CHAPTER II
A NEW PET
When Mr. Maynard came home that night he was treated to an account of thewhole affair, but as two or three of the little Maynards often talked atonce, the effect was sometimes unintelligible.
"It was the loveliest party, Father," said Marjorie, as she hung over onearm of his chair, and arranged a somewhat large bunch of blossoms inhis buttonhole.
"Yes, it was," agreed Kitty, who hung on the other arm of the chair, andinvestigated his coat pockets in the hope of finding a box of candy orother interesting booty.
"It sure was!" declared King, who was sitting on a footstool near, andhugging one knee with apparently intense affection.
"And what made it so especially delightful?" asked Mr. Maynard, as hebalanced Rosy Posy on his knee; "you tell me, Baby."
"It was a bootiful party," said Rosy Posy, with decision, "because we hadpink ice cream."
"That _was_ about the best part," said Kitty, reminiscently.
"Well, the pink ice cream part sounds delightful, I'm sure; but what wasthe rest of the party about?"
"Oh, it was a May party," exclaimed Marjorie, "and we had May Queens, anda May King, and May Princesses, and everything! I do love May, don't you,Father? Everything is so bright and bloomy and Maysy. I think it is theloveliest month in the year."
"Yes, it is a lovely month, Mopsy, and a good month to be out of doors.Maytime is playtime."
"Yes, I know it; I made a song this morning about that. I'll sing it toyou." And Marjorie sang for her father the little verse she had mad aboutMarjorie Maynard's May.
"Huh!" said King, "'tisn't your May, any more than anybody else's, MidgetMaynard."
"No, I know it; but I like to think the May just belongs to us Maynards.Anyway we have it all. It is our May even if other people use it, too."
"I don't begrudge them the use of it," said Kitty; "of course, it's justas much theirs as ours."
"Yes, of course," assented Marjorie; "I'm only just sort of imagining,you know."
"Let me help you imagine. Midget," said her father. "How would you liketo imagine a whole May time that was all playtime?"
"For all of us?" rejoined Marjorie, her eyes dancing. "Oh, that would bea lovely imagination! It would be like an Ourday all the time! And by theway, Father, you owe us an extra Ourday. You know we skipped one when youand Mother were down South, and it's time for another anyway. Shall wehave two together?"
"Two together!" cried King; "what fun that would be! We could go off on atrip or something."
"Where could we stay all night?" asked Kitty, who was the practical one.
"Oh, trips always have places to stay all night," declared King; "let'sdo it, Father. What do you say?"
"I don't get a chance to say much of anything, among all youchatter-boxes. Rosy Posy, what do you say?"
But the littlest Maynard was so nearly asleep that she had no voice inthe matter under consideration, and at her father's suggestion, NurseNannie came and took her away to bed.
"Now," said Mr. Maynard, "what's all this about Ourday? And two of themtogether! When do you think I'm going to get my business done?"
"Well, but, Father, you owe them to us," said Marjorie, patting his cheekin her wheedlesome way. "And you're not the kind of a business man whodoesn't pay his debts, are you?"
"I hope not; that would be a terrible state of affairs! And so I owe youtwo Ourdays, do I?"
"Yes, one for April, and one for May."
It was the custom in the Maynard household to have an Ourday each month.On these occasions both Mr. and Mrs. Maynard devoted themselves all daylong to the entertainment of the four children, and the four took turnsin deciding what the nature of the entertainment should be. Much of theprevious month their parents had been away, and the children lookedforward to the celebration of the belated Ourday in connection with theone that belonged to the month of May.
"Before we discuss the question further," said Mr. Maynard, "I must tellyou of something I did to-day. I adopted a new pet."
"Oh, Father, what is it--a dog?" cried Marjorie.
"No, it isn't a dog; guess again."
"A cat!" Kitty guessed, while King said, "A goat?"
"Wrong, all of you," said Mr. Maynard; "now see if you can't guess it byasking twenty questions."
"All right," said Marjorie, who was always ready for a game. "Is itanimal, vegetable, or mineral?"
"All three; that is, it belongs to all three kingdoms."
"Is it a house?" asked Kitty.
"No, it is not as big as a house."
"Is it useful or ornamental?" asked King.
"Both; but its principal use is to give pleasure."
"How lovely!" cried Marjorie. "I guess it's a fountain! Oh, Father, whereare you going to put it--on the side lawn? And will it have goldfish init, and shiny stones, and green water plants growing in it?"
"Wait a minute, Mops; don't go so fast! You see, it isn't a fountain, andif you should put water and goldfish in it, you'd spoil it entirely."
"And any way, Father," said King, "you said it was a pet, didn't you?"
"Yes, my boy, a sort of pet."
"Can it talk?"
"No, it can't talk."
"Oh, I made sure it was a talking machine. What kind of a sound does itmake?"
"Well, it purrs sometimes."
"Then it is a kitten after all," cried Kitty.
"No, it isn't a kitten. It's bigger than a kitten."
"An old cat!" said Marjorie, scornfully.
"Pooh," said King, "we'll never get at it this way. Of course it isn't acat! Father wouldn't make so much fuss over just a cat."
"But I'm not making a fuss," protested Mr. Maynard; "I only told you Ihad adopted a new pet, and suggested you guess what it is. If you give upI'll tell you."
"I don't give up," cried Kitty; "what color is it?"
"Red," answered her father.
"Ho!" cried Kitty, with a sudden flash of inspiration, "it's anautomobile!"
"Right you are, Kitsie," said her father, "though I don't know why youguessed it so quick."
"Well, nothing else is red and big. But why do you call it a pet? And howdoes it purr?"
"You're so practical, Kitty, it's difficult to make you understand; but Ifeel quite sure we'll all make a pet of it, and when you once hear itpurr, you'll think it a prettier sound than any kitten ever made."
"Is it really an automobile, Father? And have you bought it? And shall weride in it? Where is it? Where are you going to keep it? When will itcome? How many will it hold? Where shall we ride first?"
These queries were flung at Mr. Maynard by the breathless childrenwithout waiting for answers, and as Mrs. Maynard came in just then,Mr. Maynard told the story of his new acquisition.
"I've been looking at them for some time, as you know, Helen," he said,looking at his wife, "and to-day I decided upon the purchase. It's abig touring car, and will comfortably accommodate the whole Maynardfamily and a chauffeur beside. It will arrive day after to-morrow, that'sMonday, and after a few short spins around this neighborhood, I think byThursday we may be able to start for an Ourday trip in it."
"A whole Ourday in an automobile!" cried Marjorie; "how gorgeous andgrand! Oh, King, isn't it just splendiferous!"
Marjorie sprang to her feet, and grasped her brother round the neck, andthey flew round the room in a sort of a wild Indian war-dance that wentfar to express their joy and delight at the prospect.
"Two Ourdays, you know, Father," said Kitty, nestling quietly toher father's side as her madcap brother and sister whirled roundthe room. But they brought up with a round turn, though a littledishevelled-looking, to hear Mr. Maynard's reply to Kitty's remark.
"Yes, two Ourdays at once!" Marjorie cried, affectionately pulling King'shair as she spoke. He returned the caress by pinching her ear, and said,"Will it be two Ourdays together, Father, or one at a time?"
"If you two young tornadoes will sit down quietly for a moment, you mayhear of somethin
g to your advantage," said Mr. Maynard, smiling at histwo eldest children who were rather red-faced and breathless from theirrecent exertions.
"Sure we will!" cried King, and drawing Marjorie down with him, they fellin a heap on the floor, and sat there awaiting further disclosures.
"You see," Mr. Maynard began, "as Marjorie says, Maytime is,--what?"
"Playtime," supplemented Marjorie, quickly.
"Well, then, if Maytime is playtime for the Maynards, why shouldn't weplay all through the month of May?"
"Play every day,All the month of May,All the Maynards mayPlay all day!Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!"
sang Marjorie who often improvised her songs as she went along. This wasnot a difficult one to learn, and King and Kitty took up the refrain, andthey sang it over and over with great gusto, until Mrs. Maynard beggedfor a respite.
"But of course you don't mean anything like that?" said Kitty, when thesong had ceased.
"But that's just exactly what I do mean. What do you think of the plan ofthe Maynards going a-Maying in their own motor car, and taking the wholemonth of May for it?"
Marjorie's eyes opened wide. "I know what you mean!" she exclaimed; "youmean a tour--a tour through the country in an automobile! I've heard ofsuch things!"
"Wise child!" said her father; "well, that's exactly what I do mean. Atour through the country in our own motor, and in our own Maytime. Howdoes it strike you?"
"It strikes me all of a heap!" cried Marjorie, throwing herself into herfather's arms; "tell me more, quick! Seems as if I can't believe it!"
"I can't believe it, either," said Kitty, slowly; "but I 'spect I can bythe time we get ready to start. When are we going, Father?"
"On Thursday, if Mother can be ready."
"Oh, yes, I can be ready. I've only to get a few things for the childrenand myself to wear on the journey."
"Yes, we must all have up-to-date motor togs, I'm sure," and Mr. Maynardlooked about as happy over the projected trip, as any of his children.
"But, Father," said Marjorie, "how can you take so much time away fromyour business? You said you couldn't take two Ourdays together becauseyou were busy."
"I didn't say exactly that, dearie, and anyway I was only joking, becauseI knew I was going to spring this surprise on you in a few minutes. Ihave arranged, of course, to be away from my business for nearly a month,and have planned to spend the greater part of May taking this motor trip.We will go to Grandma Sherwood's first, and stay a few days,--"
"To Grandma Sherwood's? Oh, glorious!" And again Marjorie was seized witha paroxysm of joy, and this time she caught Kitty, and led her off for amad dance round the room. "Just think of it, Kit," she cried, "we'll beat Grandma Sherwood's together, and you can see the lovely room she fixedup for me, and the house in the tree, and everything. Oh, Kitty!"
"But I'm going to be there all summer, anyway," said Kitty, as shefinally induced Marjorie to tumble on the divan amid a heap of sofapillows.
"Yes, I know; but that's different. But what fun for us all to be theretogether for a few days! Did you say a few days, Father?"
"Yes, I did; but if you're so turbulent, and excitable, and noisy I thinka few hours'll be enough for Grandma and Uncle Steve."
"It may be enough for Grandma, but it won't for Uncle Steve," declaredMarjorie; "he loves rackety-packety children!"
"Well, he'll get his desires fulfilled when you get there," said Mrs.Maynard, smiling; "but perhaps the trip there will calm you down a littlebit."
"No, it won't! It just makes me more and more crazy all the time I thinkof it! Oh, Father, won't we have a lot of our Ourdays all at once!"
"Indeed we will, enough to last for several years ahead. For if you debitme with last month's deficiency, of course you must credit me in thefuture."
"Oh, no, this rule doesn't work both ways! We'll just take all theOurdays that we can get whenever we can get them. But what are we goingto do after we leave Grandma's?"
"Well, if you all agree, I thought we might go over to New York and seeyour other grandma."
"Go to Grandma Maynard's, too! Oh, what fun we will have!" and Marjorielooked as if her cup of bliss were full and running over.
"And after that," said Mrs. Maynard, "if none of you object tooseriously, we thought perhaps a little run up through New England wouldprove attractive."
"Mother," said King, looking at her twinkling eyes, "you planned all thisout before? It's no surprise to you!"
"Very true, King; your father and I planned it while we were on ourSouthern trip. We had such a delightful outing, it seemed only fair thatwe should take you children for a trip also. And your father has beenthinking for some time about buying an automobile, and as he can take thetime now, it all works in beautifully."
"Beautiful! I should think it was!" cried Marjorie; "and Mother, will weall have motor coats and goggles, and all those queer things that theywear in automobiles?"
"You won't have any queer things, and I doubt if you'll need goggles; butyou and Kitty shall have pretty motor coats, and pretty hoods and veils.We'll go on Monday to buy them."
"Oh," sighed Marjorie, "it just does seem too good to be true! It's likea fairy dream, and I 'spect I'll wake up every minute. What aboutlessons, Mother?"
"We've thought of that; but as your lessons would stop the first of Juneanyway, you'll only lose a few weeks, and so we're going to take you allout of school for that time. For this year, at any rate, Maytime shall beplaytime for the Maynards."
"I'm so glad I'm a Maynard, and live in the Maynard family," said Kitty,with a deep sigh of satisfaction.
"So'm I," declared Marjorie; "there never was such a nice family, withsuch a bee-yootiful father and mother!"
And as if this were a signal for a general onslaught, the three youngMaynards made a dash for the two older Maynards, and nearly choked themwith well-meant but rather athletic embraces, which was their fashion ofexpressing approval and appreciation.