“I’m not precisely sorry, mamma,” said Gwen, seizing the hand put out to her, and returning with interest the kiss given her. What a beautiful world it was! and how soft and warm was the atmosphere becoming of the big house which even Gwen had sometimes found chilling!
Mrs. Graham almost betrayed herself by a laugh as Jan and Gladys unfolded to her their plan for a surprise party so nearly identical with Gwen’s, except that they had not fixed a definite date, and had a different end in view in holding it. But she composed her eyes and lips to the necessary seriousness, approved their plans as she had Gwen’s, and set about the preparations for both parties. It is not difficult to prepare for two parties at the same time when both are practically one. The pair of conspirators kept their secret from the one conspirator, and Mrs. Graham conspired with both. The same guests were selected by both camps, except that Sydney was called in to Gwen’s aid, and asked the boys and girls with whom Jan had played the tennis match, and whom his sisters did not know.
March 1st fell on Saturday—any one who is interested to know can easily discover from that fact the year in which the party was given—and that made it easy to get the guests together early, without regard to school. It was better, for Gwen’s sake, to make it an afternoon party, “quite like little children,” as Gladys remarked with a slight tendency to dissatisfaction.
Viva and Jerry found this a most desirable feature of the celebration; they were ready in spotless white long before the appointed hour. Too long before; for Jerry was discovered sitting demurely close to the butler’s pantry door in the dining-room, very quiet and correct, but with a long streak of chocolate on each cheek, beyond the reach of her tongue, which had made the lips stainless, and a great smudge of chocolate and cream filling on the front of her dainty tucked guimpe, the cause of which Susan correctly traced to the loss of six little round chocolate-iced cakes from the pantry.
When the guests began arriving Jan and Gladys were much puzzled by being called upon to welcome several whom they had not invited, and whom they had difficulty in receiving as though they had done so. But Jan was delighted to see again her opponent who had given her such a hard fight for victory in the tennis contest, and when she had sufficiently recovered from her surprise at seeing her hailed Molly Van Buren rapturously.
Gwen sent for Jan to come to her when all the guests had arrived, and Jan ran across the hall to her cousin’s room. She found Gwen dressed in silvery-blue, looking paler for her long confinement, and at least a quarter of a head taller—Gwen was decidedly up to the modern standard of girls’ height.
“Do you know why mamma asked all these girls and boys here to-day, Miss Lochinvar?” asked Gwen.
“I should think I did! Gladys and I planned it as a surprise to you—it’s to celebrate your recovery!” laughed Jan.
“It’s nothing of the sort!” cried Gwen. “It’s mamma’s secret and mine, and it’s to celebrate your birthday.”
“Were you plotting a party, too? Did you remember it was my birthday?” cried Jan. “Well, of all things! What a memory you have, Gwen! I haven’t mentioned my birthday but once, ever so long ago, when you asked me when it came. And to think that Aunt Tina never said a word!”