CHAPTER IV
A SURPRISE
"Well, to begin at the very beginning," Blue Bonnet said, looking intothe eager faces of the We Are Sevens, "we took an automobile from CousinTracy's house, where we were staying over the week-end. Of course wecould have taken the Cambridge subway, but Cousin Tracy said we were tohave all the frills; and, anyway, the subway is so jammed on the day ofthe game that it takes forever to get anywhere--especially home, aftereverything is over. Why, Cousin Tracy says--"
"Yes, we know all about that," Kitty said, "get on to the game."
"Well, we took the automobile and went straight to the Stadium. Younever saw so many automobiles in all your life. They would reach fromhere to--"
"Oh, Blue Bonnet, we don't care a rap about the automobiles," Kittydeclared impatiently. "What did you do when you got to the Stadium?"
"We took our seats. You see, we got to the Stadium about one o'clock,and as the game didn't begin until two, we had a perfectly lovely timewatching the people gather. Cousin Tracy said there were about fortythousand. The cheering section was just a solid mass of college men,with a band at the bottom, and the most elastic lot of cheer leaders inwhite sweaters you ever saw. This is the way they do it."
Blue Bonnet dug her elbows into her knees, supported her face in herhands and yelled:
"'Har'-vard! Har'-vard! Har'-vard!'
"And Yale would yell out like the snapping of a whip:
"'Yale! Yale! Yale!'
"But the most exciting moment was when the Yale men came trotting out onthe field in white blankets and blue legs."
"In blue legs!" exclaimed Sarah Blake in surprise.
"Well, that was the impression. A few minutes later the Harvard teamcame trotting on. They had black sweaters and red legs. They peeled offthe black sweaters though, showing crimson underneath. Then the gamebegan. I can see them yet."
Blue Bonnet closed her eyes and her lips curled in a smile.
"Then what? Go on!" said Debby.
"Then they played. And how they played, Kitty! And when it was over andHarvard had won. Did you hear me?--_Harvard won_--twenty to nothing, andfor the first time in years, it was as if--well, as if pandemonium werelet loose."
The high tension of the We Are Sevens relaxed for a brief second.
"And then," Blue Bonnet went on, "then, the funniest thing happened. Thestudents jumped down from their seats and performed a serpentine dancethe entire length of the field. When they got to the goal posts theythrew their derbies over. It was too funny to see the black hats flyingthick and fast." Blue Bonnet laughed merrily.
"A man passed us afterward with the most pathetic-looking thing on hishead; it hardly resembled a hat, it was so crushed and battered; but hewas explaining to a friend that it would do to get him home. He lookedso silly; but he didn't seem to care a speck. Why, they all lost theirheads completely. Even Cousin Tracy--you know how terribly dignified heis--got so excited that he began singing
"'Fair Harvard, thy sons to thy jubilee throng,'
"at the top of his voice. Everybody went perfectly crazy."
"Then what happened?"
"Much, Amanda. We went up on top of the Stadium. It has a promenade allround it, on top; the view is beautiful--the Charles River, andCambridge across it, and thousands and thousands of automobiles, andthe crowd moving in a solid mass--the people still cheering andlaughing--oh, it was great! I felt as if I wanted to stay on forever!"
"It must have been heavenly," Kitty murmured. "Did the girls lookpretty?"
"Pretty? Well, they certainly did. I was just going to tell you aboutthat. The Yale girls all wore big bunches of violets--a Yale emblem. TheHarvard girls wore dark red chrysanthemums. I had some, and a pennant,which I waved madly. There were more pretty gowns than you ever saw atone time in all your life. Great splashes of color all through thecrowd; and the furs--that reminds me: all of a sudden I realized that myfur was gone. The white fox that Uncle Cliff gave me last Christmas. Youcan imagine the sinking sensation of my heart."
"Oh, dear, you lost it?" Sarah murmured.
"Yes, but I found it. It had slipped off my back and dropped behind theseat. You can believe I held on to it mighty tight after that."
Blue Bonnet sighed deeply as she recalled the averted tragedy.
"Did you go home then?"
"Go home? Well, I should say not. People never go home until they haveto, after a big game like that; they're too excited--they have to workit off gradually. Cousin Tracy and I went to dinner where there wereloads of Harvard people dining. After dinner we went to a light opera,and there--"
Again Blue Bonnet went off into peals of laughter.
"--a man came out and had the audacity to sing:
"'I am so fond of violets.'
"Imagine! Why, the Harvard men didn't let him finish the first linebefore they had him off the stage--"
"Mobbed him?" Sarah gasped.
"Call it what you like. I don't think they injured him, for he came backand sang Harvard songs--nothing else; sang like an angel, too."
"Oh, but you were in luck, Blue Bonnet," Kitty sighed. "I could diehappy if I'd had your chance."
"It does make you feel that way, Kitty. I can see myself telling mygrandchildren about that game. It's almost like an inheritance,something you can pass along. I've cut out all the notices from thepapers and kept the literature they passed around. Now, I think I'vetold you every blessed thing. Would you all like to come up-stairs andsee my new clothes?"
There was an immediate rush for Blue Bonnet's room.
Miss Clyde wondered an hour later, when she rapped at the door andglanced in, if the place would ever again take on its natural shape andorder. Bureau drawers yawned; furniture was pulled about; thewindow-seat held a mass of underwear, shoes and dresses; but the facesof the We Are Sevens reflected pride and approval.
"Aunt Lucinda," Blue Bonnet called, "Sarah says she will come overSaturday and help sew the markers on my clothes. Isn't that lovely?"
"It is very kind of Sarah, I am sure."
"And, Aunt Lucinda, don't you think it would be nice to have a littletea, or luncheon or something, and let all the girls help?"
"It would be nice to have the girls, Blue Bonnet, but--"
Miss Clyde hesitated. She had seen samples of the We Are Sevens' sewing,and visions of Blue Bonnet's underwear after it had braved the firstwash, rose before her eyes.
"But what?"
"Marking clothes is rather a particular piece of work, you know."
Blue Bonnet glanced about quickly to see if this reflection had givenoffence. None was visible. A relieved expression was rather more inevidence.
"I think _I_ could help, perhaps, Miss Clyde," Sarah said, determinednot to have her one accomplishment thrust aside so lightly.
"I am sure you could, Sarah, and thank you very much; your work isalways beautiful. Perhaps you would do some of the handkerchiefs."
The next two weeks seemed to take wings--they flew along so fast. Thegrey days had come; bleak, raw days when clouds hung over the hills,threatening snow and ice.
"Only five days now until Uncle Cliff comes," Blue Bonnet said onemorning, pausing in her sewing--she was making bureau scarfs for herroom at school, taking the greatest pride and interest in them.
"Five days! I can hardly wait. Grandmother, did you ever think whatUncle Cliff's been to me? Why, he's been father, mother, brother,sister! Many's the time on the ranch when I'd get lonesome he'd play tagwith me, or marbles, or cut paper dolls and make me swings--anything tomake me happy. Seems like I'm only just beginning to understand how muchI owe him; always before I've just kind of taken everything for granted.Sometimes I can hardly wait until I'm grown up to make a nice home forhim--to take care of him, and do the things--the little things men liketo have done for them."
Miss Clyde turned and scrutinized Blue Bonnet's face closely.
What was this child saying? This woman-child, who only yesterday wasromping through the house, indulging in
childish dreams--childishsports.
"I'm beginning to feel grown up, sometimes, Grandmother. Goingon seventeen is a pretty good age, isn't it? It won't be longnow until I'm twenty-one, and then I suppose I'll have to takeup responsibilities--learn how to run the ranch."
She sighed heavily.
"I fancy Uncle Cliff will stand back of you for some time yet, dear."
Blue Bonnet nodded confidently.
"Yes, and there's Alec. Pretty soon he'll know how to manage everythingon the ranch, too. Uncle Cliff's getting awfully fond of him. Maybe whenAlec is through school he'll make him manager of the whole place.Wouldn't that be fine? I think Alec will always be better out in theopen. He can't stand city life, it's too cramped for him."
"It certainly would be fine for Alec."
"Yes, and for Uncle Cliff, too. He gets mighty tired of thegrind--that's what he calls it sometimes. Why, his little trips East areabout the only pleasure he has; and yet--I don't believe you could drivehim off the Blue Bonnet Ranch. He loves everything about it, from thesmallest yearling to each blade of grass. He says my father did too, and_his_ father. It's a kind of a family trait."
She laughed softly.
"And you have inherited the feeling?" Grandmother asked.
"Oh, I love it," the girl answered. "Of course I love it--but I'm notcrazy to winter and summer on it."
Mrs. Clyde seemed satisfied. It would be easier to transplant UncleCliff sometime in the future, she thought, than to sacrifice Blue Bonnetto the Texas wilderness. The bond between herself and the child wasriveting so close that the thought of a possible separation oftenappalled her. Yet she did not wish to be selfish; Blue Bonnet'sallegiance was to her uncle--there could be no doubt of that.
"By the way, Grandmother, did I tell you that the General has a newpicture of Alec? It's just fine. I'll run over and get it."
She was back in the shortest possible time, excited and breathless.
"There he is," she said, thrusting the picture in her grandmother'shands. "Did you ever see anybody change so in your life? That shows whatTexas air will do for people. Why, he's fat, positively fat, for him,isn't he?"
"He certainly seems to have grown stouter," Mrs. Clyde admitted.
"And those corduroys--don't they look good--and the sombrero?"
Blue Bonnet's face glowed.
"I don't think you like it," she said, after a moment, taking thepicture in her own hands and regarding it jealously.
"Why, yes, I do, dear. Only it seems a bit strange to see Alec in thatgarb. It is cowboy style, is it not?"
"Yes, but it's cowboy dress, and cowboy life, and cowboy freedom thathas given Alec health. He'd never have got it here in Woodford in athousand years."
"That is true, Blue Bonnet. You are right. What did the General think ofthe picture?"
"He loves it! I reckon it looked better to him than a West Point uniformwith nothing inside of it."
Mrs. Clyde smiled.
"I think the General got over that dream long ago, Blue Bonnet. He isperfectly delighted with Alec's recovery."
Blue Bonnet put the picture on the mantel-shelf, and, folding her workneatly, went to the window and looked out. She stood a moment lost inthought.
"I think I'll go for a gallop, Grandmother," she said, turning suddenly."I've just time before dinner. I won't have many more chances."
"The clouds look heavy, dear."
"I know; that's why I want to go. I love the damp air in my face. It'sso refreshing."
But out among the hills where the clouds lay the thickest and the windblew the sharpest, the world seemed a little dreary to Blue Bonnet.
"You poor little things," she said to the sparrows hopping from fenceto tree forlornly. "The prospect of a New England winter is not asalluring as it might be, is it? Why don't you try Texas? It's warm downthere--and sunshiny--and--
"What's the matter with me?" she said, pulling herself up in the saddle.Then she laughed.
"I know. I'm homesick because I'm going away, and it's perfectlyridiculous. Who ever heard of any one being homesick before theystarted? I sha'n't stand for it!
"It's a good thing Aunt Lucinda didn't hear that, Chula. She'd behorrified. What I mean is, I sha'n't let it creep in. If I do it willmake me miserable, and I can't afford to be miserable with Uncle Cliffcoming."
Blue Bonnet turned Chula sharply and headed toward home, forcing alittle tune to her lips, a smile to her eyes, with a determination thatwould have done credit to a much older person.
"Why, dearie, you did not ride far, did you?" was Grandmother's cheerywelcome.
"No, it was bleaker than I thought. The wind was cold, too, but it wasrefreshing just the same."
Mrs. Clyde eyed her lovingly.
Little tendrils from the fly-away hair strayed over her forehead and ahealthy red showed through the tan of her cheeks.
Her grandmother thought of a sweet wild rose just bursting into bloomas she looked at her. There was something about Blue Bonnet thatbreathed the spirit of all wild things--flowers and sweeping prairies,broad expanses.
"There is a letter for you, Blue Bonnet. You must have known to havehurried so."
"Why, it's from Uncle Cliff!"
Blue Bonnet tore the end off of the envelope hastily and began readingaloud:
"'I fear I cannot reach Woodford the day before Christmas as I hadanticipated, Honey, because of a matter here which is delaying me, but Iwill arrive sometime on Christmas Day. Go right on with any plans youmay have for that day, as trains are uncertain and I might get in verylate. If I am not there in time to say "Merry Christmas," remember thatI am saying it in my heart and wishing every happiness to the bestlittle girl in the world. I shall answer your letter in person; we willdiscuss the room-mate at that time, and also the other matter whichseems to lie so close to your heart.'"
"He means Carita Judson," Blue Bonnet explained. "I told him how much Iwanted her to go with me to Miss North's school."
"'Remember me to your Grandmother and Miss Clyde, and tell them that Iam anticipating my coming visit with pleasure. Enclosed you will find alittle check for the Christmas shopping which I had hoped to enjoy withyou, but since I cannot you must enjoy it for us both.'"
"That's all. Isn't he a dear! Well, if he gets here on Christmas Day Isha'n't complain."
Blue Bonnet handed the little pink slip of paper which had been enclosedin the letter, to her grandmother.
"Take care of it for me, Grandmother. I don't need it any more than I doa sore thumb, as Uncle Joe used to say."
Christmas week dawned bright and clear. Real Christmas weather, BlueBonnet thought one morning as she opened her window and looked out atthe trees in the apple orchard with their burden of glistening snow.
Christmas was to be celebrated rather differently from last year. SinceUncle Cliff was not to arrive until Christmas morning, Blue Bonnet hadbeen permitted to spend the preceding days much as she pleased,shopping, and enjoying the We Are Sevens' holidays with them.
Two days before Christmas she bounded in to her grandmother's presencein a great state of excitement.
"Grandmother!" she exclaimed, "I've got the loveliest idea! I was justover to Kitty Clark's, and the doctor is getting a Christmas tree readyfor the people out at the Poor Farm. They are going to have it at fouro'clock to-morrow afternoon, and he says that Kitty and I may go alongand help if we want to. I asked him what he was going to give them, andhe said not much, unfortunately, but a good time. He said he had hopedto be able to collect enough money this year to buy those old ladies aphonograph--you know--a Victrola--but everybody seems to feel so poor. Ithought of the check Uncle Cliff sent me and I told the doctor about it.He didn't want to take it, but I said he just had to, and I ran home toget it. Where is it, Grandmother?"
"But--Blue Bonnet, you couldn't get a phonograph here in Woodford. Notthe kind you would want--"
"No, of course not; but Doctor Clark said if you thought best for me togive the money he could telephone to Boston this no
on, and they couldget it here on the four-twenty train, without any doubt. Oh,Grandmother, please don't say no. Seems to me I can't stand it if youdo. Don't you remember how old Mrs. Prior loved Alec's songs that dayshe was here to see us? Why, she just seemed starved--"
Mrs. Clyde rose and went to the foot of the stairs.
"Lucinda," she called, "come down a minute, will you?"
Blue Bonnet did not give her grandmother time to explain, but laid herplan before her aunt in a torrent of words.
At first, Miss Clyde seemed bewildered. Then a very tender, sympatheticlook passed between mother and daughter.
"I hardly think, Blue Bonnet, that your check would pay for theVictrola," Miss Clyde said. "We should not want to get anything but thebest--something that would last; and records are very expensive."
Blue Bonnet looked woefully disappointed. Then she smiled delightedly.
"But, Aunt Lucinda, there's money left from what Uncle sent to buy myclothes, you said so. Let's take that. Oh, please, Aunt Lucinda."
"I think it would be a beautiful thing to do, Lucinda," Mrs. Clyde said,and Blue Bonnet flew to her grandmother and gave her a hug that nearlytook her off her feet.
"You know how little those poor people have to amuse them, and, as BlueBonnet says, Mrs. Prior seemed quite starved for music."
Miss Clyde never acted upon impulse. She thought for a few moments, thenturning, went up-stairs slowly. When she came down she handed BlueBonnet a check.
"I think this will buy the Victrola--and some records, too," she said."I would suggest that Doctor Clark get old-fashioned music--they wouldlike that best."
Mrs. Clyde and her daughter watched Blue Bonnet as she flew up thestreet. When they turned from the window, there were tears in the eyesof the elder woman.
"It was a generous impulse," she said; "like one of her mother's lovingdeeds. I think perhaps--she knows--approves, Lucinda."
* * * * *
When the We Are Sevens heard of what Blue Bonnet had done, they insistedupon adding their mite to the occasion; so Doctor Clark suggested thatit be turned into a We Are Sevens' party--the girls helping to give theoccupants of the Farm a real Christmas. The rest of the day, therefore,was spent in the making of cakes and cookies, fudge and pinoche--enough,Doctor Clark said when he saw it, to keep him employed at the farm forweeks to come.
The Victrola came in on schedule time. Blue Bonnet and the doctor wereat the train to meet it. It would have been hard to say which was thehappier. The doctor's kindly face beamed as the box was loaded on to anexpress wagon and Blue Bonnet's joy found vent in laughter.
It was a merry procession that wended its way toward the Poor Farm alittle later. Doctor Clark and Kitty leading the way in the phaeton withheavily laden baskets, old Denham and the rest of the We Are Sevensfollowing in the Clyde carriage.
It must be confessed that the Christmas tree celebration was a bitdisappointing to Blue Bonnet. The old ladies--and the men, who werepermitted to attend also--seemed awed into silence. Perhaps thesparkling tree, bright with candles and tarlatan bags of sweets, broughtmemories cruel in their poignancy; and the old-fashioned songs hadrather a depressing effect than otherwise.
Doctor Clark saw the shade of disappointment cross Blue Bonnet's face,and hastened to reassure her.
"It will be a great source of happiness to them, later, when the keenedge of memory has been dulled by frequent contact with the wonderfulinvention," he said. "Come out sometime and see for yourself."
Blue Bonnet was rather silent as she rode home that afternoon, in spiteof the We Are Sevens' chatter.
"The world seems an awfully unequal sort of place, doesn't it?" she saidto Sarah Blake. "Some people don't have enough money to make themcomfortable, and others have so much they don't know how to spend it.What do you suppose is the reason?"
The question was beyond even thoughtful Sarah's ken.
"I don't know," she said, with all the hopelessness of a poor minister'sdaughter; "but I have heard Father say that if everybody could bestarted out equal--begin all over again--the same ones would be on topin no time, treading on those less fortunate. It seems to be the law ofthings, Blue Bonnet."
"But it's not fair!" Blue Bonnet insisted vehemently. "It makes me feelwicked to have so much more than others."
"But look at the good you can do--the people you can make happy. Maybethat is why you have it."
The thought comforted Blue Bonnet.
"I _will_ do good," she said, and there was conviction in her tone. "I_will_, Sarah Blake. Just you wait till I come of age. Maybe I'll havean orphan asylum all my own. You'll see!"
As Blue Bonnet entered the house on her return from the Farm, she wasconscious of some sort of scurrying just inside the sitting-room. Shelooked about wonderingly as she hung her hat and coat on the hall rack,but could see nothing unusual. The hat, hung insecurely, fell off itspeg, and she turned from the sitting-room to pick it up. The next momenta pair of strong arms enveloped her and a deep pleasant voice wassaying, "Merry Christmas, Blue Bonnet."
"Uncle Cliff--Uncle Cliff!" was all she could say. "How ever did you gethere? Why, it isn't Christmas yet!"
"Shall I go back and wait, Honey? It is only another day."
This time her arms were about him in a grip that left no doubt as to hiswelcome.
"Well, I should say not! Only--you know you said--you thought itwouldn't be possible to get here to-day. If I had known I wouldn't havebeen away for anything. Come in to the fire this minute and tell me allabout the ranch and Uncle Joe and Benita and Alec--and everything."
By the fire they had their visit out, and then Uncle Cliff turned toGrandmother.
"Do you think, Mrs. Clyde, that I might give Blue Bonnet the Christmaspresent I brought for her? On the ranch we scarcely ever waited beyondChristmas Eve for our gifts, did we, Honey?"
Blue Bonnet smiled broadly.
"Oh, do let him, Grandmother. There'll be plenty of things left forto-morrow."
"Your Uncle is your legal guardian, dear. I think the privilege is hiswithout asking."
"What is the present? Where is it?" Blue Bonnet asked, her eyes shining.
"I think Grandmother took it up in your room. I suspect you might findit there."
Mrs. Clyde nodded.
Blue Bonnet was out of the room and climbing the stairs in a twinkling.A second later Grandmother and Uncle Cliff heard a shout of joy, thenlaughter and animated conversation.
"She found it without much difficulty," Mr. Ashe said, smiling.
A moment later he was being smothered in caresses, and a voice wassaying between tears and laughter:
"Oh, Uncle Cliff, if you aren't the darlingest, best uncle anybody inthis world ever had!" While a slim, shy young girl with soft brown eyeslooked on with interest.
There was an explanation on Uncle Cliff's part, and then Blue Bonnettook the girl's hand in her own affectionately.
"Carita," she said, "have you met the family? You remember Grandmother,of course; and this is my aunt, Miss Clyde. Aunt Lucinda, this is CaritaJudson. She's come to go with me to Miss North's, and I'm the happiestgirl in Massachusetts!"