A Dear Little Girl's Summer Holidays Part 8

This brought Louis to a sense of propriety, for if he showed himself unpleasant he might not be included in all the nice plans, so out he clambered.

"Thank Mrs. Ramsey for inviting you to go in her automobile," whispered his mother, and Louis gave his thanks heartily, calling out as the automobile started off, "Good-bye, Edna, I'll see you to-morrow."

Jennie and Dorothy glanced at one another meaningly as he said this, and Mrs. Ramsey perceiving the look said, "I have thought of a nice plan, children."

"Tell us, tell us," they clamored.

"I am going to let you give a porch party to-morrow."

"What is that, Mother?" asked Jennie.

"Why, it is just this: I have been thinking how very hard it must be for those mothers who are boarding at the hotel with restless children and who must find it difficult to entertain them. Many of these mothers do not get a moment's rest, and would be so glad of a little time when they knew their children were safe somewhere, and were having a good time as well, so I thought I would gather up some of these children to-morrow for a porch party and let Miss Eloise tell them some of her stories. You know there is nothing she loves so well as to get a parcel of children around her, and the way she keeps them as still as mice is a perfect marvel to me. I want to do something of the kind for her before she goes, and I am sure she would like this better than any grown-up affair. What do you think of it?"

"It would be fine," cried the little girls in chorus.

"But what do you mean, Mother, by saying before Miss Eloise goes. She surely isn't going soon?"

"Why, I am afraid she and her sister have made up their minds that they must."

"Just as she is getting along so nicely. What a shame!" cried Jennie.

"Can't you possibly persuade her to stay?"

"I have tried my best, my dear, but you know they are very proud, and have said that while they are very grateful for the invitation to stay longer that they could not impose upon me to the extent of more than the original time for which I invited them; that was for a month, and the month was up last week."

"Oh, Mother, why didn't you say all summer while you were about it?"

"Why didn't I? I think it was because I was afraid if I made it so wholesale they would decline to come at all, and I thought once they did come it would be easy to persuade them to extend their visit, if it proved to be the best place for Miss Eloise."

"Oh, dear," sighed Jennie, "I just hate to think of her going back to that hot city. Isn't there some way we could manage to make them stay somewhere, even if it were not at our house? Why couldn't they take a little cottage or bungalow or something and stay till school begins?"

"Even little cottages and bungalows cost something, and I am afraid they could not afford even the smallest of those."

"Oh, dear," Jennie sighed again. "I never before wanted school in summer time, but now I wish there were one that Miss Newman could teach in so they would have to stay."

"Why, my dear," exclaimed Mrs. Ramsey and then stopped suddenly.

"What were you going to say, Mother?"

"Nothing, only you have given me an idea. Mack, how much time have we?"

Mack glanced at the clock in front of him. "About half an hour, Mrs.

Ramsey. It is just six."

"Then you can take me to the Point. Do you children want to go? I shall be making a business call only. Perhaps you'd better go home, for Miss Newman and Miss Eloise will think we have deserted them. I will be back to dinner. Just go as far as the gate, Mack. The children won't mind walking the rest of the way."

So the children were set down at the gate and the motor-car went off in a rush. This latest talk had driven all thoughts of Louis out of mind, and the three little girls began to discuss the porch party with great eagerness. "I wonder if we may tell Miss Eloise," said Edna.

Jennie thought they would better not, but they could speak of their regret in her leaving.

They found the two sisters settled in their favorite corner of the wide porch. "Oh, Miss Eloise," cried Jennie, "we think it is just dreadful for you to think of going so soon. Why, I never dreamed but that you were going to stay all summer."

"But, my dear, think of how long we have been here. Nothing we could ever do would repay your dear mother for all her kindness, and we certainly would prove ourselves very ungrateful if we imposed ourselves upon her to such an extent."

"It wouldn't be imposing," protested Jennie.

"It might not be if we could return the hospitality, but that we cannot do, and so, you see--"

"I don't see at all," Jennie persisted.

"But we do," put in Miss Newman. "We feel very much gratified that you don't want us to go, and we shall never forget how happy a season we have had here."

"It will be something to treasure for the rest of my days," said Miss Eloise, her eyes fixed on the glittering sea, now gathering radiance from the evening sky. "Isn't it lovely?" she said. "Don't you want to sit down here and enjoy it with us?"

"We must go and dress for dinner," Jennie told her, "but we will hurry."

However, they were not ready till dinner was announced and Mrs. Ramsey had returned. Her eyes were bright and there was a little excited flush on her cheeks. The talk at the table was of the porch party, the prospect of which delighted Miss Eloise, but after dinner, Mrs. Ramsey said: "Miss Newman, I want to have a talk with you." So she and Miss Newman took themselves to the further corner of the porch while the little girls gathered around Miss Eloise till the stars came out and it was too cool to sit out longer.

CHAPTER V

THE LITTLE BUNGALOW

Immediately after breakfast the next morning Mrs. Ramsey bore off Miss Newman in the automobile, and the two were gone most of the morning.

"And there is the porch party this afternoon," said Jennie. "It must be something very important or mother wouldn't stay so long."

"What do you think it could be?" asked Edna. Louis had not yet made his appearance and the little girls had resumed their old harmonious att.i.tude toward one another.

"I'm sure I don't know, but I think it must be something about Miss Newman."

"Let's ask Miss Eloise if she knows," suggested Dorothy.

But Miss Eloise could give them no satisfaction. "Sister said they were going off on a little matter of business and that she would tell me when they came back," she informed the children.

"Well, lunch is on the table," said Edna, "so we won't have to wait very long."

She was quite right for at this moment the two ladies arrived. "What did keep you so forever, Mother?" asked Jennie as her mother joined the others who were already at table.

"Well, my dear, it is quite a story. We have had a great morning of it, and as soon as we get something to eat we will tell you all about it. I am sure Miss Newman is half starved, for we have been from Dan to Beersheba this morning."

"Those sound like Bible places," spoke up Edna.

"So they are," said Mrs. Ramsey laughing, and though Edna was puzzled she did not stop to inquire further because just here Miss Newman said, "And what do you think we have been doing?" And then before anyone could guess, "We've been house-hunting," she said.

"House-hunting," repeated Miss Eloise. "Sister, what do you mean?"