“That’s fine!” said Polly and Jess together, and Mr. Larue added forty cents more to make the fund six dollars.
CHAPTER XX
MERRY CHRISTMAS
The molasses candy was a great success and so was the school collection the next day. When Polly told Miss Elliott how they had collected the six dollars, the teacher thought it was such an interesting story that she asked Polly to tell it before the assembly. Polly was too shy, but Fred was persuaded, and when he had finished speaking, the principal had a few words to say.
“I’d like the Riddle Club to know,” he said, “that we all admire their energy and generosity. They could have asked their parents for the money, but instead they held this novel meeting. And the girl who won the prize for the riddle could have kept the money for something else, but she chose to send it to girls who have nothing. To-day is the first time I have heard in detail of the Riddle Club, but I shall always remember it after this morning.”
Dear, dear, wasn’t the Riddle Club pleased and embarrassed and proud, all at once!
“Carrie Pepper looked as though she could cheerfully bite you, Polly,” said Jess, at recess. “I don’t believe she liked to hear us talked about that way.”
“Oh, she’s all right,” said Polly. “If you don’t look out, Jess, you’ll be like Fred. He can’t say one good thing about Carrie. I don’t believe he even speaks to her now.”
School closed two days before Christmas, and the party, which the entire school attended, was one long two hours of fun and laughter. Margy and Polly played their duet and there were recitations. A huge Christmas tree was trimmed entirely with things to eat. Popcorn and peanuts and strings of cranberries and doughnuts tied on with red ribbons, cookies strung together like necklaces, red apples, oranges cut in fancy shapes, net bags of candy, bars of chocolate done up to look like presents—that tree looked as any Christmas tree would look trimmed for a party, but there wasn’t a single decoration on it that couldn’t be eaten.
The children ate everything on it, too, before going home, and then it was carried out in the school yard and planted in the snow to serve as a dinner table for the birds. The older boys climbed it and fastened bits of suet to the highest branches, and Christmas morning those who passed the yard saw flocks of hungry birds enjoying a holiday feast.
“We must fix Riddle Chap up for Christmas,” suggested Polly, as they walked home after the party.