CHAPTER XV
THE LAWN-PARTY
The next day Patty announced her willingness to do anything she could toassist in the preparations for the lawn-party; and Aunt Grace kissed herfondly, and said she was a dear little helper, and they would be only tooglad to make use of her services.
But the day passed by and nothing was done. Everybody went for a swim inthe morning, and in the afternoon Nan went driving, and Patty and the twinswere invited to a neighbor's to play tennis. Then in the evening they allwent for a moonlight sail.
After they returned, Patty ventured to remind her procrastinating relativesthat there was very little time left in which to prepare for the variousentertainments they had suggested.
"Jumping grasshoppers!" exclaimed Bob whose expletives were often of hisown invention, "I meant to set old Dil at work to-day, clearing a place fora tent. Dad, we must go over to the city to-morrow, and get a tent, andsome lanterns and flags. We want to make the place look gay and festive."
"Yes, we'll go," said his father, heartily, "and the girls can go with us,if they like."
"We _do_ like," cried Bumble, "and after we buy the things, won't you takeus to the Zoo, to see the baby hippopotamus?"
"But," said Patty, "I think we ought to stay at home and help Aunt Grace."
"No, no," said her aunt, "there's nothing much to do; I'll get somebody into help Hopalong make cakes and jellies, and we can leave the housedecorations until Thursday."
"Yes, that will be best," said Nan, "for to-morrow I'm going over toMontauk Point for the day, but I'll help all day Thursday."
"We'll all work with more enthusiasm when the day of the party comes," saidAunt Grace, "and now run along to bed, all of you."
Next day the family rose late, and breakfast was much later, so that it wasnoon before they started for New York.
Then Bob proposed that they go to the Zoo first, and do the shoppingafterwards. This they did, and the result was, that, as the animals were sointeresting, after they had seen them all it was too late to go to theshops.
"Whew! I'd no idea it was so late," said Uncle Ted, looking at his watch;"but never mind. We'll go home now, and I'll telegraph early in themorning, and the tent and lanterns can be sent over at once, and we caneasily get them put up in time."
When they reached home they found Aunt Grace entertaining some friends whohad come to spend the day. They were delightful people, and Aunt Grace hadfound them so absorbing that she had entirely forgotten to send for anassistant to prepare dainties for the party.
But nobody seemed to mind, and Patty concluded it was not her place tocomment on the way things were going, at least, not to the Hurly-Burlypeople themselves.
But when she wrote that night to her father, she said:
"I'm glad you didn't describe my aunts to me, but let me discover theirtraits for myself. For, really, I never would have believed a family_could_ act like the Barlows. They are out of proportion _every_ way, but,after all, I can't help loving them, for they are such dear, kind people,and they _mean_ to do right, only they never do anything."
But as the next day was Thursday, and some things _had_ to be done,everybody began to hustle and bustle and fly around generally.
Uncle Ted sent to New York by a special messenger for a tent, and a lot oflanterns and gay bunting, and succeeded in getting them soon after noon.Then he and Bob and old Dil put the tent up, and hung the lanterns alongthe veranda and among the trees.
Nan drove all around the country trying to find a cook to assist Hopalong,but as none was to be found, Aunt Grace had to go down to the kitchen andmake some of the cakes herself.
Nan and Bumble made sandwiches and squeezed lemons, and somehow the timeslipped away until it was four o'clock, and the house was not yet decoratedand the ice cream hadn't arrived from New York. "Nan, you and Patty fix theflowers, and I'll take the trap and fly down to the station and see if theice cream isn't there," said Bumble, who was very warm and tired, but whokindly offered to do the most unpleasant errand.
"All right," said Nan, and Bumble drove off in a hurry. That morning thegirls had gathered a quantity of wild flowers and vines for decorations,and Bumble said she had put them in water, but nobody knew where. So theyhunted in every place they could think of, but to no avail. Bob helped themand they searched the kitchen, the cellar, and even the barn, but noflowers could they find. So, as it was nearly five o'clock they gave it upand ran up-stairs to dress for the party.
And then Patty discovered that the bath tub was filled with the missingflowers. At risk of being caught by the guests in their every-day attire,Nan and Patty flew down-stairs and hastily arranged the flowers as well asthey could, and then returned to make their toilettes.
It was now after five, but fortunately no guests had yet arrived.
"Nobody will come before half-past five, anyway," said Nan, as they hastilyscrambled into their frocks.
"They may," replied Patty, "there comes somebody now; oh, it's Bumble."
Bumble came in, panting and breathless.
"I had to bring the ice cream home with me," she said; "there was no oneelse to bring it from the station. Wasn't it lucky I went over?"
"Yes, indeed," said Patty, "and now, Bumble dear, rest yourself a little.Nan and I will receive the guests. Aunt Grace is still in the kitchen."
"Yes," said Bumble, "but the table isn't set yet. We ought to get out theplates and things. Eunice is frosting cakes, and she can't do it."
"Well, I can do it now," said Patty. "I'm all ready, if you'll just tie mysash. Nobody is here yet, so I may have a few minutes at least."
But when Patty reached the dining-room the scene was appalling. In thehurry, nobody had found time to clear away the luncheon dishes, and theextension table must be made longer and really there was an hour's workthere for somebody.
Patty called Bob to help her, as everybody else was so busy, and thegood-natured boy left what he was doing and came to his cousin'sassistance.
It was six o'clock before everything was in readiness and the familygathered on the veranda to rest themselves and await their guests.
"Seems to me they're getting pretty fashionable," said Bob; "it's an hourafter the time set, and nobody's here yet."
"Well, it's a warm day," said Aunt Grace, fanning herself, "and nobodylikes to start out early in the afternoon." But after another half-hourpassed and still nobody came, they all began to think it rather queer.
"Perhaps they've boycotted us," said Uncle Ted, "and don't mean to come atall."
"I should think the Perrys would be here by this time," said Nan. "I meantto speak to them about it yesterday, and ask them to be sure to come early,but I forgot it."
"Did we invite the Harlands?" said Bob.
"I can't think whether we did or not," said Bumble. "I know we wereundecided about them. But we asked the Graysons, and here they come now."
"Well, I'm glad somebody's coming," said Nan; "but, no,--they aren'tturning in, they're driving by!"
"Sure enough," said Bob; "mean old things,--if they couldn't come, theymight at least have sent regrets."
"Here are the Stanton girls, anyway," said Patty, as two young ladies camewalking towards them.
Elsie and Mildred Stanton came up to the group on the veranda with aslightly embarrassed air.
"Good-evening," said Mildred; "you look as if you were going to have alawn-party."
"Why, we are," said Bumble, "if anybody comes to it. I'm glad you'vearrived, anyway, Come in."
"But,--we weren't invited," said Elsie, a little stiffly. "We came over onan errand."
"Indeed you were invited," said Bumble, warmly. "Do you suppose I'd leaveyou out, my dearest chums? But really, didn't you get an invitation? Howfunny! They were sent out on Tuesday."
"No," said Elsie, "but if it was a mistake, and you meant to invite us,it's all right. But we didn't know it, you see, so we're not in partyfrocks. As nobody else is here yet, I think we'll run home and dress up abit, and then come back aga
in."
"All right," said Bumble, knowing her guests would feel more comfortable ifsuitably dressed,--and they lived near by. "Skip along, girls, and hurryback."
After they had gone it was nearly seven o'clock, and nobody else appeared.Great consternation was felt by all, and suddenly Patty said, "Who mailedthose invitations?"
"Bumble did," said Bob.
"No, I didn't," said Bumble, "I thought you attended to it. Why, Bob, Iasked you particularly to look after them."
"I didn't hear you," said Bob; "do you suppose--"
But Patty had already run into the house and returned with her hands fullof the invitations to the party.
"Oh," groaned everybody, quite overcome by the calamity.
Nan was the first to recover herself.
"There's only one thing to do," she said; "we must go around and pick up asmany guests as we can in a hurry. It won't do to let all this nicegarden-party go to waste. Bob and I will take the runabout, and Bumble, youand Patty can take the trap, and we'll scour the country as far aspossible."
In a few minutes the two turnouts dashed away in opposite directions, andall the near-by neighbors were bidden to come to the garden-party at once.
Much laughter and fun was caused by the sudden and peremptory invitations,which were, for the most part, gladly accepted.
When the guests finally arrived, the party was a grand success, though ofmuch smaller proportions than was originally intended. The gayly-lightedveranda was a fine place for dancing and games, and supper, served in thetent, was very novel and attractive.
As Nan said, after the party was over, "It was just perfect, except that wecouldn't invite the ones that lived at any distance."
But Uncle Ted said, "Never mind, we'll have another party, and invite them;and I'll see to mailing the invitations myself."
"Oh, ho," laughed Nan, "then we needn't even get ready for the party, foryou'll never remember to post them."
At which Uncle Ted called her a saucy minx, and sent them all to bed.