CHAPTER IX
THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
The first day of the Xmas holidays had at last arrived and fifty-sixtired girls were busily packing trunks and bags. Nerves that had beenoverstrained for the past couple of weeks had relaxed, and everywherethere was the noise and excitement of leaving.
In Freshman corridor trunks were being jumped on and made to close, andall the girls were exchanging addresses and exacting promises of lettersand visits.
"Oh, Lois," sighed Polly, taking her chum's arm and leading her to theend of the corridor farthest away from the rest of the girls, "I do wishyou didn't live in Albany. Of course I'll be glad to see Uncle Roddy,but I can't help feeling that vacation is going to be awful lonely."
"I know," replied Lois. "I wish we could be together; anyhow we canwrite. Bet will be in New York and you will see her."
"Yes, but Bet's not you," Polly answered. "But let's cheer up. Why,here's Betty now; speak of angels--looking for us?" she called.
"Oh, there you are; you're both wanted--Polly in the reception-room andLo in Mrs. Baird's office."
"Do you know what for?"
"No." But Betty's expression made both girls apprehensive.
"Wonder what's up," queried Lois as they ran down the broad staircase tothe main hall.
When Polly reached the reception hall she found Uncle Roddy with a bigfur coat over his arm, a cap in his hand, waiting for her.
"Hello, Tiddle-dy-winks; thought I'd plan a surprise for you, so I cameup in the motor to take you home. It's a glorious day. If there are anygirls you care to bring along, why--"
But Uncle Roddy's explanation of his unexpected arrival was cut short byPolly's violent hug and kiss.
"Uncle Roddy, what a darling you are!" she exclaimed. "I'll get readythis minute and see who I can get to go with us." And she flew back tothe corridor.
As she stood in her room throwing the remaining leftovers into hertrunk, Lois came in and threw herself on the bed, in tears.
"Polly, Bobbie has typhoid and I can't go home," she sobbed. "Fatherwired Mrs. Baird. Poor darling Bob!" Her voice was muffled in thepillow.
Polly's joy in Uncle Roddy's surprise was forgotten as she tried tocomfort her friend.
After Lois had left the office, Mrs. Baird returned to thereception-room where she had left Uncle Roddy.
"Did Marianna find you all right, Mr. Pendleton?" she asked. "Such adistressing thing has just happened! Dr. Farwell wired me that his sonhas typhoid and Lois will have to remain here for the vacation. I amsorry, for the child needed a change."
Then it was that Uncle Roddy had an inspiration. The thought of amusingPolly during the vacation had worried him. Several ladies of hisacquaintance had promised to take her about, but that had not reassuredhim. Now if there were two of them, they would amuse each other, andunder the able care of Mrs. Bent, his worthy housekeeper, all would bewell.
It was a matter of a few minutes to lay the plan before Mrs. Baird and,with her help, to reach Dr. Farwell by long distance telephone. Over thewire the two men renewed their acquaintance of college days and thedoctor was only too delighted to give his consent.
In less than an hour the two girls were wrapped up in countless furrobes in the back seat of Uncle Roddy's comfortable car, while thatrelieved gentleman was at the wheel, and the chauffeur, always along incase of tire trouble, occupied the seat beside him.
As it was twelve o'clock when they started, Uncle Roddy suggestedluncheon at the hotel in the village. That was lark number one. The foodwas terrible, but Uncle Roddy was so funny the way he imitated thewaiter and teased the big green parrot, that as long as the food wasfilling, it didn't matter about the taste.
On the road they had two tires blow out, and as the second happened juston the outskirts of Irvington-on-the-Hudson, home of Rip Van Winkle,Uncle Roddy suggested dinner at the Sleepy Hollow Inn. They had the mostdelicious muffins, and pork chops with apple sauce, and very blackcoffee. That was lark number two.
But best of all was the getting home at ten o'clock. Uncle Roddy livedon Riverside Drive in a big apartment, with Mr. and Mrs. Bent, hishousekeeper and butler.
Polly had stayed with him for three months before going to school andknew the lay of the land. She led the way to the big guest room that shehad occupied, but instead of the gray walls and sedate old mahoganyfurniture that she remembered, imagine her surprise at finding softcream walls with a border of nodding yellow daffodils and the mostadorable ivory-colored furniture.
Lois broke the amazed silence by demanding:
"Polly, what a beautiful room; why did you never tell me about it?"
But Polly was speechless with delight as she stood looking, first at thebig double bed with the carved roses at the head and foot and next atthe dressing-table with its dainty silver brushes and combs and Dresdenchina candlesticks. A slender-legged table with a bowl of yellowtea-roses on it stood beside the bed, and the walls were hung withcolored prints of Greuze's "Girl with the Broken Pitcher" and "The MilkMaid," Reynolds' darling portrait of "Penelope" and "The Boy with theRabbit."
Polly, in the days of Aunt Hannah and her four-posted beds and crazyquilts, had dreamed of a room such as this. Finally she managed toanswer Lois' question.
"I didn't know about it myself, till this very minute," she gasped. "Oh,Uncle Roddy, it's beautiful! I never saw anything half so lovely!"
"I wanted you to feel at home, dear child, and now I think you had bothbetter get to sleep." And after renewed thanks and good-night kisses, heleft them.
A second later Mrs. Bent tiptoed in with a broad smile that took in thewhole world.
"You're hungry, I'm sure, my dears. I'll have some hot chocolate readyfor you when you get into bed; just ring when you want it."
Polly and Lois hugged each other for joy and after taking adisgracefully long time to undress, they finally fell asleep over theirchocolate and cakes.
* * * * *
The two weeks of Christmas vacation was an unending good time; everyminute was full. The mornings were spent chiefly in bed, for Mrs. Bentbrought them their breakfast and sat to chat.
Sometimes they lunched down-town with Uncle Roddy and sometimes theymotored through Central Park, or, with Mrs. Bent for chaperone, wanderedthrough the stores, and as the old Scotch woman could refuse themnothing, they did pretty much as they chose.
Uncle Roddy came home at four o'clock and always with bonbons andtheater tickets.
It would be useless to try and recount all their doings, so you willhave to be contented with the descriptions of the good times thatpleased them most.
One was Lois' box party for "Peter Pan." Dr. Farwell had written thatthe seats were in her name at the box office for Saturday matinee, andthe question arose whom to ask.
"There's Betty, of course," said Lois. "We'll phone her this morning;and Angela and Connie live in New Jersey and we ought to be able to getthem."
Betty's home was reached and her voice sounded over the wire in reply toLois' invitation:
"Come? You bet I will! What a lark!"
"Ask her for luncheon," called Polly. Then hurriedly to Mrs. Bent: "Itwill be all right, won't it?"
"Indeed it will, my lamb; any one you like; it's only too happy I am tosee a little life now and then," answered that devoted woman.
When the receiver was hung up it was arranged that Betty would be at theapartment Saturday morning. Angela and Connie had another engagement andcouldn't possibly come.
"That's too bad, Lo. Who can you ask now?"
Lois looked puzzled for a minute and then exclaimed:
"I have it! Why can't Uncle Roddy" (she had called him Uncle since thedinner at the Sleepy Hollow Inn), "and that funny man, Mr. Whittington,come?"
No sooner said than done. The long-suffering operator connected themwith the office in Wall Street occupied by George B. Whittington,broker. He was a little taken back at the invitation, but answered thathe would be "pleased as punch and would
meet them at the theater." UncleRoddy also accepted with pleasure.
Betty arrived Saturday morning, and the three of them chattered likemagpies until luncheon. They drove to the theater in the motor and foundthe two men there to meet them. Betty was introduced to Mr. Whittingtonand she nicknamed him The Lord Mayor of London at once, after Dick ofthe same name in the nursery tales. By the time the curtain went up theywere the best of friends.
Of course they adored _Peter Pan_ and _Wendy_. They laughed a good dealand cried a little and waved their handkerchiefs madly when _Peter_asked them if they believed in fairies.
"This is quite the nicest party I ever attended," Mr. Whittingtoninsisted as the curtain fell after the last act. "Why can't we haveanother one just like it, soon?"
"But, Mr. Lord Mayor of London," interrupted Betty, "where would we everfind another _Peter Pan_?"
"Just leave that to me. I know the very thing, but I'm not going to tellyou a word about it. You must all be my guests for next Wednesday night.How about it?"
Everybody was of course delighted and accepted at once.
Wednesday night finally arrived and with it another jolly party. Mr.Whittington's surprise turned out to be the Russian Ballet, and as thegirls watched the fascinating premiere danseuse as _Pupin Fee_ (fairydoll) in that charming story dance, they were wild with delight, andPolly openly transferred her affection from _Peter Pan_. Lois remainedfaithful, and Betty never could make up her mind which one she loved thebetter.
"She might just as well be talking," exclaimed Polly between acts. "Iknow just what she's thinking with every move she makes. Oh, isn't sheprecious!"
"I know what the next composition I write for Miss Porter will beabout," announced Betty.
"Oh, Bet, for pity sake stop talking about school. I'm in fairy land andI don't want to come back," Lois begged. "There goes the curtain up forthe last act."
The evening was over far too soon to please our party and when Mr.Whittington said good-night, at the door of the theater, his guests leftno doubt in his mind of their appreciation and enjoyment of the goodtime he had given them.
Best of all days of the vacation was Christmas. Polly and Lois werewakened at nine o'clock by Uncle Roddy's knock.
"Get up, you lazy children! Merry Christmas!" he called. "Lois, I haveyour mother on the phone for you. Come and speak to her."
Lois jumped out of bed and in a minute was calling Xmas greetings allthe way to Albany.
After breakfast Mr. Whittington arrived, and he and Uncle Roddywhispered mysteriously. Finally Mr. Whittington said:
"Get your things on, girls; we're going for a ride."
"A ride?" exclaimed Polly. "Why, the ground's covered with snow."
"Doesn't make any difference; we're going for a ride," he told her andnot another word could they get out of him.
They rode in the car as far as Fort Lee Ferry and then Uncle Roddyordered them out, and they crossed the ice-choked Hudson on theferry-boat.
"Please tell us where we are going," pleaded Polly.
"I am simply dying to know; it's all so mysterious," added Lois.
But "wait and see" was all the satisfaction they could get from Mr.Whittington and Uncle Roddy, and they had to wait until they reachedFort Lee, where a big double-seated sleigh was waiting for them.
When they were all in and the warm robes were tucked snugly about them,Mr. Whittington whipped up the two black horses and they were off alongthe smooth snow-covered road.
It was one o'clock before they finally reached an old-fashionedfarmhouse way up in the hills back of the Hudson.
"Every one out!" ordered Uncle Roddy.
"What a ducky old house! But what are we here for?" asked Lois.
"I know," laughed Polly, stamping her feet on the porch. "Anold-fashioned Xmas dinner."
"Quite right, Polly, and I hope it's a good one, for I'm starved. Buthere are Mr. and Mrs. Hopper, let's ask them about it."
As Mr. Whittington was speaking the door had opened and an old lady andgentleman stood in the hall.
"Merry Xmas to you both," he continued, shaking them each by the hand."Let me introduce you to the rest. Girls, this is Mrs. John SamuelHopper, the finest cook in the State of New York; every chance I get toeat one of her turkeys--well, I take it," he explained.
The old lady blushed with pleasure.
"Won't you be coming in?" she invited. "The dinner's ready, so you'dbest set."
You may be sure they all did justice to the roast duck and turkey, fortheir ride had given them hearty appetites.
After dinner they went out to inspect the farm and ended by having aroyal snow fight. When it was over Uncle Roddy suggested more to eat andthey spent the rest of the afternoon before the open fire, roastingchestnuts and apples, while the men entertained them with stories oftheir college days.
The vacation ended at last and Uncle Roddy saw them off, each with a boxof candy and a bunch of violets, at the Grand Central Station.
Seddon Hall had a private car for the girls and as each one entered theywere greeted by a chorus of shouts:
"Hello, did you have a good time?"
"So sorry I couldn't come and see you that day."
"Why didn't you answer my letter?"
"Didn't you adore 'Peter Pan'?" and a thousand other questions.
They reached school at six o'clock and as Polly and Lois strolled downthe corridor, waiting for the supper bell, Lois said:
"Well, here we are, back again. Polly, I never had such a good time.I'll never be able to thank you."
"Oh, bother the thanks," replied Polly. "Do you know, Lois, now thatwe're back I feel as if we had never been away."
"I know," Lois sighed regretfully. "It's more like a wonderful dream.Still it is good to be back, you know it is."
"Of course it is," Polly agreed heartily.
Just then the gong rang and they went down to supper.