CHAPTER III: THE GREAT SURPRISE
Betty Lee had not forgotten that, in the nature of a reward, she was tohave a surprise at the end of the summer; but nothing had been saidabout it by her father and Betty felt a delicacy about reminding him ofit. Now only two weeks remained before the opening of school. Betty waseager to begin, strange as it may seem; but boys and girls, even thosenot particularly keen about their studies, do look forward to thecompanionship, the gay plans, the activities that school brings them.
One week more would bring the twins, Dick and Doris, little Amy Lou and,best of all, Mother! Perhaps the surprise would not occur until thefamily was together again. Poor Daddy! How hard he had been working--noteven a chance to drive up to the farm over a week-end; for it was a longdrive, and it was not thought best to try it while Grandmother was somiserable and nervous. Accordingly, everybody tried to make the best ofthe separation, Dick had written, "we can hoop (whoop) and holleroutdoors, but believe me we're quiet in the house. Even Amy Lou hasstopped whining."
Then, on Sunday morning, when Betty and her father were driving homefrom church, he asked her, "Are your clothes in proper shape for a tripto New York with me tomorrow?"
Mr. Lee looked a little guilty, for it had been a letter from his wifethat had reminded him of the comparative importance of clothes, and hehad not thought about it.
"Why--Father! Do you mean it?" cried Betty, who sat beside her fatherand looked at his smiling face, turned straight ahead to watch traffic,for many machines were whirling along at the close of the various churchservices.
"Oh, I know! Is that the surprise?"
Mr. Lee nodded assent. "I meant to tell you before, but we had so muchdoing yesterday that I forgot it--well, to tell the truth, I was notsure that I could get away at all. There was some talk of sendinganother man. But Murchison thought that I'd had more experience withthis sort of a job; and moreover, he wants me to meet his sister and aniece who has been at school in Switzerland."
"Oh!" softly cried Betty again. "Murchison" was the big man in thebusiness, the man who had offered her father the opportunity in thecompany. Although Betty had visited the office occasionally, she hadnever seen the "big bug," as Dick called him.
There was silence for a little. Cars passed and Mr. Lee stopped once topick up a man he knew and take him on to his residence. "Missed youcoming out," said Mr. Lee, and the two men talked while Betty tried todigest the great news. Betty had never been to New York. She had neverspent a night on the train. It would be _glorious_! Of _course_ she hadclothes ready. Oh, that was what Mother meant when she told Betty alwaysto have her suit and accompanying garments ready. At the time, Betty hadthought that her mother feared a call of everybody to the farm, ifGrandma continued to "go down." Dear me, she had had such a good time,as things had turned out, with the girls staying with her, or othercompany, that she didn't need any other reward. Still, Betty knew thatshe had worked hard at times. Even with the woman who came occasionallyto clean, things would get "so messy," though Betty was learning now notto make work for herself by carelessness. She was glad that she hadplanned a nice Sunday dinner for the two of them at home today. AndFather had said, "Do not invite anybody for this week, Betty." This waswhat he had in mind, and would not tell her for fear of somedisappointment. That was it, she knew, more than his "forgetting."
"Oh, Father, I'm so excited," she exclaimed, as they left the car infront of the house, ready for a drive, if they should feel like it. "I'mall mixed up and you'll have to watch me or I'll burn up the dinner orsomething!"
"I thought that you'd like the plan, Betty; but I was a little afraidthat something would happen to upset it. It was understood long ago thatI was to go to New York in the fall. This meeting the countess is a newproposition, however. Do you think we are equal to it?"
"'The Countess!'"
"Yes; at least I think it is a countess. I will have her name in full,however, before we go to the ship after her."
Mr. Lee's eyes were twinkling, and Betty, after one look at him began tolaugh. "You're breaking it to me by degrees, aren't you? Well, I guess Ican stand it. I'm awfully hungry right now, aren't you? Seems to me thesermon was longer than usual. Wait till I put on the potatoes and thenplease tell me everything!"
"I will, child, and I'll not tease you a bit. I'll help you with thedinner. Didn't you say you had a 'T-bone' steak for the two of us? Justwatch me broil that steak!"
"Oh, goody! We'll have a lot of fun. I'm going to heat some cannedasparagus tips for our other veg'table, and throw together a fruitsalad, on head lettuce, and I bought a grand pie at the exchangeyesterday. Will that be enough?"
"Indeed it will, and I have the dearest little cook in three counties. Ipresume you'll have bread and butter, however; and suppose we have aniced drink instead of coffee."
"Oh, yes, by all means. You fix the ice, Daddy, and I'll squeeze abouttwo oranges and two lemons, I think--right away, so it'll be cold!"
A happy girl worked with a capable father, who took off his coat, tiedan apron around his waist and had as much fun as Betty, especially whenthe time came to cook the steak. Appetite did not lack when dinner wasready and before there was any thought of dish washing, Mr. Lee sentBetty to hunt up her over-night bag and looked up his own grip. "Put ina dress that you can wear to dinner in a hotel, Betty," said he, "anddon't forget the fixings."
"Oh, Daddy, my chiffon dress won't muss a bit and I mustn't forget myshoes that go with it!"
Betty forgot all of her duties as a housekeeper, as she laid out on thebed the array of what she wanted to take with her to New York--_NewYork!_ "How long are we going to stay, Father?" she called from herbedroom.
"Just two or three days--have to be back to meet Mother and thechildren, you know."
"How long does it take to get there?"
"About a night and half a day," replied Mr. Lee, who was preparinganother small surprise for Betty. She was so absorbed that she did notrealize how time flew until she ran back into the dining room and foundthat her father had cleared the table and was washing the last dish.
"How awful! Father, I'm just as sorry as I can be! I never saw youwashing dishes before!"
"I have, daughter, in dire emergencies, but this time it was for fun.Are all the gew-gaws, or doo-dads, ready?"
"I've got everything I ought to have, I think, 'cept washing out somesilk stockings. Do you think it would be wicked if I'd do it tonight?"
"That is, indeed, a serious matter," grinned Mr. Lee, looking like Dick."But since it is my fault and not yours, and they will have to get dryto be packed, we might consider it. And matters of necessity aredifferent, though we'd not make a point of saving our stockings to bewashed on the Sabbath, would we?"
"Oh, Father, you are just killing! What time tomorrow do we start?"
"Not until night. We get right on the sleeper and go to bed."
"Hurrah. Then I've plenty of time."
"And the muted question can be put off for decision until some othertime?"
"Yes. Mother says if we begin to do weekday things on Sunday, we'relikely to keep on."
"Your mother is always right, and the oldest daughter has to be anexample."
"I never can tell when you are joking and when you aren't! I'm noexample, Father! Oh, I'm just almost crazy with delight. Wait till Icall up Kathryn and Carolyn and Peggy to tell them what the surprisewas! And, oh, I have to leave the house in order!"
In such a fashion the great surprise was inaugurated. A very demure andwell-mannered young girl of nearly sixteen years accompanied a dignifiedbut wide-awake business man to the train Monday night. Betty wasconcerned with the mysteries of a berth in a sleeping car and was gladof her father's clear directions. She would not for "worlds" appearignorant of what to do, though she might well be excused for notknowing. But Betty was sensitive, quick to learn what was proper andpolite, and a little too proud not to be unduly mortified at anymistake.
At the station Mr. Murchison met them, talking for a little with Mr.
Leeabout business which Betty did not understand, and in which she was onlyslightly interested. He had met Betty courteously but was preoccupiedwith plans with her father. As the train was called, however, he turnedto Betty. "You are just about the age of my niece, I judge. Her motheris to make the experiment of placing my niece in the public schools. Itmay be that you will be in the same school. If so, I shall be glad tohave her know you, for you can be of great help to her, doubtless. It isunfortunate that she does not want to come to America."
"I shall be very glad if I can be of any service to your niece,"returned Betty, a bit stiffly, for Mr. Murchison's keen eyes ratherdisconcerted her. Betty was not sure that she liked him "a bit." But ofcourse she had to, for her father's sake. Who was that foolish girl thatdidn't want to come to America? Of course Mr. Murchison's sister was oneof those American girls who had married a titled foreigner. So herfather had said. But Betty smiled at Mr. Murchison and prettily said herfarewell.
How funny the Pullman looked, all green curtains already down, berthsall made up. As it had suddenly turned cold, Betty's father asked theporter for extra blankets, showed Betty where to put her things andadvised her to know which berth was hers when she came back from thedressing room. But Betty decided to mark hers in some way and finallytucked up the curtain in a certain fashion before she explored thedressing room. It was more private, she decided, to undress in herberth. Also, she would wear her silk kimona all night! It was coldenough.
For a long time Betty could not sleep, but finally Nature overcameunaccustomed nerves and she fell into a sound sleep, not to waken tillher father called her. She decided that she liked traveling and wouldlike to go into a "diner" often, to eat the sort of pancakes that werebrought on in covered silver dishes, and to help her father decide whatwould make a good breakfast.
The scenery was interesting. It was new to pass through the differentstates. She would never forget it. And New York! Was this really BettyLee, riding in a taxi up Broadway and along Fifth Avenue?
Owing to her father's different errands, which he accomplished by taxifor the most part, to expedite matters, Betty was taken to various partsof the city, even to the docks.
They crossed the Hudson on a ferry boat without getting out of theirtaxi. Birds flew about. Different kinds of crafts floated upon theriver. A great liner was just entering a space between piers. "Will Mr.Murchison's sister come in on a boat like that?" asked Betty.
"Something like that," answered Mr. Lee. "How do you like thisincidental sight-seeing?"
"Ever so much, especially since you bought me the map. I look it all up,and I'm glad to go over the same streets more than once, especiallyFifth Avenue and Broadway. I know Madison Square Park and the City HallSquare already."
Betty had one rather lonesome day at the hotel when her father could notlet her accompany him, but after that he took her on regularsight-seeing trips, during which she saw more than most strangersbecause of her father's familiarity with the city. She decided that shecould find her way by herself, but her father preferred not to have herattempt any "solo flights," he said.
Business was completed in comparatively short order. Mr. Lee senttelegrams to his firm; but then they were held, as Betty, at least,could not regret, by the non-arrival of the expected countess. Day byday the reports of the incoming ships were changed somewhat. There hadbeen storms and fog. Sea traffic was held up, said Betty, and her fathersaid that if the ships all came in safely they would do well. At thesame time, he was rather restless. It did not look as if they would beable to carry out their plans. "Oh, what if we can't get there beforeMother?" Betty asked.
"In that case, I shall merely telegraph her. The key is with the peopleupstairs, you know. Your mother will understand. But I'd rather meet myown wife than any countess!"
"And I'll be a day late at school, if the ship puts off coming in muchlonger! But Father, I can't be sorry to have these great days in NewYork. What shall we do today?"
"We shall see. Wait till I telephone the steamship company at the pieragain."
Then came a telegram from home. A cablegram had been received statingthat the countess and her daughter had sailed on a different ship fromthe one she had written her brother to meet. It was the _Statendam_,Holland-American line, due Saturday.
That settled it. Mother could not be met. Mr. Lee telegraphed to Mr.Murchison that he would meet the _Statendam_. To the farm and to thehome, in case there was some delay in the country, word went that Mr.Lee and Betty were unavoidably detained in New York. Betty was ratherworried about missing school Monday, as was most likely, but she enjoyedthe excitement and the extra expeditions due to the delay. It was an illwind that didn't blow _anybody_ any good, she remarked. "Can we leave assoon as the ship comes?"
"That, Betty, is in the hands of a very uncertain woman, I judge,"smiled Mr. Lee. "It will be necessary to do whatever Mr. Murchisonhimself would be obliged to do. I shall handle the matter as well as Ican."
"Are you scared because she is a countess?"
"Scarcely. But be as polite and helpful as you can, Betty. Having youwill make it all easier, I think. Privately, Betty, I gathered that MissMurchison was very badly spoiled as a girl. People exist to do herpleasure. See?"
"And we pretend that we like it?"
"No--it is not necessary to pretend anything. We really want to helpthem, do we not?"
"Oh, yes; but I _dee-spise_ being patronized."
"Of course. A true lady, however, does not show it--indeed, it is almostimpossible to patronize a true lady."
"Hum. That is all very well in theory, my precious father, but--well, Isuppose I'm not a true lady inside!"
The _Statendam_, due on Saturday, arrived on Sunday, and Betty with herfather, was somewhat annoyed as they crossed on the ferry, to see thetall smoke stacks and funnels of the liner already at the pier. "Stars!"cried Betty. "Now we're late, and no knowing what has happened to thecountess!"
Betty Lee, Sophomore Page 3
