‘Well, Cooky!’ said Mother from the back porch steps. ‘You do look like black Dinah.’
For by this time there were smudges of mud on Sally’s cheeks and even on the tip of her nose.
‘It is a birthday cake for Paulina,’ explained Sally. ‘Mother, would you put pebbles on it for trimming or candles of little sticks?’
‘You won’t have time to make the cake this morning, Sally,’ said Mother. ‘You know I am going to have company at luncheon, and you must be washed and dressed at once.’
Yes, Sally remembered that Mother had told her of the two friends who were coming from the city to-day to have luncheon with Mother and Aunt Bee. Sally herself was to sit at the table and was to be ‘as quiet as a mouse and as polite as a lady.’
Those were Mother’s own words, and Sally meant to do just what Mother said.
‘What dress am I to wear?’ asked Sally, as scrubbed and brushed, she stood waiting for Mother to slip her frock over her head.
‘It really doesn’t matter what dress you wear, answered Mother, stepping into Sally’s closet, ‘so long as you yourself are clean and good.’
‘If it doesn’t matter, then,’ replied Sally, ‘I think I should like to wear my new white dress. I think it is the very prettiest dress I have ever seen.’
So Mother, laughing, Sally didn’t quite know why, put on the new white dress, and Sally soon settled herself on the back steps to wait for the guests to arrive.