“I’d ask you to stay to luncheon,” said Clementine, as they went through the hall, “but mamma is giving a luncheon party to-day, and I can’t have anything to eat myself until after her guests have gone.”
“Oh, I must go home anyway,” said Patty; “Grandma is expecting me.”
“See how pretty the table looks,” said Clementine, as the girls passed by the open door of the dining-room.
“Beautiful!” exclaimed Patty, as she paused to look at the daintily appointed table, with its shining glass and silver, its decorations and pretty name cards. “Your mother knows just how to arrange a table, doesn’t she? How many are coming?”
“Eight; that is, there will be eight with mamma. Of course I never go to the table when she has formal company. I can have something to eat in the butler’s pantry, or I can wait until the luncheon is over and then go in the dining-room. Yes, the table will look lovely after the flowers are on and all the last touches.”
The two girls went on up to the play-room and were soon engrossed in lively chat about their own affairs.
Suddenly Mrs. Morse appeared in the door-way.
“Oh, Clementine,” she exclaimed, with an air of the greatest consternation, “I don’t know what I am to do! Cook has scalded her hands fearfully; she upset a kettle of boiling water and the burns were so bad I had to send her straight to the hospital. She’s just gone and it’s after half-past twelve now and all those people coming to luncheon at half-past one. Nothing is cooked, nothing is ready and I’m at my wits’ end.”
“Can’t Jane cook?”
“No, she’s only a waitress; and besides, I need her in the dining-room. I can’t think of anything but for you to run right down to Pacetti’s and ask them to send me a capable, first-class cook at once. I’d telephone, but I’m afraid they’d send some inexperienced person, so I think it better for you to go. Make them understand the necessity for haste; but, dear me, they’re so slow, anyway, that I doubt if a cook would reach here before half-past one. And there is so much to be done. I never was in such an unfortunate situation!”