Betsy and the Boys

by Carolyn Haywood

  When Betsy stepped out of Mr. Kilpatrick's red car, she heard Billy call, "Hiya, Betsy!" "Oh, dear! There's Billy," said Betsy to Mr. Kilpatrick. "He's on our side porch."

  "Good thing we put that football in the hatbox," whispered Mr. Kilpatrick. "He'll never guess what it is."

  Betsy giggled. "Wouldn't he be surprised if he knew?" she whispered back. Aloud she said, "Thank you, Mr. Kilpatrick, for bringing me home."

  By this time Billy had run out to the car. "Hello, Mr. Kilpatrick!" he cried. "Why did you have to bring Betsy home?"

  Then he spied the kitten in Betsy's arms. "Oh, boy!" he cried. "Where did you get the swell kitten?" Billy's eyes were big and round.

  "Mrs. Kilpatrick gave it to me. It's a royal prince or princess. We don't know which. But anyway its mother is the Queen of Sheba."

  "Golly!" exclaimed Billy.

  "Well, so long," called Mr. Kilpatrick as he started the car. "Careful of your hat, Betsy," he added with a grin.

  "Good-bye, Mr. Kilpatrick," said Betsy. "Thanks for everything."

  Billy followed Betsy into the house and out onto the porch. Betsy placed the hatbox on a chair and sat down with the kitten.

  "What's the kitten's name?" asked Billy.

  "Eenie," said Betsy.

  "Eenie?" replied Billy. "That's a funny name."

  "No, it's a good name," said Betsy. "'Cause if it's Eenie, it can be either a prince or a princess."

  Billy stroked the kitten. "Gee! I wish I could have one. Are there any more?"

  "Yes, there are Meenie, Minie, and Mo. But they are all black, like the Queen of Sheba," said Betsy, putting the kitten on the floor.

  Billy sat down on the chair beside the hatbox. He looked at the kitten fondly. "Do you suppose Mrs. Kilpatrick would let me have one of them?" asked Billy, leaning his elbow on the box.

  "I don't know," replied Betsy. "'Course I didn't ask for this kitten. Mrs. Kilpatrick offered it to me."

  Billy began twiddling with the string on the box. "Guess it wouldn't be polite to ask for one, would it?" he said.

  "Oh, no!" said Betsy, keeping her eye on the box.

  "Maybe she would sell one," said Billy as his fingers took hold of the bow of the string.

  "Well, maybe," said Betsy.

  "But I haven't any money," said Billy, plucking at the bow. It made a drumming sound on the lid of the box.

  "I thought you were going to play football this afternoon," said Betsy.

  "The football has caloopsed," said Billy.

  "What do you mean, 'caloopsed'?" asked Betsy.

  "It's n.g.—no good. Collapsed, in plain English," replied Billy.

  "Oh!" said Betsy.

  "We have to find a way to buy a new one," said Billy, still plucking at the bow. "That's why I couldn't buy a kitten. I have to save my money for a football."

  "Oh!" said Betsy. And just as she said it the bow on the hatbox came untied.

  Betsy jumped up so suddenly that she startled Billy and he knocked the hatbox off the chair. It fell to the floor with a thud and rolled across the porch. Betsy's heart was in her mouth, but fortunately the lid stuck fast. Both of the children ran after the box but Betsy reached it first. She picked it up with her hand firmly against the lid and quickly tied the string in a knot.

  "What's in the box?" asked Billy. "A new hat?"

  "No," replied Betsy. "It isn't a new hat. I guess I'll take it upstairs."

  Betsy picked up the box by the string. "You mind Eenie," she said, "until I come back."

  "OK," Billy replied.

  Betsy went into the house and started upstairs. She didn't notice that the bottom of the box had cracked when it fell off the chair. When she reached the top of the stairs the bottom of the box suddenly gave way, and the football fell out. It struck the step and bounced, the crooked way all footballs bounce, hither and thither, all the way down the steps. Then, to Betsy's horror, it rolled into the living room. She could hear Billy's chair squeak as he jumped out of it. "Hey!" he cried. "What's the matter?" But just then Thumpy, Betsy's cocker spaniel, dashed through the living room and out on the porch. "Oh, golly-wops!" Betsy heard Billy cry. "Here, Thumpy, you leave that kitten alone."

  By this time Betsy had reached the football, which had rolled almost to the porch door. As she dashed upstairs with it she could hear Billy yelling, "Thumpy, get down! Get down, Thumpy! Stop it, Thumpy!"

  And Betsy thought, "Good old Thumpy!" as she stowed the football away in her closet.

  When Betsy returned to the porch she found Billy holding the kitten as high as he could, out of Thumpy's reach. Thumpy was leaping up and down and throwing himself against Billy.

  "Get down, Thumpy," said Betsy. "Down!"

  Thumpy stopped leaping and stood with his pink tongue hanging out and his tail wagging. Betsy took the kitten from Billy.

  "He was going to fight it," said Billy.

  "Don't be silly," said Betsy. "Thumpy wouldn't fight a kitten. He's just glad to see the kitten, that's all."

  Betsy held the kitten down, so that Thumpy could see it. Thumpy let out pleased little barks.

  "They're going to be good friends," said Betsy.

  At this moment Lucy, the cook, appeared in the doorway. "I just come to see what was all the racket on the stairs," she said.

  "Oh, the bottom fell out of my hatbox," replied Betsy.

  "Sure made a lot of noise," said Lucy. "I thought you was playing ball where 'taint allowed."

  "That's what I thought it sounded like too, Lucy," said Billy.

  Just then Betsy's mother came in the front door with Betsy's little sister, Star. Betsy ran to meet them.

  "Mother!" she called. "Come out on the porch and see my kitten. Mrs. Kilpatrick gave it to me."

  "Why, Betsy!" exclaimed Mother. "How lovely of Mrs. Kilpatrick! Come, Star, let's see Betsy's kitty."

  When Star saw the kitten she went down on all fours so that she could see it better.

  Betsy was so busy watching Star and the kitten that she didn't see Lucy standing in the doorway.

  "Betsy!" said Lucy.

  Betsy looked up. There stood Lucy with the remains of the hatbox. "What this old box doin' on the stairs?"

  "I don't want it, Lucy," said Betsy. "Please throw it away."

  "What you bring it home for anyway?" said Lucy. "What all was in it?"

  Betsy rushed toward Lucy. "I don't want it, Lucy," she said, gently pushing Lucy into the living room. "Throw it away, please."

  "Beats everything," muttered Lucy. "Always bringing good-for-nothing junk into the house."

  "Darling," said Mother, turning to Betsy, "why did you bring that old box home? You know it just makes work for Lucy."

  "It wasn't an old box when I brought it home, Mother. It was a good box," replied Betsy. "Look, Mother. Isn't the kitten cute?"

  They all played with the kitten until, at last, Father came home. "Hello, there!" he called. "What's going on?"

  "We've a kitten," Betsy said as she ran to kiss Father.

  "Well! Well!" said Father, looking at the kitten. "Quite a beauty, isn't it?"

  Father and Mother left the children on the porch. Mother went into the kitchen to talk to Lucy and Father went upstairs. When Father reached the head of the stairs, he picked up the lid of the hatbox. "Now, I'll bet Thumpy has gotten my hatbox," he muttered to himself. "Now where do you suppose my good hat is? I'll have to speak to Betsy about this."

  Father came out on the porch with the lid of the hatbox.

  "Betsy!" he said, "do you know anything about the box that belongs to this lid?"

  "Yes, Father," replied Betsy. "Lucy threw it away."

  "Well, what was in the box?" asked Father.

  "There wasn't anything in the box. It was empty and Lucy threw it away," Betsy said.

  "But what was in the box before Lucy threw it away?" asked Father.

  Betsy gulped. "Why, uh ... Why, Father," she said, pushing past him through the door. "Why, uh..." By this time she was in the li
ving room and out of sight of Billy. She motioned to Father to lean over. Then she whispered in his ear, "I'll tell you after a while. It's a secret."

  Father made a funny face and tiptoed out of the room. He put the box lid on his head, and when he reached the doorway he tipped it to Betsy. Betsy doubled up, laughing. Then she went out on the porch again.

  "I guess I had better be going," said Billy. "It sure is a nice kitten. If I didn't have to save my money to buy a football, I would ask Mr. Kilpatrick if he would sell one of the other kittens to me. But I guess you can't have a kitten and a football, both."

  "I guess you can't," said Betsy.

  Billy looked at the kitten very thoughtfully. "Well," he said, "I guess I would rather have a football."

  By this time the children had reached the front door.

  Suddenly Betsy realized that Mother was in Betsy's room. She heard Mother open the closet door. Then Mother's voice called, "Betsy! Whose ball is this?"

  Betsy opened the front door and pushed Billy out.

  "What kind of a ball is it?" said Billy.

  "Oh, it's a ball," replied Betsy. "You know. A ball."

  "Oh, a ball!" said Billy.

  "That's right," said Betsy. "A ball. See you tomorrow."

  Betsy closed the door with a sigh of relief. Then she dashed upstairs. "Oh, Mother!" she said. "It's mine. Mr. Kilpatrick gave it to me and it's a secret from Billy."

  "Oh!" said Mother. "I am so sorry, Betsy. I didn't know."

  "Well, I didn't know it could be so hard to keep a secret," said Betsy.

  5. How to Get a Football

  Rudy Wilson and his football team were in a bad way, because you can't play football without a ball. And their ball was a sorry-looking sight.

  One day Rudy sent the word around to the boys on the team that there would be a meeting of the team after school. They were to meet on the vacant lot next to Billy's house. Rudy said that he had very important business to discuss.

  By four o'clock, Billy and the Wilson twins, together with Kenny and Christopher, Richard and Henry, were gathered in a bunch. They were waiting for Rudy.

  Soon little Eddie Wilson came trotting up to the group of boys. "What's going on?" he asked.

  No one paid any attention to him. He pulled at Billy's sleeve. "Hey, Puff!" he said. "What's going on?"

  "We're going to have a business meeting," replied Billy.

  "What kind of business?" asked Eddie.

  "Oh, it's about the team," said Billy. "You run along and play."

  "I don't wanta play," said Eddie. "I wanta be on the team."

  "Well, you can't be on the team," said Billy. "We told you that before. You're too little."

  "Well, I'm going to stay," said Eddie. "And you can't put me off this lot. 'Cause you don't own it." Eddie sat down firmly on the ground.

  "You'll have to get out of here when Rudy comes," said Billy.

  "Nope," said Eddie. "I'm gonna be on the team."

  In a few minutes Rudy arrived. He was out of breath from running. He had a magazine in his hand.

  "Now, fellas," he said, waving the magazine, "we've got two important things to decide. First of all, we have to get a football and next we have to get a name for the team."

  "Let's be the Tigers," said Kenny.

  "Naw," said Rudy, "there are lots of teams called the Tigers. We have to be different."

  "How about the Wildcats?" said Billy.

  "Not bad," said Rudy. "But we ought to have something different."

  "How about the Mad Alligators?" piped up little Eddie.

  Rudy looked around at Eddie and saw him squatting on the ground.

  "Eddie," he said, "scram! You're not on the team, and you'll never be on the team, so you can't attend the business meetings. You go away and play."

  Eddie began to cry. "I wanta be on the team," he sobbed.

  "Frank!" Rudy called. "Take Eddie home."

  "I won't go home," screamed Eddie.

  Just then Betsy appeared on Billy's side porch. "Billy," she called, "what are you doing?"

  "We're having a business meeting of the football team," he called back.

  "Have you got a football?" yelled Betsy.

  "Not yet," Billy shouted back. "But we're going to get one soon."

  Then Rudy had an idea. "Hey, Betsy!" he called. "Come here."

  Betsy came across the lot to the boys. Rudy went to meet her.

  "Say, Betsy," he said, "if you'll take Eddie off and play with him while we have our business meeting, you can be the Grand Matron of the team."

  "What does the Grand Matron mean?" asked Betsy.

  "Oh, the Grand Matron is very important," replied Rudy. "You can wear the insignia of the team on an arm band."

  "Can I play football?" asked Betsy.

  "You can be the cheerleader," said Rudy.

  "Huh!" said Betsy. "I don't want to be cheerleader. And, what's more, there won't be anybody to cheer. You don't even have a football."

  "Well, we're going to get one," said Rudy. "I know a dandy way to get one."

  By this time Betsy and Rudy had reached the group of boys. Eddie was still wiping tears out of his eyes with a dirty little fist.

  "Come on, Eddie," said Betsy, "let's go have a party on Billy's porch. I brought some cookies over from my house and Mrs. Porter is making some lemonade."

  Without another tear Eddie trotted off with Betsy.

  "Hurry up, Rudy," said Billy. "Get this business meeting over. I've got something important to do at home."

  "Well," said Rudy, "maybe it would be better if we finished the meeting on your porch. Maybe it would be more comfortable."

  "That's right," said Christopher. "We could sit down on Puff's porch."

  "Gee, yes!" said Joe. "I'm tired of standing around here."

  "So am I," said Henry.

  "It's cooler on Puff's porch," said Richard.

  "That's right," agreed Frank.

  "But Betsy and Eddie will hear all our private business," said Billy.

  "Oh, well, that's all right," said Rudy. "I just made Betsy Grand Matron of the team anyway."

  "But what about Eddie?" asked Billy.

  "Well, we can make him the mascot," said Rudy.

  With this, the whole bunch set off at top speed for Billy's porch. When they arrived, Betsy and Eddie were already munching cookies and drinking lemonade.

  "We've decided to hold the meeting here on the porch," said Billy, looking around for the cookies which were not in sight.

  "And, Eddie, we've decided to make you the mascot," said Rudy.

  "What's 'at?" asked Eddie.

  "Oh, the mascot brings the team good luck," said Rudy.

  "Do I run with the ball?" asked Eddie. "And do I kick it?"

  "No, no," said Rudy. "You just bring good luck."

  "Well, I won't do it," said Eddie, popping the last piece of cookie into his mouth.

  "Where are the cookies, Betsy?" asked Billy.

  "Oh, I just brought two," said Betsy. "Eddie and I ate them."

  The faces of the whole football team fell.

  "What kind of cookies were they?" asked Billy.

  "Coconut," said Betsy, swallowing her last mouthful.

  "Oh! Coconut!" muttered Billy, his mouth fairly watering. And the whole team said, "Oh! Coconut!"

  Just then Mrs. Porter appeared at the door with a tray. On it were a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses. "Would you boys like some lemonade?" she asked.

  The faces of the team brightened. They were glad that they hadn't missed the whole party.

  When the boys were seated with their glasses of lemonade, Rudy said, "Now, fellas, let's get down to business. We have to decide on a name for the team."

  "The Mad Alligators," piped up Eddie.

  "You keep out of this, Eddie," said Joe. "We have to think of something exciting."

  The children sat thinking. The only sound was that of lemonade being poured out of the pitcher. Then gulps and more lemonade poured out
of the pitcher.

  At last Eddie spoke up again. "Dragons!" he said. "Dragons are 'citing. They're fierce. There's nothing fiercer than dragons."

  "Naw!" said the football team in one voice.

  Quiet followed.

  After a while Billy began to mutter to himself.

  "Dragons. Dragons. What kind of dragons?"

  "Yeh! What kind of dragons?" asked Kenny.

  "Purple dragons," said Eddie. "There's nothing fiercer than purple dragons."

  "Purple dragons!" said Rudy. "Aw, who ever heard of purple dragons?"

  "That's good," said Betsy. "The Purple Dragons. And you could have a purple dragon sewed on your football suit."

  "Say, that's swell!" shouted Christopher.

  "W-e-l-l, OK!" said Rudy. "All in favor of

  calling the team the Purple Dragons, say 'Aye.'"

  There was a chorus of "Aye" and Eddie yelled the loudest.

  "Now for the next business," said Rudy. "About the football. I've found something wonderful. It's an advertisement in this magazine."

  Rudy opened the magazine to the back section of advertisements. His finger ran down the page and stopped. "Here it is," he said. "It says, 'Boys, Win a Football! Finest quality football. Genuine pigskin. The same ball used by college teams. Yours for only a little effort.'"

  "Gee! That's great!" said Billy.

  "What do you do to get it?" asked Joe.

  "Well, this is what it says," said Rudy. He read again from the magazine. "'Fill out the coupon below with your name and address and we will send you two dozen cakes of Surething Flea Soap, the soap that keeps dogs happy. Send no money.'" Here Rudy stopped and looked at the team. Their faces were pleased and their eyes were bright.

  "Oh, boy! That's wonderful!" said Billy.

  Rudy went on reading. "'Send no money,'" he repeated. "'Your expressman will deliver the soap upon payment of two dollars and forty cents.'"

  The faces of the team grew more sober. Rudy cleared his throat and continued. "'Sell this soap to your friends for twenty cents a cake and send the money to Surething Flea Soap Company and you will receive the genuine pigskin football by return mail. Act quickly! Only a limited supply!'"

  "Where are we going to get two dollars and forty cents?" asked Henry. "That's what I want to know."