give us five minutes more,so we can really _think_ on each letter!” she begged.
“Of course a girl will beat,” said Chauncey. “They’re so much better inEnglish!” Chauncey was pretending to scratch his head and think. Inreality he was too lazy to bother with a game he did not enjoy, thoughtoo polite to beg off. He had sixteen words and that was enough. He betnobody else had “solo.”
But Chauncey was right on the girls’ having the most words. Several boyshad twenty words in the five minutes, but the girls made a business ofit and Kathryn Allen had the largest number, though Andy Sanford, whowas on the staff of the school paper, came within two of her number,forty?five.
“How did you do it so fast, Kathryn?” asked Mary Emma.
“I just went lickity?cut in any old order till I got through the lettersthat way. Then I went back again and did a little thinking that time andhad the other few minutes to do it in. I took _ly_ and _li_ and _lo_,and did the same way with all the letters.”
“Did anybody else get _solo_?” asked Chauncey.
Alas, Kathryn had that, also _holy_, of which Chauncey had not thought.
A delicious odor of boiling syrup was commented upon by several. Louise,carrying the glass in which she had just tested the candy, came in toinquire who had the most words and how many. “All right, Kathryn getsthe prize. Ted, _where’s_ that prize?”
From the kitchen Ted appeared, hunting in his pocket for something.
“Nobody said there was to be any prize. That’s not fair,” said Sim,grinning.
“Would you have worked harder, Sim?” Ted inquired. “Here it is,Kathryn,” and he handed her a long, slim package tied with a blueribbon. They all watched while Kathryn took the ribbon and tissue paperfrom what was so evidently a gift “of pencils. Two five centers,Kathryn,” said Ted. “May they bring you to fame.”
“You did well, Kathryn,” said Louise. “Somebody got fifty at a seniorparty the other day, but I’m not sure but we had more time.”
“Help me, Andy,” said Kathryn, “and let’s see how many we can get.Please give me all the papers, so we can compare.” Consequently, whileTed, accused of “licking his chops” over all the candy he was tasting,followed Louise out to the kitchen, and somebody started up the musicagain, Kathryn and Andy, helped by Betty, who gathered up all the otherefforts, made a fairly full list. “I had just started on the s?h’s,”said Andy. A little later, after working as much out themselves as theyfelt like doing and comparing their papers, they announced that theycould read what they had if any one wanted to hear.
_“Let’s_ hear them, Andy,” called Chauncey from near the piano. “Howmany words can the experts make out of the old school name?”
“Leaving out abbreviations, plurals, and odd words, here they are:_lying_, _lingo_, _lion_, _lo_, _log_, _loch_, _loo_, _loon_, _loin_;_yon_, _yo?ho_; _O_, _oh_, _on_, _oil_, _oily_, _only_; _no_, _nigh_,_noisy_; _high_, _ho_, _hog_, _hill_, _hilly_, _holy_, _his_, _hollo_,_holly_; _I_, _is_, _in_, _ill_, _illy_, _inch_, _inly_; _go_, _gill_,_gin_; _scion_, _shiny_, _shin_, _shy_, _si_, _sigh_, _sign_, _silo_,_silly_, _sill_, _sin_, _sing_, _sling_, _soil_, _solo_, _soon_, _song_,_son_, _sol_, _so_; _chic_, _chill_, _chilly_, _chin_, _cling_, _clog_,_cog_, _coil_, _coin_, _colon_, _con_, _colony_, _coo_, _cool_,_coolly_, _coon_, _cosy_, _coy_–and we forgot _lynch, shoo_ and_shooing_, and Andy says that _colin_ is another word for _quail_ andthat _shoon_ is in the dictionary. So that’s over eighty and prettygood, we think.”
Chauncey started a mild applause and remarked that Andy and Kathrynwould probably teach English some day.
“Not on your life,” said Andy, “though I may run a paper at that!”
Mrs. Lee could not help wondering if every one would be careful not todrop his candy while it was in the process of being pulled, but she saidnothing and provided plenty of greased receptacles. Ted and Louisestarted several other quiet games while the candy was getting to theproper temperature. Then they began to try a small portion.
“How many want to pull?” asked Ted. Every one wanted to try “just alittle bit,” which was well, or the supply would not have beensufficient. Those who had never pulled candy before were instructed,that there should be no sticky or slippery masses clinging moreunhappily than wet dough to the greased hands–after a great performanceof hand?washing in the kitchen.
All this made much laughter and general merriment, not to mentioncertain antics of Ted and Harry and a few of the younger boys. But noone tried any “sticky” tricks, as Betty put it; for once upon a time,Dick had come home from a party with his hair full of taffy, horribledictu!
In various stages of whiteness, the separate pieces of taffy werecarefully laid upon the owner’s saucer or plate, with a clean whitelabel bearing the “name of the author,” said Betty. Much had been eatenduring the pulling, for some “preferred their taffy hot,” they claimed;but each was to take a little home, to prove that they had pulled it,Ted said. Oiled paper would be in demand, thought Mrs. Lee, who huntedup a roll to have ready.
But the ice?cream had arrived. The big white cake was cut, also a loafof fruit cake; and in the chairs which had been gathered up and broughtto the front of the house with the appearance of the guests, the girlsand boys sat to eat slowly the cold cream, enjoy their cake and lay thefoundations of future friendships or cement those already formed. Thehigh school “case” between Ted Dorrance and Louise Madison was notparticularly serious in its outlook; for Ted, like many boys, wasadmiring a girl older than himself just now, but some demure young missof a younger class, or not in his school at all, was likely to take hislater attention.