But this special party was to be a particularly fine affair, for it was not only Emily’s birthday, but Hallowe’en as well, which double event Mrs. Drayton always celebrated more elaborately than any other.
Such an excitement among the children, then, when the blue notes began to circulate! Such jabbering at recess, such comparing of notes, such arrangements for going, such questions about each other’s dress! Alas! the party was a whole week off. Could breakfast, and luncheon, and dinner, and going to bed and getting up, and school and lessons, ever fill up this long stretch between?
“I suppose there are new gowns for this important occasion,” said Donald, who had strolled in to dinner, one night. The family were all in the back parlour.
“No,” said mamma. “Their organdies are fresh and nice, fortunately, and new sashes are all they need.”
“Fortunately! Unfortunately, I say,” said Donald, teasingly. “I was going to bring Cricket a dress of porcelain,” referring to a joke of last summer, when Cricket had arrayed a heroine in flowing robes of white porcelain.
Cricket coloured, but answered serenely, as usual:
“If I was a great big boy, eighteen years old, and a Freshman, too, I’d be ashamed of an old chestnut joke like that. I described to auntie what I meant, and she said I meant chiffon—that gauzy, filmy stuff, you know.”
“Filmy stuff would be appropriate,” murmured Marjorie. “With a sash of black carbon ribbon you would be very swell.”
“This family is absolutely disgusting,” said Eunice, looking aggrieved. “Mamma, I should think you would be ashamed of such perfectly impolite, teasy children as Donald and Marjorie.”
“I ’xpect God picked out the bestest children he had around then,” piped up Zaidie, who always put her oar in.