CHAPTER XXVI
MOTHER'S SURPRISE
AFTER one last look, Mary Frances, hearing the sound of carriage wheels, ran to answer the door before the bell rang; but Billy was there, too, and they opened the door together.
"Oh, Mother!" cried Mary Frances; "you dear, darling Mother! What a 'cry-baby' I am!" (as the tears rolled down her cheeks, and Mother kissed her and Billy and Father again and again) "What a 'cry-baby!'"
"Which she is not!" declared Billy. "Tell Mother,—Mary Frances, I can't wait for you to tell your secret!"
"A secret?" smiled Mother. "A secret, Mary Frances?"
"Oh, how good something smells!" said Mother. "It makes me hungry."
"Come right out, then," said Mary Frances, bowing, "Dinner is Served."
"Here?" asked her mother. "I im-ag-ined we'd go over to Aunt Maria's."
"No, Mother, dear," laughed Mary Frances, happily; "it's the 'surprise' for you." And they went into the dining-room.
"Wh—wh—why! how did this happen?" asked Mother. "Where did this feast come from?"
Everybody laughed and talked at the same time.
"Mary Frances is guilty," laughed Billy; and Mary Frances "owned up."
"Mother," said she, bringing her worn and somewhat soiled little cook book and putting it in her Mother's lap, "I've made everything! I've gone 'all through' my book! I got dinner to-night!—that's your surprise."
"My own dear, lovely child!" said Mother. "You dear, precious baby-woman!" And taking Mary Frances in her lap, she hugged and kissed her again and again.
* * * * * * *
"I'm awfully sorry I couldn't exactly explain about you—you dear Kitchen People," whispered Mary Frances, going out to bid them good-night. "If it hadn't been for you, I never, never could have done it,—my dear, dear, friends."
"You'll not need us soon again," said Tea Kettle, sadly. "We're sorry—yet we're glad that your mother will take our place as teacher now."
"Will you help me when I do need you?" asked Mary Frances.
"When you do," they promised, and she threw them a kiss.
"Good-night, little Miss," they cried; and when she turned round again, they looked just like any or-din-ary kitchen utensils.
For a minute she felt very lonely; then, remembering, she said gladly, "But they promised!"
