CHAPTER XXXII
BOWLING.
A merry Christmas it was there at Starbright’s. The sleighing-party was enjoyed by all who took part, and never had Inza seemed merrier and brighter than on that occasion. She laughed, and sang, and joked; but Frank observed that she was not in the least sentimental, and she took pains to turn the conversation into another channel when it approached a dangerous point. She seemed to enjoy talking of Dick, his home, and his beautiful mother. Somehow these thoughts did not please Merry, but he betrayed nothing of the sort, and he spoke words of highest enthusiasm about Starbright.
The dinner-party that night was one never to be forgotten. The table was decorated with flowers and evergreens, the lights were softened and shaded, and Jack Ready declared the turkey was a “feast for the woozy old gods.”
Ready came out with a new batch of jokes, some of them fresh and some “wearing whiskers.” Merriwell made a happy speech, and Browning ate till his ravenous hunger was completely satisfied.
Then there was singing and music and a good time generally. There was no Christmas tree, but the surprise came in the form of a table-load of presents found in a room to which all were finally invited by Mrs. Starbright. Everybody had been remembered, and all declared they received just what they wanted more than anything else in the world, which probably was an exaggeration in many instances.
On entering the room, Frank had observed a bit of mistletoe suspended from the chandelier. At last, Inza innocently paused directly beneath it, and, in a moment, Merry had her in his arms, claiming the privilege of a kiss.
But Dick had been equally observant, and he was on hand at the same instant. Quick as a flash, she held them both off, laughing merrily.
The others shouted and told her she could not escape paying the forfeit.
“But what am I to do?” she asked, blushing crimson. “Both these rude chaps seized me at the same moment, and both claim they were first.”