CHAPTER V
GOING ABOUT
Four smiling, eager girls trooped down to breakfast the next morning,and found Mrs. Berry awaiting them. She presided at the table, and theylearned that she would always do so at breakfast and luncheon, thoughshe did not dine with them.
"Uncle Jeff says we may go to a matinee to-day," said Alicia,delightedly. "Will you see about the tickets, Mrs. Berry? Uncle saidMr. Fenn would get them if you asked him to."
"Yes, my dear. And what are your plans for the morning? Do you want thecar?"
"Yes, indeed," said Bernice. "We're going to the Museum and I don'tknow where else."
"To the Library, if we have time," suggested Dolly. "I want to see allthe places of interest."
"Places of interest never interest me," declared Alicia. "I thinkthey're poky."
"All right," returned Dolly, good-naturedly, "I'll go wherever youlike."
"Now, don't be so ready to give in, Doll," cautioned Bernice. "You haveas much right to your way as Alicia has to hers."
"No, I haven't," and Dolly smiled brightly; "this is the house ofAlicia's uncle, and not mine."
"Well, he's my uncle, too, and what I say goes, as much as Alicia'scommands."
"There, there, girls, don't quarrel," said Mrs. Berry, in her amiableway. "Surely you can all be suited. There are two cars, you know, andif you each want to go in a different direction, I'll call taxi-cabsfor you."
Dolly and Dotty stared at this new lavishness, and Dotty said, quickly,"Oh, no, don't do that! We all want to be together, wherever we go. AndI think, as Dolly does, that Bernice and Alicia must choose, for theybelong here and we're guests."
"You're two mighty well-behaved little guests," and Mrs. Berry beamedat them. "Well, settle it among yourselves. Now, what matinee do youwant to go to? I'll order tickets for you."
"Will you go with us, Mrs. Berry?" asked Dolly.
"No, child. I hope you'll let me off. You girls are old enough to goalone in the daytime, and Kirke will take you and come to fetch youhome. Now, what play?"
"I want to see 'The Lass and the Lascar'; that's a jolly thing, Ihear," said Alicia, as no one else suggested anything.
"Musical?" asked Bernice.
"Yes," said Mrs. Berry, "it's a comic opera, and a very good one. I'veseen it, and I'm sure you girls will enjoy it. I'll order seats forthat. Be sure to be home for luncheon promptly at one, so you can getready for the theatre."
"I can't believe it all," whispered Dotty, pinching Dolly's arm, asthey ran upstairs to prepare for their morning's trip. "Think of ourgoing to all these places in one day!"
"And six days more to come!" added Dolly. "Oh, it is too gorgeous!"
Arrayed in warm coats and furs, the laughing quartette got into the bigcar, and George, the polite footman, adjusted the robes, and askedtheir destination.
"To the Metropolitan Museum, first," said Alicia, unselfishly.
"Oh," cried Dolly, with sparkling eyes, "are we really going therefirst! How good of you, Alicia!"
And from the moment they entered the vestibule of the great museum,Dolly was enthralled with what she saw. Like one in a trance, shewalked from room to room, drinking in the beauty or strangeness of theexhibits. She ignored the catalogues, merely gazing at the pictures orcurios with an absorbed attention that made her oblivious to all else.
"Watch her," said Alicia, nudging Dotty. "She doesn't even know whereshe is! Just now, she's back in Assyria with the people that wore thatold jewellery!"
Sure enough Dolly was staring into a case of antique bracelets andearrings of gold and jewels. She moved along the length of the case,noting each piece, and fairly sighing with admiration and wonder.
"My gracious! isn't she the antiquarian!" exclaimed Alicia. "Look here,old Professor Wiseacre, what dynasty does this junk belong to?"
Dolly looked up with a vacant stare.
"Come back to earth!" cried Alicia, shaking with laughter. "Come backto the twentieth century! We mourn our loss!"
"Yes, come back, Dollums," said Dotty. "There are other rooms full ofstuff awaiting your approval."
Dolly laughed. "Oh, you girls don't appreciate What you're seeing. Justthink! Women wore these very things! Real, live women!"
"Well, they're not alive now," said Bernice, "and we are. So give usthe pleasure of your company. Say, Dolly, some day you come up here allalone by yourself, and prowl around--"
"Oh, I'd love to! I'll do just that. And then I won't feel that I'mdelaying you girls. Where do you want to go now?"
"Anywhere out of this old museum," said Alicia, a little pettishly."You've had your way, Dotty, now it's only fair I should have mine.We've about an hour left; let's go to the shops."
"Yes, indeed," and Dolly spoke emphatically. "I didn't realise that Iwas being a selfish old piggy-wig!"
"And you're not," defended Bernice. "We all wanted to come here, but,well, you see, Dolly, you do dawdle."
"But it's such a wonder-place!" and Dolly gazed longingly backward asthey left the antiquities. "And there are rooms we haven't even lookedinto yet."
"Dozens of 'em," assented Alicia. "But not this morning, mychickabiddy! I must flee to the busy marts and see what's doing in theway of tempting bargains."
"All right," and Dolly put her arm through Alicia's. "What are yougoing to buy?"
"Dunno, till I see something that strikes my fancy. But in the paperthis morning, I noticed a special sale of 'Pastime Toggery' atFollansbee's. Let's go there."
"Never heard of the place," said Dolly. "But let's go."
"Never heard of Follansbee's! Why, it's the smartest shop in New Yorkfor sport clothes."
"Is it? We never get sport clothes. Unless you mean middies andsweaters. My mother buys those at the department stores."
"Oh, you can't get exclusive models there!" and Alicia's face wore areproving expression.
"No," said outspoken Dolly, "but we don't wear exclusive models. We'rerather inclusive, I expect."
"You're a duck!" cried Alicia, who, though ultra-fashionable herself,liked the honesty and frankness of the two D's.
They reached the shop in question, and the four girls went in.
The Berwick girls were a little awed at the atmosphere of the place,but Alicia was entirely mistress of the situation. She had manycostumes and accessories shown to her, and soon became as deeplyabsorbed in their contemplation as Dolly had been in the Museumexhibits.
"Why, for goodness' sake!" cried Bernice, at last. "Are you going tobuy out the whole shop, Alicia?"
"Why, I'm not going to buy any," returned Alicia, looking surprised;"I'm just shopping, you know."
"Oh, is that it? Well, let me tell you it isn't any particular fun forus to look on while you 'shop'! And, anyway, it's time to be goinghome, or we'll be late for the luncheon and for the matinee."
"All right, I'll go now. But wait. I want to buy some little thing foryou girls,--sort of a souvenir, you know."
"Good for you!" said Bernice, but Dolly demurred.
"I don't think you ought to, Alicia," she said. "I don't believe mymother would like me to take it."
"Nonsense, Towhead! I'm just going to get trifles. Nobody could objectto my giving you a tiny token of my regard and esteem. Let me see,--howabout silk sweaters? They're always handy to have in the house."
Unheeding the girls' protestations, Alicia selected four lovelycolours, and asked the saleswoman to get the right sizes.
Dolly's was robin's egg blue; Dotty's salmon pink; Bernice's, a deeporange, and Alicia's own was white, as she declared she already hadevery colour of the rainbow.
Then she selected an old rose one for Mrs. Berry, getting permission toexchange it if it should be a misfit.
Alicia ordered the sweaters sent to her uncle's house, and the billsent to her father. This arrangement seemed perfectly satisfactory tothe shop people, and the girls set off for home.
"I feel uncomfortable about that sweater," announced Dolly, as theywere on their way.
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bsp; "That doesn't matter," laughed Alicia, "so long as you don't feeluncomfortable in it! Remove that anxious scowl, my little Towhead; Ilove to give things to my friends, and you must learn to accept triflesgracefully."
"But it isn't a trifle, Alicia. I know mother won't like it."
"Won't like that blue sweater! Why, it's a beauty!"
"I don't mean that. I mean she won't like for me to take it,--to acceptit from you."
"All right; tell her you bought it yourself."
"Tell a story about it! No, thank you." Dolly's blue eyes fairlyflashed at the thought.
"Well, my stars! Dolly, don't make such a fuss about it! Throw it away,or give it to the scullery maid! You don't have to keep it!"
Clearly, Alicia was annoyed. Dolly was far from ungrateful, and shedidn't know quite what to do.
"Of course, she'll keep it," Dotty broke in, anxious to straightenmatters out. "She adores it, Alicia; but we girls aren't accustomed tomaking each other gifts,--at least, not expensive ones."
"Well, you needn't make a habit of it. One sweater doesn't make asummer! I hope Mrs. Berry won't be so squeamish! If I thought shewould, I'd throw hers in the ash barrel before I'd give it to her!"
"I s'pose I was horrid about it, Alicia," said Dolly, contritely; "I dolove it, really, you know I do; but, as Dotty says, we never give suchgifts. Why, I can't give you anything to make up for it--"
"And I don't want you to! You little goose! But like as not, you cansometime do something for me worth more than a dozen sweaters."
"I hope so, I'm sure. Will you tell me if I can?"
"Yes, baby-face! I declare, Dolly, it's hard to realise you're fifteenyears old! You act about twelve,--and look ten!"
"Oh, not so bad as that!" and Dolly laughed gaily. "I s'pose I do seemyounger than I am, because I've always lived in a small town. We don'tdo things like city girls."
"'Deed we don't!" exclaimed Dotty. "I used to live in the city, andwhen I went to Berwick it was like a different world. But I've come tolike it now."
"I like it," said Bernice, decidedly. "I think we have a lot more funin Berwick than we could in New York. To live, I mean. Of course, thisvisit here is lovely, but it's the novelty and the strange sights thatmake it so. I wouldn't want to live in New York."
"Neither would I," and Dolly shook her head very positively.
"I would," said Alicia. "I'd just love to live here, in a house likeUncle Jeff's, and have all these cars and servants and everything fine."
"No, thank you," Dolly rejoined. "It's beautiful for a week, but itmakes my head go round to think of living like this always."
"Your head is not very securely fastened on, anyway," and Aliciagrinned at her. "You'll lose it some day!"
"Maybe so," smiled Dolly, affably, and then they suddenly found theywere back home.
"Good time, girlies?" called out Mrs. Berry, as they entered. "Lunch isall ready; sit down and eat it, and get dressed for the matineeafterward, Mr. Fenn got fine seats for you,--near the front. You'lllike the play, I know."
And like the play they did. It was a light opera, of the prettiesttype, full of lovely scenery, gay costumes and bright, catchy music."The Lass and the Lascar" was its name, and the lass in question was acharming little girl who seemed no older than the quartette themselves.The Lascar was a tall, handsome man, whose swarthy East Indian effectswere picturesque and attractive. He had a magnificent baritone voice,and the girls sat breathless when he sang his splendid numbers. Allfour were fond of music and even more than the gay splendour of theshow they enjoyed the voices and orchestra.
"Isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed Alicia, as the curtain fell on thefirst act. "Oh, girls, isn't he SUPERB! I'm MADLY in love with him!"
"He has a beautiful voice," agreed Dolly, "but I couldn't be in lovewith him! He's too,--too ferocious!"
"But that's his charm," declared Alicia, rolling her eyes in ecstasy."Oh, he is ideal! He's fascinating!"
The curtain rose again, and the Lascar proved even more fascinating. Hewas a daredevil type, as Lascars have the reputation of being, but hewas gentle and affectionate toward the Lass, who, for some inexplicablereason, scorned his advances.
"What a FOOL she is! WHAT a fool!" Alicia whispered, as the coquettishheroine laughed at the impassioned love songs of her suitor. "I shouldfall into his arms at once!"
"Then there wouldn't be any more opera," laughed Bernice. "That fallinto his arms is always the last episode on the stage."
"That's so," agreed Alicia, "but how can she flout him so? Oh, girls,isn't he the grandest man? I never saw such a handsome chap! What alovely name he has, too: Bayne Coriell! A beautiful name."
"Good gracious, Alicia! don't rave over him like that! Somebody willhear you!"
"I don't care. I never saw any one so wonderful! I'm going to get hispicture when we go out. I suppose it's for sale in the lobby. Theyusually are."
"Are they?" asked Dolly. "Then I want to get one of the Lass. MarieDesmond, her name is. Can I, do you think?"
"Yes, of course, Dollykins. You get that and I'll get my hero, my idol,Bayne Coriell!"
As it chanced the photographs were not on sale at the theatre, but anusher told Alicia where they could be bought, and she directed Kirke tostop there on the way home.
She bought several different portraits of the man who had so infatuatedher and Dolly bought two photographs of Miss Desmond. The other girlssaid they didn't care for any pictures, and laughed at the enthusiasmof Alicia and Dolly.
"I want this," Dolly defended herself, "because sometime I'm going tobe an opera singer. I did mean to sing in Grand Opera, and maybe Iwill, but if I can't do that, I'll sing in light opera, and I like tohave this picture to remind me how sweet Miss Desmond looks in thisplay."
"Pooh," said Alicia, "that's all very well. But I want these picturesof Bayne Coriell because he's such a glorious man! Why, he's ashandsome as Apollo. And, girls, I don't believe he's hardly any olderthan we are."
"Oh, he must be," returned Dotty. "Why, he's twenty-two or more, I'msure."
"Maybe he is twenty, but not more than that. Oh, how I wish I couldmeet him! Think of the joy of talking to a man like that!"
"Well, it's not likely you'll ever meet Bayne Coriell," said Bernice,laughing at the idea; "so you needn't hope for that!"