CHAPTER XIX
With Henrietta
THROUGH a long corridor, around several corners and down two flightsof back stairs, the formal callers, their hearts in their throats,followed Henrietta, who finally paused at the basement door.
"There," said Henrietta, mysteriously, "you're safe at last. Nowlisten. You must slip out through the alley, walk slowly round theblock, approach the house with dignity, ring the doorbell and presentyour cards to Simmons."
"We--we can't," faltered Bettie. "He has them _now_."
"I'll poke them out through the letter slot," laughed resourcefulHenrietta. "You're not going to escape that formal call. Wait, yourhat's over one ear, Mabel. There now, you're perfectly lovely. Nowdon't forget to pick up the cards."
Entirely bewildered by Henrietta's pranks, the conventional visitorswalked out through the alley, strolled round the block and nervouslyascended the front steps. There, sure enough, were eight white cardspopping out through the letter slot.
"My goodness!" gasped Jean, "they're not _our_ cards. This one says'Mrs. Francis Patterson.'"
"And this," said Marjory, picking up another, "says 'John D. Thomas,sole agent for Todd's shoes.'"
"According to mine," giggled Bettie, "I'm Miss Ethel Louise Cartwright.What's on yours, Mabel?"
"'With love from Father,'" groaned Mabel.
"What in the world shall we do?" queried Jean, gathering up theremaining cards. "Not one of them will fit _us_."
"Give them to Simmons in a bunch," suggested Marjory. "He didn't lookat the last lot, so perhaps he won't now."
So the girls, gathering what courage they could, touched the bell,presented their odd assortment of cards to Simmons--who almostsucceeded in not looking astonished at seeing the callers again sosoon--and were ushered into the reception room.
Such a sedate Henrietta advanced to meet them! Such a dignified, butcharming old lady rose to shake hands all around! Such a sheepishquartette of visitors perched on the extreme edge of the nearest fourchairs! Mrs. Slater smiled encouragingly; but Henrietta, from her postbehind her grandmother's chair, displayed every sign of abject terror.
"We--we came to call," faltered Jean.
"That was pleasant," responded Mrs. Slater. "You are just in time tohave some tea. Midge, will you please ring for Greta? I'm very glad youcame, for I wanted my granddaughter to meet some of the young people."
Mrs. Slater, her slender, beringed fingers moving daintily among thecups, made the tea. Henrietta, in absolute silence and much subdued inmanner, passed the cups, the delicate sandwiches and the little frostedtea cakes.
"Midge," demanded Mrs. Slater, turning suddenly to her granddaughter,"what in the world is the matter with you? You haven't said a word forfifteen minutes. I never knew you to be still for so long a time."
"It's my conscience," groaned Henrietta, dolefully. "I'm in anotherscrape."
"What have you done now?" asked Mrs. Slater, who seemed very much lessterrifying than the girls had expected to find her. "Confession is goodfor the soul, my dear."
Henrietta's infectious laugh gurgled out suddenly and merrily.
"I've frightened four girls almost into spasms," said she. "You see,Grannie, I told them that they'd _have_ to call formally if they wantedme to visit them. When they came you were out, so I took them upstairs,gave them things to eat and a jolly good time, generally. Then, justfor a joke, I had Greta tell me when you were coming and I led themcarefully down the back way, made them go round the block and do it allover again, cards and all. You see, Grannie, they don't know you. Theyhaven't seen anything but your husk; and I had them scared blue; didn'tI, girls?"
"Midge, you shouldn't have done it," reproved Mrs. Slater, whose blackeyes, however, were sparkling with only half-suppressed merriment."That wasn't quite a courteous way to treat your guests!"
"Forgive me," pleaded Henrietta, flopping down on her knees and lookingthe very picture of penitence. "Walk on me, Jean. Wipe your shoes onme, Bettie. I grovel at your feet--at _every_body's feet."
"Don't grovel too hard in that dress," warned Mrs. Slater.
"Am I forgiven?" implored Henrietta, gathering up her ruffles withelaborate care.
The girls were not certain. Their pride had been injured and they eyedHenrietta doubtfully.
"When you've known Midge as long as I have," said Mrs. Slater, "you'lldiscover that she is really too tender-hearted to hurt a fly. Butyou'll also discover that she never misses an opportunity to playpranks on every soul she loves. It's a symbol of her favor. She willnever tell you an untruth, she is too honorable to practise downrightdeceit; but depend on it, girls, she will fool you until you won'tbelieve your own ears. And she's always sorry, afterwards. She spendshalf her time apologizing."
"Ah, _do_ forgive," pleaded extravagant Henrietta, suddenly extendingimploring hands. "I mean it, truly. It _wasn't_ nice of me."
Jean, stooping suddenly, kissed the upturned lips.
"Why!" exclaimed Jean, genuinely surprised, "I didn't know I was goingto do that."
"She gets around everybody," said Mrs. Slater, "and the worst of it isshe's so good and so naughty that you'll never know whether you likeher or not."
"Why, Grannie!" exclaimed Henrietta, "don't _you_ know?"
"I know that I like you," said the old lady, smiling fondly at pretty,whimsical Henrietta, "but you know very well that I also regard youwith strong disapproval. I consider you a very faulty young person."
"You're a dear Grannie," breathed Henrietta, kissing the old lady'sdelicate hand, "but I'm quite sure you're spoiling me; isn't she,Bettie?"
"Were you like Henrietta," queried Jean, "when you were young?"
"My dear, you've found me out," laughed Mrs. Slater. "I was just sucha piece of impishness; but my father was very severe, and I think Ibegan earlier to restrain my prankishness. Midge, unfortunately, hasa lenient father and a doting grandmother. Between them she is havingpretty much her own way."
"I'll be good," promised Henrietta, comically, "in spite of them; butyou see, girls, with such a pair of relatives dogging my footsteps,it's uphill work."
After a little more conversation, the girls rose to depart. Mrs. Slaterbegged them to come again. She said that she enjoyed young people. Thenthe big front door was closed behind them and the dreaded visit wasover.
"So," said Marjory, "_that's_ what Mrs. Slater is like inside."
Mabel, unable to bear them longer, was recklessly peeling off herlemon-colored gloves.
"She's lovely, inside and out," declared Bettie, "but I never dreamedthat she was like _that_."
"She wouldn't have cared if I _had_ gone without gloves," mournedaggrieved Mabel. "I'd like to pay Henrietta back for _that_."
"Girls," asked Marjory, "do you _like_ Henrietta?"
"I adore her," declared Jean.
"I _think_ I like her," said Bettie.
"I know _I_ don't," asserted Mabel, waving her throbbing hands in theevening breeze to cool them.
"I do and I don't," said Marjory. "I admire her, but she makes meuncomfortable. I feel as if she were just playing with me."
"She seems more than fourteen," murmured Jean, dreamily.
"That's because she's traveled so much," explained Bettie.
"She's like the big opal in Mother's ring," mused imaginative Jean."One moment all warm and sparkly, the next, all cold and quiet."
"And you never know," supplemented Marjory, "which way it's going tobe."
"I like folks that are downright bad or good," said Mabel, crossly."Burglars ought to be burglars and ministers ought to be ministers andthey all ought to be marked so you can tell 'em apart; else, how areyou going to?"