Polly hurried to the window. It was quite true. Coming innocently and interestedly up the broad walk from the road, were about fifteen of the older boys from St. Stephen’s.
“How did they ever find out,” she exclaimed, and then all at once, she caught sight of Crullers’ face. It was quite red, and a little bit frightened too.
“Polly, Polly,” she faltered, “I did it. I tacked one of the posters on a fence near the Parish House.”
“Double penalty,” said Ted, under her breath. “First for giving us away, second, for tacking notices on fences.”
“You cannot help it now, girls, anyway,” said Jean, smiling over the mishap. “And boys are not so terrible, anyway. I’ll manage them. They will probably buy up all the candy, and that will help out.”
So with dignity, and all cordial courtesy, the boys were received, and ushered into the music room, and while their eyes fairly danced with fun and mischief, they soon forgot all but the excitement of the sale, and became, as Jean had prophesied, the best and most spirited bidders.
The candy sold first, boxes of fudge, and nut creams the girls had made themselves, and nut glacés. Also, Sue did a thriving business at her stand near the door, in popcorn and peanuts. Ted stood on a chair, and was auctioneer, and she made a good one. Tactfully she chose things that she knew certain girls had set their hearts on, and ran rival bidders against each other. Even the cushions from her couch at the Hall went, and last of all, the girls put up the historic chafing dish of the old Hungry Six, the original club that had preceded the Vacation Club. It was bid in by one of the Senior girls, after a spirited fight for it, and brought three dollars and seventy-five cents.
The Mystery Boxes were bid in lively by the boys too. All were very much interested in the small Japanese boxes. They promised so much just by keeping closed tightly, as Polly said.
Mrs. Warner had prepared these herself, as her share in the auction, and as one by one they were opened, the contents made the next lot go at a still higher figure. Inside each were quaint Jap novelties, little fortunes and mottoes on crepe paper, animals made of bamboo shoots and wisps of tinted cotton, puzzles, tiny dishes, and trinkets, all from the far islands of cherry blossoms.
When it was finally over, and the last buyer had passed down the walk, the five girls gathered in the harvest at the little tea table, and counted it over jubilantly.