CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN CAROL'S BIRTHDAY S'PRISE
"Happy birthday!" Dixie cried the moment that she was sure that thepretty violet eyes of her sister were really open.
"Oh, goodie! I'm nine years old to-day. Sylvia, are you awake?" Carolthen called to the little guest who was sleeping on a cot bed in anotherpart of the big loft room over the kitchen of the log cabin.
That small maiden sat up and nodded. Although she was still thin, aremarkable change had taken place in the one week that she had livedwith "poor folks." She actually looked interested and happy, and therewas a flush in the sallow cheeks, for even in seven days plenty ofporridge and cream, hours of riding on the mouse-colored burro, and nocandy and cake had begun to transform her from a sickly, spindling childto one who, were the pleasant simple ways continued, would soon be rosyand robust.
"Happy birthday, Carol," Sylvia called gleefully. Then she added."There's a s'prise coming to-day."
"Oh, goodie, what is it?" The younger of the Martin sisters was alreadydressing, for Dixie had said that "whatever you do on your birthday youwill do all the year," and so great had been the change in Carol thatshe now actually wished to be down-stairs in time to help her oldersister prepare breakfast.
Ten minutes later they were all in the kitchen. Carol's pretty face wasflushed with excitement. "If there's a s'prise for me," she said, "whycan't I have it now?"
The others shook their heads. Ken, who had come in with a pail brimmingwith creamy milk, looked up at the clock, and then began to count. "Oh,it's hours and hours before the real surprise is to begin," he said totease.
"But I can't wait hours and hours. I just can't. I'll burst withcuriosity! I know that I will," the small girl declared as she broughtBaby Jim from his crib and began to dress the little fellow.
Only a few months before, as Dixie could easily recall, this same littlemaid had pouted and felt very much abused if she had been asked toperform this loving service for her small brother. What gratitude therewas in the heart of the little mother of the brood that glorious sixthof November.
Ken was straining the milk. Sylvia was setting the table. "Let's use thebest kept-for-company dishes all day," Dixie said. "Birthdays are veryspecial."
This was done. Then, while the five children sat about the board, eatingthe porridge and cream, on which bananas had been sliced to make it"extra better," as Ken declared, Carol began to tease first one and thenanother. "Sylvia," she accused, "I know, by a sort of laughing look inyour eyes, that you know just what the s'prise is to be."
"Of course she knows, and so do we all," Dixie put in, "but we won't anyof us tell, not until the clock strikes two. Then it's going to happen."
Carol clapped her hands. "Oh! Oh! It's something that's going to happen,is it?" Then, whirling unexpectedly and facing her big brother, shechallenged: "Ken Martin, I never knew you to tell a lie in your wholelife, and so I'm going to ask you. Is the surprise going to happen herein this house?"
"Don't you tell, brother," Dixie warned.
The laughing lad sprang up. "I'm off for the Valley Ranch. Won't be backtill lunch." Then, seizing his hat, he darted away, stopping in the doorto say, "Now, if Carol finds out, it won't be from me."
Such a merry morning as those three girls had. Jimmy-Boy was too youngto understand what the laughter and bantering was all about. At lastlunch was over; Ken had returned, and the excitement in that old logcabin was tense, for the two older Martins and their guest werepreparing for the surprise trying all the time to hide even the simplestof these preparations from the curious gaze of the one most interested.
At last it was half-past one and time to dress. The three small girlshad climbed the ladder to the loft, and Dixie looked often at her smallsister, who was donning the very best gingham and buttoning it down thefront. Now and then the violet eyes glanced across the room to whereSylvia Clayburn stood arrayed in her pretty pink silk dress, but thesigh of yearning that arose to Carol's lips was quickly changed to asong.
Tears sprang to the eyes of the little mother, and, kissing the flushedcheek of the small girl who was nine that day, she said softly: "Carol,dearie, how long and beautiful your curls are this year. They hangalmost down to your waist now, and they're so shimmery and silky."
The younger sister, knowing that Dixie was trying to help her count herblessings, smiled up beamingly, and little Sylvia crossed the room, and,taking one of the truly beautiful curls in her frail hand, she said:"You'd ought to be so happy 'cause you have them, hadn't she, Dix? Myhair looks as though the color'd been all washed out, and it's straightas anything."
Carol glanced at the head of her little friend. The pale yellow hairwasn't a bit pretty, but Dixie was saying: "Sylvia, don't you mind athing about it yet. Lots of times hair grows darker. I've heard SuePiggins say that hers was nearly like yours when she was eight and nowlook at it, a heap of sunny gold."
"Somebody's driving in," Carol exclaimed. "Who do you suppose it is?"
"Go down and see," Dixie suggested.
The smaller girl, having heard the clock strike two, was sure that the"s'prise" was about to take place, and so she scrambled down the ladderthat led from the loft to the kitchen. Skipping to open the door, shebeheld on the porch no less a personage than Miss Josephine Bayley, andwith her was Sue Piggins, while behind them loomed a tall youth who wasIra Jenkins, the blacksmith's good-natured, very shy, and much-overgrownson.
Miss Bayley held out both hands and kissed Carol first on one cheek andthen on the other. "Happy birthday, dear," she exclaimed, "and may youhave many more, and all as happy as I am sure that this one is."
The flushed little girl looked up at the young teacher with glowingeyes. "Oh! Oh!" she cried, "Now I know what the s'prise is. It's aparty!" She whirled to find Dixie, Sylvia, and Ken standing back of herin the big sunny kitchen. Jimmy-Boy was taking his nap.
The older sister nodded. "That's part of the surprise," she began, whenthe awkward Ira stepped forward and handed Carol a long, flat box, as hesaid, "Here's 'nother part of it."
How the violet eyes sparkled. "It's a present, I do believe!" the smallgirl cried. "Oh, Dix, do see, here's a box with a present in it. Who doyou 'spose it is from?"
"Open it and see," her sister, who was trembling with excitement,suggested. This was a wonderful hour for Dixie, an hour long dreamed of,but one that she had sometimes feared would never come true.
Carol was so eager that her small fingers just could not untie thestrings, and so Ken sprang forward and offered the services of thetwo-bladed knife of which he was so proud.
Snap! Snap! The cord was sundered. Then Carol was about to lift thecover, when Dixie laid her hand on her sister's. "Guess first, what's init," she suggested, wishing to prolong the thrilling moment.
"I say, Dix, that isn't fair," Ken interceded. So the small girl waspermitted to lift the top and peep into the folds of soft tissue paper.
As she gazed at her very first blue silk dress, those who loved her wereamazed to see that she grew very pale, then tears rushed into her lovelyviolet eyes, and, turning to her older sister, she threw her arms aboutthat small girl and sobbed as though her heart would break.
"Why, why, Carol, are--are you disappointed, dear? Isn't it the coloryou've been wanting?" Dixie felt as though she, too, would have to cry,but the younger girl lifted her head and smiled through her tears. "I'mcrying 'cause I'm so glad, glad, glad! There's lace in the neck andsleeves, just the way I've always wanted, and there's ruffles!"
How every one laughed, and then Sylvia spied a card in the silken folds.
This she pounced upon, handing it to Carol. "I know it!" thatshining-eyed maiden exclaimed. "It's a gift from Dixie and from dearteacher."
Then it was that Ira remembered something, and darted out of the houseand back to the buggy.
Dixie, the little mother of the brood of Martins, knew just why Carolhad cried, for when the second box was opened, and in it was found asilk dress, the shimme
ry green of springtime, she felt as though she,too, would cry. She said little, although her wonderful gold-brown eyeswere eloquent.
Miss Bayley went with her to the loft to help her don her new dress, andwhen they reappeared, the others actually stared, for Dixie lookedalmost pretty. In fact, Ken, as he glanced about at the guests, thoughtthat, in some way he couldn't just describe she was the best-lookinggirl there.
Miss Bayley saw it, too, that something in the face they had calledplain, which seemed to prophesy that the young lady who-was-to-be wouldbe called beautiful. Perhaps it was the glow of happiness which wasmaking the little hostess so radiant; perhaps it was the new way thatdear teacher had combed the red-gold hair, which, when loosened from itstight braid, waved and curled in little ringlets above her ears.Moreover, for the very first time, her head was adorned with a witchingbig, pale-green, butterfly bow. On Carol's curls was another like it,only it was the color of the sky in June.
Ken had disappeared, though no one had noticed it. Suddenly there came atapping on an outer door, and when Sylvia, being nearest, skipped toopen it, in walked Topsy with a red bow around her neck, while Spottyand Downy-Fluff followed, wearing smaller neck-ribbons.
Ken, who had been hiding for a moment, bounded in after them, grinninghis delight as he said, "I thought maybe the kits would like to come tothe party, and if I'd had a pink ribbon, I'd have brought Blessing in,too."
"Goodness! I'm glad you didn't have," Sue exclaimed. "I've been broughtup with pigs, but I don't like them, even yet, leastwise not for pets."
Sylvia seemed to be watching for some one. Every few minutes she wouldrun to the window and look up toward the canyon road.
"I wonder if she's 'spectin' a s'prise, too?" Carol said softly toDixie. That little maid declared that she didn't know what Sylvia waswatching for. Then, at Miss Bayley's suggestion, games were played, suchas hide-the-thimble and drop-the-handkerchief. When every one waslaughing and shouting with interest and excitement, there came a loudknocking at the door.
Sylvia put her hand on her heart and cried, "Oh! Oh! I do believe it'scome, and I had forgotten to watch."
She leaped to open the door, and the others crowded round, wonderingwhat they were to see. It was no less a personage than Mr. HiramTressler, the stage-driver.
"Howdy!" he began, his leathery face wrinkling in a pleasant smile."This here's one of the boxes, Miss Clayburn, but the other one that yerpa sent over is too heavy for me to cart down the trail all alone. Maybenow Ken and Ira'd better come up and help me h'ist it out o' the stage."
__The boys sprang forward with alacrity, and followed the old driverback up the steep trail. While they were gone, Sylvia, her face flushedwith pleasure, handed a long, narrow box to Carol. "It's a birthdaypresent from me," she said.
In that box was the most beautiful doll that the little girl had everseen. "Why, it's prettier even than the one that--that--" Carol couldsay no more, but turned tear-brimmed eyes toward the giver of thetreasured gift.
Joy shone in Sylvia's pale-blue eyes. It was the first time that she hadever known the great happiness of giving a present to some one.Impulsively she stepped forward, and, kissing the girl who was holdingthe doll in her arms, she said softly: "Carol, I've been just mean andhorrid. I knew all the time that you didn't break my dolly, and--and Iasked Papa to get this one for your birthday. I'm sorry, and--and I loveyou now, just like you were a really, truly sister."
They were too young to know that this love was the greatest gift thatwas given to Carol on her ninth birthday.
"What do you s'pose the boys went to get?" Sue Piggins was peering outof the door and up toward the trail as she spoke.
"I don't know. I didn't 'spect Mr. Tressler to bring anything more'njust the box with the doll in it, and that's here," Sylvia said as she,too, peered out curiously.
"The stage is driving up the canyon," Sue reported to the others in theliving-room, "so maybe it wasn't anything for us after all." ButSylvia's sharp eyes caught sight of the two big boys who were comingslowly down the trail, carrying something between them. "Oh! Oh! Iknow!" she cried excitedly. "It's ice-cream in a freezer!"
Mr. Clayburn had sent it, and since Sue had brought a wonderful frostedcake as a gift from her mother, Dixie at once laid out the bestkept-for-company dishes, and refreshments were served. An hour later,when the guests departed, Ken went with them to help dear teacher intothe buggy. He looked up at her with shining eyes. "Oh, gee-whizzle,look't the sky, Miss Bayley!" he exclaimed. "I do believe a blizzard'scoming. How I do hope 'tis!"
Miss Bayley looked her surprise. "Why, Ken," she said, "how strange! Doyou honestly want this glorious autumn weather to turn into a blizzard?"
"Yes'm, that is, I--er--I mean I'd like to have Rattlesnake Sam comedown from the mountains and pay us a visit," the lad stammered, growingred as though he were embarrassed.
Ira was starting the horses and so Miss Bayley said no more, but she waspuzzled, and wondered if anything had happened to the imagination of herbest pupil in mathematics.