CHAPTER VIII
MRS. HICKOX
At six o'clock the family sat down to supper.
Dorothy had a lingering desire to use the great dining-room, but Mrs.Dorrance had persuaded her that it was far more sensible to use thesmaller one, and she had pleasantly acquiesced.
Indeed the smaller one was a large apartment, about four times the sizeof Mrs. Cooper's dining-room. The outlook across the lake was charming,and the room itself prettily decorated and furnished.
Fairy had wanted to use small tables, letting two sit at each table, butagain Grandma Dorrance had gently insisted on a family table.
So the small tables had been taken from the room, and a good-sized rounddining-table substituted, at which Mrs. Dorrance presided. Leicestersat opposite her, Dorothy on one side, and the two younger girls on theother.
Very attractive the table looked, for the china, glass and platedsilverware were all practically new, and of pretty design. Tessie was anexperienced and willing waitress; and it is safe to say that theDorrance family had never before so enjoyed a meal.
Many hands had made light work, and Dorothy's had made light biscuits,and also a delicious omelet. They had strawberry jam and potted cheese,and some sliced boiled ham, all of which they had bought at the groceryshop on the way up.
"It's a sort of pick-up supper," said Dorothy; "but I'm not saying thisby way of apology. You will very often have a pick-up supper. Indeed, Ithink almost always. We're going to have dinner in the middle of theday, because that's the better arrangement in the country."
Just at that moment, nobody seemed to care what the dinner hour mightbe, so interested were they in the supper under consideration.
"I think pick-ups are lovely," said Fairy, taking a fourth biscuit; "Inever tasted anything so good as these biscuits, and I do hopeDorothy'll make them three times a day. They are perfectly deliciorous!"
"You're very flattering," said Dorothy. "But I won't promise to makethem three times a day."
"I could eat them six times a day," declared Leicester; "but I don'twant Dot to be cooking all the time. What do you think, girls, there arelots of boats of every sort and kind. Shall we go out rowing thisevening, or wait till to-morrow?"
"You'll wait till to-morrow," said grandma, quietly.
"All right, grandma," said Leicester; "we'll start to-morrow morningright after breakfast; will you go, too?"
"No, not on your first trip. I may go with you some time later in theseason. And I'll tell you now, children, once for all, that I'm going totrust you to go on the lake whenever you choose; with the understandingthat you're to be sensible and honorable about it. The lake is verytreacherous; and if there is the least doubt about its being safe toventure out, you must ask Mr. Hickox about it, and if he advises youagainst it, you must not go. Also I trust you to act like reasonablehuman beings when you are in a boat, and not do foolish or rash things.In a word, I trust you not to get drowned, and somehow I feel sure youwon't."
"Good for you, grannymother!" cried Leicester; "you're of the rightsort. Why I've known grandmothers who would walk up and down the dockwringing their hands, for fear their geese weren't swans,--no, I guess Imean for fear their chickens weren't ducks. Well, anyhow, it doesn'tmake any difference; you're the best grandmother in the world, andalways will be."
After supper the Dorrances strolled through the hotel, and finallyseated themselves in the great parlor.
Fairy plumped herself down in the middle of the floor, and satcross-legged, with her chin in her hands.
"What's the matter, baby?" asked Leicester; "aren't these satin sofasgood enough for you?"
"Yes, but I like to sit in the middle, and then I can look all around. Iam just goating over it."
"Goat away; we're all doing the same thing," said Dorothy; "nowgrandmother, you sit on this sofa; and I'll go 'way down to the otherend of the room, and sit on that one, and then we'll holler at eachother. It's _such_ a relief not to be cooped up in a little bunch."
The twins seated themselves on opposite sides of the room, and then theconversation was carried on in loud tones, that delighted the hearts ofthese noise-loving young people.
So merry were they that their laughter quite drowned the sound of thedoor-bell when it rang, and before they knew it, Tessie was ushering avisitor into the parlor.
The great chandeliers had not been lighted, but the thoughtful Tessiehad filled and lighted several side lamps, so they were quite able tosee their somewhat eccentric-looking guest. She wore a black silkmantilla of an old-fashioned style; and her bonnet which was loadedwith dangling black bugles, was not much more modern. She was a small,thin little woman, with bright, snapping black eyes, and a sharp noseand chin.
"I'm Mrs. Hickox," she said, "and I'm surprised that you people shouldcome to live in this great big hotel."
As Leicester said afterwards, if there had been any doubt as to thelady's identity, they would have felt sure, as soon as she declared hersurprise.
"We are glad to see you, Mrs. Hickox," said Grandma Dorrance, risingwith her gentle grace, and extending her hand in cordial greeting to hervisitor. "Won't you be seated?"
Mrs. Hickox sat down carefully on the edge of one of the chairs.
"I'm surprised," she said, "that you should use this best room socommon. Why don't you sit in some of the smaller rooms?"
"We like this," said Grandma Dorrance, quietly. "May I present mygrandchildren,--this is Dorothy."
The four were duly introduced, and really behaved remarkably wellconsidering they were choking with laughter at Mrs. Hickox's continualsurprises.
"Do you propose to live in the whole house?" asked Mrs. Hickox, afterthe children had seated themselves a little more decorously than usual.
"Yes," said Mrs. Dorrance, "my grandchildren have been cooped up insmall city rooms for so long, that they are glad to have plenty of spaceto roam around in."
"'Tisn't good for children to be left so free. It makes 'em regularhobbledehoys. Children need lots of training. Now that Dorothy,--myhusband tells me she's head of the house. How ridiculous!"
"Perhaps it _is_ ridiculous, Mrs. Hickox," said Dorothy, dimpling andsmiling; "but I'm over sixteen, and that's quite a big girl, you know."
"Oh, you're big enough for your age, but there's no sense of yourkeeping house in a great big hotel like this."
"There's no sense in our doing anything else, Mrs. Hickox," saidLeicester, coming to his sister's rescue. "We own this place, and wecan't sell it or rent it, so the only thing to do is to live in it."
Mrs. Hickox shook her head until the jets on her bonnet rattled, and thechildren wondered if she wouldn't shake some of them off.
"No good will come of it," she said. "This hotel has had six proprietorssince it was built, and none of them could make it pay."
"But we're not keeping a hotel, Mrs. Hickox," said Grandma Dorrance,smiling; "we're just living here in a modest, unpretentious way, and Ithink my grandchildren are going to be happy here."
"Well, that's what Mr. Hickox said; but I wouldn't believe him, and Isaid I'd just come over to see for myself. It seems he was right, and Imust say I am surprised."
Mrs. Hickox was a nervous, fidgety woman, and waved her hands about in acontinuous flutter. She was all the time picking at her bonnet-strings,or her dress-trimmings, or the fringe of her mantilla. Indeed once shepulled the feather of her bonnet over in front of her eyes and thentossed it back with a satisfied smile. "I often do that," she said, "tomake sure it's there. It blew out one night, and I lost it. I found itagain and sewed it in tight, but I get worried about it every once in awhile. I'm awful fond of dress, and I hope you brought a lot of newpatterns up from the city. I've got a new-fangled skirt pattern, but Idon't like it because it has the pocket in the back. The idea! I wassurprised at that. I like a pocket right at my finger-ends all thetime."
As Mrs. Hickox spoke she thrust her five finger-ends in and out of herpocket so rapidly and so many times, that Dorothy felt quite sure shewould we
ar her precious pocket to rags.
"What do you carry in your pocket?" asked Fairy, fascinated by theperformance.
"Many things," said Mrs. Hickox, mysteriously; "but mostly newspaperclippings. I tell you there's lots of good things in newspapers; and wehave a paper 'most every week, so of course I can cut out a good many.The only trouble, cutting clippings out of a paper does spoil the paperfor covering shelves. The papers on my pantry shelves now have had someclippings cut out of them, but I just set piles of plates over theholes. Well, I must be going. I just came over to be sociable. I'm yournearest neighbor, and of course up here in the country neighbors have tobe neighborly, but I'm free to confess I don't favor borrowing norlending. Woodville is nearer you than it is me, and I expect you'll doyour trading there."
"Of course we shall, Mrs. Hickox," said Dorothy, flushing a little; "weare not the sort of people who borrow from our neighbors. But Mr. Hickoxtold us that you sometimes had vegetables and eggs to sell; if that isso, we'd be glad to buy them."
"When I have them, miss, I'll let you know," said Mrs. Hickox, shakingher bugles more violently than ever. "But you needn't come 'roundinquiring for them; when I have them I'll let you know."
"Thank you," said Dorothy, who was only amused, and not at all angry ather visitor's hostile attitude.
But Lilian could not so easily control her indignation. "We can getvegetables and eggs at Woodville," she said. "We don't really need anyof yours."
"Oh, well, I guess that'll be the least of your troubles," said Mrs.Hickox, edging towards the door, with a restless, jerky gait. "You'relucky if the tank don't burst, or the windmill get out of order, oranything happen that will be really worth worrying over."
By this time Mrs. Hickox had backed out and edged along until she was onthe veranda. "Good-bye," she said, awkwardly; "come to see me, when youfeel to do so; but I ain't noways set on having company. I like thelittle one best, though."
This sudden avowal so startled Fairy, that she fell off the newel-postwhere she had been daintily balancing herself on one foot. As Leicestercaught her in his arms, no harm was done, but Mrs. Hickox ejaculated,with a little more force than usual, "Well, I _am_ surprised!"
"That's why I tumbled over," said Fairy, looking intently at Mrs.Hickox, "'cause _I_ was so s'prised that you said you liked me best. Ifyou want me to, I'll come to see you with great pleasure and delight."
"Come once in a while," said Mrs. Hickox, cautiously; "but I don't wantyou racing there all the time."
"No, I won't race there all the time," said Fairy, seriously. "I'll justrace down about once a day. Where do you live?"
"I live in the yellow house,--the first one down the road. But youneedn't come more than once a week."
"All right," said Fairy, cheerfully; "we'll make it Wednesdays then. Ilove to have things to do on Wednesday, 'cause I used to take my musiclesson on that day, and it's so lonesome not to have anything special todo."
While Fairy was talking, Mrs. Hickox had shaken hands all around, andhad backed down the steps.
"Good-bye," she said, vigorously waving both hands as she went away.
"Well, of all queer people!" exclaimed Dorothy, as they went back to theparlor. "I'm glad we haven't many neighbors, if they're all like that.Mr. Hickox is funny enough, but she's funnier yet."
"We don't care whether we have neighbors or not, we've got the DorranceDomain," said Leicester; "and that's enough to make us happy, and keepus so."
"So say we all of us," cried Lilian; "the Dorrance Domain forever!"
As usual, this was merely a signal for a series of jubilant hurrahs, andquiet Grandma Dorrance sat on her sofa, and listened contentedly to herhappy, if noisy brood.