The bustle and excitement into which Fernlode had been thrown by the girls’ sudden resolve, to take over what should have been Orilla’s party, was little short of that which goes to make up “a swell affair,” as Thomas the butler expressed it, when he insisted upon using the tea carts on the lawn. He knew, he pointed out, how the Fernells did things, and that was the way they were going to be done this time.
Margot claimed that she also knew something of the Fernlode prestige, so she insisted upon a number of things, among them being favors for each guest. These were substantial, as she said, being a half dozen handkerchiefs in a pretty pictured box for each of the twelve children to be entertained.
“And if there’s more girls than boys I suppose you and I, Nancy, will have to chip in our best hankies to make up the right kind,” cryptically stated Rosa. To which suggestion Nancy merely groaned.
Altogether “the help” as well as the hostesses were enjoying the preparations, and now the girls were racing off to meet the train.
There came, first, the Fernell big open touring car, which Chet the chauffeur drove, then the town car with the three seats which Gar drove, and Dell Durand drove their own touring car, so that provided plenty of room, surely. Two cars would have been ample, but Rosa was afraid “an extra batch” might come, and it would have been dreadful not to have had room enough.
It was really queer to be expecting strangers and not even to know what they would look like, but when the train pulled in, and the conductor began handing children down from the cars, both Rosa and Nancy were too excited to care what they looked like.
Both girls, with Dell, pushed their way to the platform and claimed as many of the youngsters as could be lined up before them.
“I’m Miss Geary,” announced the pleasant, stately, middle-aged woman who was in charge of the outing, “and I suppose,” she said to Dell, “you are Miss Rigney.”
“Miss Rigney is ill,” Dell quickly replied, “but this is Rosalind Fernell and this is Nancy Brandon, both of Fernlode. I’m their neighbor and chaperon,” Dell continued in her easy social way. “We’ll all do what we can to give you a happy time,” she promised brightly.
There was no need for further formalities, and if there had been the girls would have just as completely overlooked the need, for Nancy was trailing off with a quartette of the children, two girls and two boys, while Rosa piloted three girls and one boy. Dell was made custodian of a pair of the “darlingest twinnies,” two little girls in blue, and there were also with the party three older girls who assisted Miss Geary.