Marjorie's Maytime

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XII

  AT GRANDMA MAYNARD'S

  The ride in the park, though conducted under rather formal conditions,proved very enjoyable to the four young Maynards.

  Grandpa Maynard's equipage was a Victoria with a span of fine horses. Onthe high front seat sat the coachman and footman in livery, who lookedsufficiently dignified and responsible to take care of a merry flock ofchildren.

  But, impressed by their surroundings, the children were not very merry,and Marjorie sat decorously on the back seat with Rosy Posy beside her,while King and Kitty sat facing them.

  It was a lovely afternoon, and the park drives were crowded with vehiclesof all sorts. Marjorie secretly thought carriage driving rather tameafter motoring, but there was so much to look at that it was reallydesirable to go rather slowly.

  As they passed the lake, Parker, the footman, turned around, and askedthem if they would like to get out and see the swans.

  They welcomed this opportunity, and the footman gravely assisted themfrom the carriage. He selected a bench for them, and the four sat downupon it without a word.

  At last the funny side of the situation struck King, and as he looked athis three demure sisters, he couldn't stand it another minute. "I'll raceyou down to that big tree," he whispered to Marjorie, and like a flashthe two were off, with their; heels flying out behind them.

  Parker was scandalized at this performance, but he said nothing, and onlylooked at Kitty and Rosamond, still sitting demurely on the bench.

  "They'll come back in a minute," said Kitty, and the footman answeredrespectfully, "Yes, Miss."

  "Did you ever see anything like it?" said King to Marjorie, as theyreached the big tree almost at the same time.

  "It's awful funny," Midget returned, "but just for a day or two, I don'tmind it. It's such a new experience that it's rather fun. Only it's sucha temptation to shock Grandpa and Grandma Maynard. I feel like doingsomething crazy just to see what they would do. But we promised notto get into any mischief. Shall we go back now?"

  "Might as well; if we stay much longer it will be mischief. I'll race youback to the carriage."

  Back they flew as fast as they had come, and when they reached theothers, their cheeks were glowing and their eyes sparkling with theexercise.

  The impassive footman made no comments, and in fact, he said nothing atall, but stood like a statue with the carriage robe over his arm.

  So Marjorie assumed command, and said quietly, "We will go back now,Parker," and the man said, "Yes, ma'am," and touched his hat, quite as ifshe had been Grandma Maynard herself.

  But the very fact of being in a position of responsibility made Marjoriemore audacious, and as the man put them into the carriage, she said, "Onthe way home, we will stop somewhere for soda water."

  "Yes, ma'am," replied Parker, and he took his place on the box.

  The others looked at Marjorie a little doubtfully, but greatly pleased atthe suggestion. And after all it certainly was not mischievous to getsoda water, a treat which they were often allowed at home.

  They left the park, and drove down Fifth Avenue, and after a while thecarriage stopped in front of a large drug shop.

  Parker assisted them from the carriage, and ushered them into the shop,which had a well-appointed soda fountain. Then Parker proceeded to selectfour seats for his charges, and after he had lifted Rosamond up on to herstool, and the rest were seated, he said to Marjorie, "Will you give theorder, Miss Maynard?"

  Feeling very grownup, Marjorie asked the others what flavors they wouldlike, and then she gave the order to the clerk. The footman stood behindthem, grave and impassive, and as there was a large mirror directly infront of them, Marjorie could see him all the time. It struck her veryfunny to see the four Maynards eating their ice cream soda, withoutlaughing or chatting, and with a statuesque footman in charge of them!However, the Maynards' enjoyment of their favorite dainty was notseriously marred by the conditions, and when at last they laid down theirspoons, Marjorie suddenly realized that she had no money with her to payfor their treat.

  "Have you any money, King?" she asked.

  "Not a cent; I never dreamed of having any occasion to use it, and Ididn't bring any with me."

  "What shall we do?" said Kitty, who foresaw an embarrassing situation.

  "If you have finished, I will pay the check," said Parker, "and then, areyou ready to go home, Miss Maynard?"

  "Yes, thank you," said Marjorie, delighted to be relieved from heranxiety about the money.

  So Parker paid the cashier, and then marshalled his charges out of theshop, and in a moment they were once again on their way home.

  "Pretty good soda water," said Marjorie.

  "Yes; but you might as well drink it in church," said King, who wasbeginning to tire of the atmosphere of restraint.

  "I wish they did serve soda water in church," said Kitty; "it would bevery refreshing."

  And then they were back again at Grandpa Maynard's, and were admittedwith more footmen and formality.

  But Marjorie, with her adaptable nature, was beginning to get used toconventional observances, and, followed by the other three, she enteredthe drawing-room, and went straight to her Grandmother. "We had a verypleasant drive, thank you," she said, and her pretty, graceful mannerbrought a smile of approbation to her grandmother's face.

  "I'm glad you did, my dear. Where did you go?"

  "We drove in the park, and along the avenue," said King, uncertainwhether to mention the soda water episode or not.

  But Marjorie's frankness impelled her to tell the story, "We stopped at adrug shop, Grandma, on our way home, and had soda water," she said; "Ihope you don't mind."

  "You stopped at a drug shop!" exclaimed Grandma Maynard. "You fourchildren alone!"

  "We weren't alone," explained Marjorie "Parker went in with us, and hepaid for it. Wasn't it all right, Grandma?"

  "No; children ought not to go in a shop without older people with them."

  "But Parker is older than we are," said Kitty, who was of a literalnature.

  "Don't be impertinent, Kitty," said her grandmother. "I do not refer toservants."

  Now Kitty had not had the slightest intention of being impertinent, andso the reproof seemed a little unfair.

  Unable to control her indignation, when she saw Kitty's feelings werehurt, Marjorie tried to justify her sister.

  "Kitty didn't mean that for impertinence, Grandma Maynard," she said. "Wedidn't know it wasn't right to go for soda water alone, for we always doit at home. The only thing that bothered me was because I didn't have themoney to pay for it."

  "The money is of no consequence, child; and I suppose you do not knowthat in the city, children cannot do quite the same as where you live.However, we will say no more about the matter."

  This was a satisfactory termination of the subject, but Grandma's mannerwas not pleasant, and the children felt decidedly uncomfortable.

  Their own parents had listened to the discussion in silence, but nowtheir father said, "Don't be too hard on them, Mother; they didn't meanto do anything wrong. And they are good children, if not veryconventional ones."

  But Grandma Maynard only said, "We need not refer to the matter again,"and then she told the children to go to their supper, which was readyfor them.

  As the four sat down to a prettily-appointed table, they were not a happylooking crowd. Rosamond was too young to understand what it was allabout, but she knew that the other three were depressed and that was avery unusual state of things.

  "I don't want any supper," began Kitty, but this speech was too much forKing. Kitty was very fond of good things to eat, and for her to lose herappetite was comical indeed!

  A pleasant-faced maid waited on them, and when Kitty saw the creamedsweet-breads and fresh peas and asparagus, with delightful little teabiscuits, her drooping spirits revived, and she quite forgot that Grandmahad spoken sharply to her.

  "You're all right, Kit," said King, approvingly. "I was frightened whenyou said
you had lost your appetite, but I guess it was a false alarm."

  "It was," said Kitty. "I do love sweet-breads."

  "And there's custard pudding to come, Miss Kitty," said the maid, whosmiled kindly on the children. In fact, she smiled so kindly that theyall began to feel more cheerful, and soon were laughing and chattingquite in their usual way.

  "What is your name, please?" inquired Marjorie, and the maid answered,"Perkins."

  "Well, Perkins, do you know what we are to do to-morrow? Has Grandma madeany plans for us?"

  "Oh, yes, Miss Marjorie; she made the plans some weeks ago, as soon asshe heard you were coming. She is giving a children's party for youto-morrow afternoon."

  "A children's party! How kind of her!" And Marjorie quite forgotGrandma's disapproving remarks about the soda water escapade.

  "Oh, I don't know," said King. "I expect a children's party here will berather grownuppish."

  "Oh, no, Master King," said Perkins; "there are only children invited.Young boys and girls of your own age. I'm sure it will be a very niceparty."

  "I'm sure of it, too," said Marjorie, "and I think it was awfully good ofher, as we're to be here such a short time."

  "Well, she needn't have said I was impertinent, when I wasn't," saidKitty, who still felt aggrieved at the recollection.

  "Oh, never mind that, Kit," said good-natured Marjorie. "As long as youdidn't mean to be, it doesn't really matter."

  When the supper was over, Rosamond was sent to bed, and the other threewere allowed to sit in the library for an hour. The ladies were dressingfor dinner, but Grandpa Maynard came in and talked to them for a while.

  At first they were all very grave and formal, but by a lucky chance, Kinghit upon a subject that recalled Grandpa's boyish days, and the oldgentleman chuckled at the recollection.

  "Tell us something about when you were a boy," said Marjorie. "I dobelieve, Grandpa, you were fond of mischief!"

  "I was!" and Grandpa Maynard smiled genially. "I believe I got into morescrapes than any boy in school!"

  "Then that's where we inherited it," said Marjorie. "I've often wonderedwhy we were so full of capers. Was Father mischievous when he was a boy?"

  "Yes, he was. He used to drive his mother nearly crazy by the antics hecut up. And he was always getting into danger. He would climb the highesttrees, and swim in the deepest pools; he was never satisfied to let anyother boy get ahead of him."

  "That accounts for his being such a successful man," said King.

  "Yes, perhaps it does, my boy. He was energetic and persistent andambitious, and those qualities have stood by him all his life."

  "But, Grandpa," said Marjorie, who had suddenly begun to feel moreconfidential with her grandfather, "why, then, do you and Grandma want uschildren to be so sedate and poky and quiet and good? At home we'reawfully noisy, and here if we make a breath of noise we get reprimanded!"

  "Well, you see, Marjorie, Grandma and I are not as young as we were, andwe're so unused now to having children about us, that I dare say we doexpect them to act like grown people. And, too, your grandmother is of avery formal nature, and she requires correct behavior from everybody.So I hope you will try your best while you're here not to annoy her."

  "Indeed, we will try, Grandpa," said Marjorie. "I think she's very kindto make a party for us to-morrow, and I'm sure we ought to behaveourselves. But, Grandpa, you don't know what it is to have to sit sostiff and still when you're accustomed to racing around and yelling."

  "Yes, I suppose that is so; though I didn't know that you were noisychildren. Now I'll tell you what you can do. You can go up in the bigbilliard room on the top floor of the house, and there you can make allthe noise you like. You can play games or tell stories or do whatever youchoose."

  "Oh! that's lovely, Grandpa," and Marjorie threw her arms around hisneck. "And won't anybody hear us if we make an awful racket?"

  "No, the room is too far distant. Now run along up there, and you canhave a pillow-fight if you want to. I believe that's what childrenenjoy."

  "Well, you come with us, Grandpa, and show us the way," said Kitty,slipping her hand in his.

  And with Marjorie on the other side, and King close behind, they allwent upstairs. The billiard room, though not now used for its originalpurpose, was large and pleasant. There was not much furniture in it, buta cushioned seat ran nearly all round the room with many pillows on it.As soon as they were fairly in the room, Marjorie picked up a soft andfluffy pillow, and tossed it at her grandfather, hitting him squarely inthe back of the neck.

  The others were a little frightened at Marjorie's audacity, and GrandpaMaynard himself was startled as the pillow hit him. But as he turnedand saw Marjorie's laughing face, he entered into the spirit of the game,and in a moment pillows were flying among the four, and shouts ofmerriment accompanied the fun.

  Grandpa Maynard took off his glasses, and put them in his pocket forsafekeeping, and soon he was the merriest one of all.

  But suddenly he recollected that it was time for him to attend to his ownduties as host.

  "You young rascals," he said, "I don't know how you inveigled me intothis disgraceful performance! Here I am all dishevelled, and in afew moments I must preside at dinner!"

  "Oh, you're all right," said Marjorie, patting his necktie; "just brushyour hair over again, and put your glasses on, and you'll look fine. Andwe're much obliged to you, Grandpa, for playing so jolly with us."

  "Well, well; I'm surprised at myself! But remember this kind of play isonly to be indulged in when you're up here. When you're downstairs, youmust be polite and quiet-mannered, or else Grandma won't be pleased."

  "All right," said Marjorie. "We promise we will," and all the othersagreed.