“You have—so far as I’ve seen,” Debby teased.
“Oh, there’s the General!” Blue Bonnet exclaimed. “He promised to look in during the evening. I wish I might go out to supper with him, or Alec, or Uncle Cliff—someone I really know—instead of that big boy from the first grade. Imagine! He started talking ‘Sargent,’ before we’d been dancing five seconds!”
“I think, Blue Bonnet,” Sarah said, coming up, “that Miss Clyde is looking for you.”
“So do I.” Blue Bonnet gave Sarah’s knot of blue ribbons a little pat. “Are you having a good time, Sarah mia?”
“Very! So good that I am almost afraid it will be rather difficult to go back to one’s regular way of living to-morrow.”
“Then don’t think of it now!” Blue Bonnet advised.
The line was forming for the march out to supper; once in the dining-room, it broke up into little groups, four to a table.
And then, from every side came eager exclamations of surprise and pleasure; for in the center of each table was a little candle-lighted Christmas tree, from the base of which ran four crimson ribbons, to which were attached the place cards, with their borders of Christmas elves bearing dainty sprays of holly and mistletoe; while among the decorations on the trees were tiny favors, both pretty and amusing.
It was all as much a surprise to Blue Bonnet as to her guests; she had known that Miss Lucinda was giving considerable thought to the details of her party, but she had never dreamed of anything like this. Blue Bonnet told herself, that she never, never would be vexed or impatient with Aunt Lucinda again—let her seem ever so exacting.
If it would only go on and on indefinitely! “Why must all the nicest things come to an end so soon?” Blue Bonnet asked her partner abruptly.