Marjorie's New Friend

  CHAPTER IV

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

  "It's been a gay old week, hasn't it?" said Marjorie, on New Year's Eve.

  "You bet!" cried King, who sometimes lapsed from the most approveddiction. "Wish it was just beginning. We had fine skating till the snowcame, and ever since, it's been bang-up sleighing. Well, only four moredays, and then school, school, school!"

  "Don't remind me of it!" said Marjorie with a groan. "I wish I was a Fijior whatever doesn't have to go to school at all!"

  "Oh, pshaw, Midge; it isn't so bad after you get started. Only holidaysmake you so jolly that it's hard to sit down and be quiet."

  "It's always hard for me to sit down and be quiet," said Midge. "Ifthey'd let me walk around, or sit on the tables or window-sills, Iwouldn't mind school so much. It's being cramped into those old desksthat I hate."

  Poor little Marjorie, so active and restless, it was hard for her toendure the confinement of the schoolroom.

  "Why don't you ask mother to let you go to boarding-school, Mops?" askedKitty, with an air of having suggested a brilliant solution of hersister's difficulties.

  Marjorie laughed. "No, thank you, Kitsie," she said. "What good wouldthat do? In the school hours I s'pose I'd have to sit as still as I dohere, and out of school hours I'd die of homesickness. Imagine being awayoff alone, without all of you!"

  Kitty couldn't imagine anything like that, so she gave it up.

  "Then I guess you'll have to go to school, same's you always have done."

  "I guess I will," said Marjorie, sighing. "But there's a few more days'holiday yet, and I'm not going to think about it till I have to. Whatshall we do to-night? It's the last night of the old year, you know."

  "I wonder if they'd let us sit up and see it out," said King.

  "We never have," returned Marjorie; "I don't believe Mother'd say yes,though maybe Father would."

  "If he does, Mother'll have to," said Kitty, with a knowledge born ofexperience. "Let's ask 'em."

  "It's almost bed-time now," said King, glancing at the clock; "but I'mnot a bit sleepy."

  The others declared they were not, either, and they all went in search oftheir parents. They found them in the library, with Uncle Steve andGrandma, who were still visiting them.

  "Sit the old year out!" exclaimed Mr. Maynard, when he heard theirrequest. "Why, you're almost asleep now!"

  "Oh, we're not a bit sleepy!" protested Marjorie. "Do, Daddy, dear, letus try it,--we never have, you know."

  "Why, I've no objections, if Mother hasn't."

  Mrs. Maynard looked as if she didn't think much of the plan, but UncleSteve broke in, saying:

  "Oh, let them, of course! It can't do them any harm except to make themsleepy to-morrow, and they can nap all day if they like."

  "Yes, let them do it," said Grandma, who was an indulgent old lady. "ButI'm glad I don't have to sit up with them."

  "I too," agreed Mr. Maynard. "I used to think it was fun, but I've seenso many New Years come sneaking in, that it's become an old, old story."

  "That's just it, sir," said King, seeing a point of vantage. "We haven't,you know, and we'd like to see just how they come in."

  "Well," said his father, "where will you hold this performance? I can'thave you prowling all over the house, waking up honest people who areabed and asleep."

  "You must take the nursery," said Mrs. Maynard. "I wouldn't let you staydownstairs alone, but you may stay in the nursery as late as you like. Idaresay by ten or half-past, you'll be glad to give it up, and go to yourbeds."

  "Not we," said King. "Thank you, heaps, for letting us do it. We're goingto have a fine time. Come on, girls!"

  "One minute, King; you're not to make any noise after ten-thirty. Grandmagoes to her room then, and the rest of us soon after."

  "All right, we won't. It isn't going to be a noisy party, anyhow."

  "Then I don't see how it can be a Maynard party," said Uncle Steve,quizzically, but the children had run away.

  "Now, we'll just have the time of our lives!" said King, as the three ofthem reached the nursery.

  "Of course we will," agreed Marjorie. "What shall we do?"

  "Let's see, it's nine o'clock. We can play anything till half-past ten;after that we can only do quiet things. Let's play Blind Man's Buff."

  "All right, you be _it_."

  So King was blindfolded, and he soon caught Kitty, who soon caughtMidget, and then she caught King again. But it wasn't very much fun, andnobody quite knew why.

  "It makes me too tired," said Kitty, throwing herself on the couch, andfanning her hot little face with her handkerchief. "Let's play a sit-downgame."

  "But we can play those after we have to be quiet," objected King. "Getup, Kit, you'll fall asleep if you lie there."

  "No, I won't," said Kitty, opening her eyes very wide, but cuddling tothe soft pillow.

  "Yes, you will, too! Come on. Let's play 'animals.' That's noisy enough,and you can sit down too."

  "Animals" was a card game where they sat round a table, and as occasionrequired assumed the voices of certain animals.

  "All right," said Kitty, jumping up; "I'll be the Laughing Hyena."

  "I'll be a Lion," said King, and Marjorie decided to be a Rooster.

  Soon the game was in full swing, and as the roar of the lion, the crowingof the rooster, and the strange noise that represented Kitty's idea ofthe hyena's mirth, floated downstairs, the grown-ups smiled once more atthe irrepressible spirits of the young Maynards. But after they hadroared and crowed and laughed for what seemed like an interminable time,King looked at his Christmas watch and exclaimed:

  "Goodness, girls! it's only half-past nine! I though it was abouteleven!"

  "So did I," said Marjorie, trying to hide a yawn.

  "Oh, I say, Mops, you're sleepy!"

  "I am not, either! I just sort of--sort of choked."

  "Well, don't do it again. What shall we play now?"

  "Let's sing," said Kitty.

  So Marjorie banged away on the nursery piano, and they sang everythingthey could think of.

  "I can't play another note," said Midget, at last. "My fingers areperfectly numb. Isn't it nearly twelve?"

  "Isn't ten," said King, closing his watch with a snap. "We've only ahalf-hour more before we've got to be quiet, so let's make the most ofit."

  "I'm hungry," said Kitty. "Can't we get something to eat?"

  "Good idea!" said King. "Let's forage for some things, and bring them uphere, but don't eat them until later. After half-past ten, you know."

  So they all slipped down to the pantry, and returned with a collection ofapples and cookies, which they carefully set aside for a later luncheon.

  "Only twenty minutes left of our noisy time," said King, with asuspicious briskness in his tone. "Come on, girls, let's have a racket."

  "There's no racket to me!" declared Kitty, throwing herself on the couch;"I feel--quiet."

  "Quiet!" exclaimed her brother. "Kit Maynard, if you're sleepy, you cango to bed! You're too young to sit up with Midge and me, anyhow!"

  This touched Kitty in a sensitive spot, as he knew it would.

  "I'm not!" she cried, indignantly; "I'm as old as you are, so there!"

  King didn't contradict this, which would seem to prove them both a bitsleepy.

  "You are, Kitty!" said Marjorie, laughing; "you're older than either ofus! So you tell us what to do to keep awake!"

  It was out! Marjorie had admitted that they were sleepy.

  King grinned a little sheepishly. "Pooh," he said, "it'll pass over if wejust get interested in something. Let's read aloud to each other."

  "That always puts me to sleep," said Kitty, with a fearful andundisguised yawn.

  "Kit! if you do that again, we'll put you out! Now, brace up,--or else goto bed!"

  Kitty braced up. Indeed, Kitty had special powers in this direction, ifshe chose to exercise them.

  "Pooh, I can brace up better than either of you," she said, confidently;"and
here's how I'm going to do it."

  She went over to the big nursery washstand, and turning the cold waterfaucet, ran the bowl full, and then plunged her face and hands in.

  "Kit, you're a genius!" cried her brother, in admiration, as she came up,spluttering, and then made another dash. Soon Kitty's face was hidden inthe folds of a rough towel, and the others successively followed herlead.

  "My! how it freshens you!" said Marjorie, rubbing her rosy cheeks tillthey glowed. "I'm as wide awake as anything!"

  "So'm I," said King. "Kit, I take off my hat to you! Now it's half-pastten. I move we eat our foods, and then we can have a good time playingparcheesi or jack-straws."

  They drew up to the nursery table, and endeavored to enjoy the cookiesand apples.

  "How funny things taste at night," said Kitty. "I'm not hungry, afterall."

  "You'd better wash your face again," said Marjorie, looking at hersister's drooping eyelids.

  "Do something to her," said King, in despair.

  So Marjorie tickled Kitty, until she made her laugh, and that roused hera little.

  "I won't go to sleep," she said, earnestly; "truly, I won't. I want tosee the New Year come. Let's look out the window for it."

  Kitty's plans were always good ones.

  Drawing the curtains aside the three stood at the window, their armsabout each other.

  "Isn't it still?" whispered Marjorie, "and look at the moon!"

  A yellow, dilapidated-looking, three-quarter sort of a moon was sinkingin the west, and the bark branches of the trees stood out blackly in thehalf-light.

  The roads gleamed white, and the shrubbery looked dark, the wholelandscape was weird and unlike the sunny scenes they knew so well.

  "I s'pose everybody in the house is abed now, but us," said King. Hemeant it exultantly, but his voice had a tone of awe, that found an echoin the girls' hearts.

  "Come away from the window," said Midge; turning back to the brightlylighted room. "Let's think of something nice to do."

  "I can think better here," said Kitty, dropping heavily on the couch, herhead, by good luck; striking squarely in the middle of the pillow.

  "Kit," said her brother,--"Kitty,--you,--you go to bed,--if you--if youcan't--"

  As King spoke, he came across a big armchair, and quite unintentionallyhe let himself fall into it. It felt very pleasant, somehow,--so much so,indeed, that he neglected to finish his admonition to Kitty, and shewouldn't have heard it if he had!

  Marjorie, by a strange coincidence, also met a most friendly Morrischair, which held out inviting arms. It seemed a pity to refuse suchcordiality, so Marjorie sat down in it a minute to do that thinkingthey had spoken about. What was it they were to think of? Somethingabout the moon? No, that wasn't it. Her new furs? Not quite;school,--Gladys,--cookies?

  These thoughts drifted confusedly about Marjorie's brain for a fewmoments, and then, with a little tired sigh, her curly head dropped backon the Morris chair's velvet cushion, and her eyes closed.

  How those three children _did_ sleep! The sound, hard sleep that onlyhealthy, romping children know. When Mrs. Maynard softly opened the doora little later, she almost laughed aloud at the picturesque trio.

  But stifling her mirth lest she awake them, she called her husband to herside. After a few whispered words, they went away, and returned with downquilts and steamer rugs, which they gently tucked about the vanquishedheroes, and then lowering the lights left them asleep at their posts.

  For an hour the children slept soundly, and then, at ten minutes beforetwelve the nursery door was softly opened again.

  This time, Mr. and Mrs. Maynard, accompanied by Grandma Sherwood andUncle Steve, came in, apparently with the intention of staying. Mr.Maynard snapped on the lights, and the grownups smiled as they gazed onthe faces of the sleeping children.

  "What time is it, Fred?" asked Mrs. Maynard.

  "Seven minutes of twelve."

  "Waken them, then. There isn't any too much time."

  So Mr. Maynard sprung a small "watchman's rattle." It made a pleasantwhirr, but he was obliged to hold it near each child's ear before thosedeep slumbers were disturbed.

  "What is it?" said King, who first opened his eyes. "Kitty, you'reasleep!"

  His last waking thought possessed him as his eye fell on his sleepingsister, he spoke before he realized that he had been asleep himself.

  "What's the matter?" he said, seeing all the people standing about, andnoticing the rug over himself.

  "Nothing's the matter," answered his father, blithely, "only the New Yearis hurrying toward us, and we all want to greet it together."

  "You bet we do!" cried King, now broad awake, and shaking himself out ofhis rug as he jumped up.

  Mrs. Maynard was rousing Kitty, and sat beside the half-asleep child withher arm round her, while Grandma was treating Marjorie in the same way.

  "It seems a shame," began Grandma, but Uncle Steve interrupted:

  "A shame to wake them? Not a bit of it! It would be a shame to let themsleep through a chance that they won't get again for a year! Hello!chickabiddies! Hello! Wake up! Fire! Murder! Thieves! Fred, give me thatrattle!"

  Taking the noisy little toy, Uncle Steve sprang it vigorously, and wasrewarded for his efforts by seeing the two girls at last on their feetand smiling broadly,--wide awake now, indeed.

  "Five minutes grace," said Mr. Maynard. "Out with your watches, you whohave them. The rest look on with somebody else."

  Kitty ran to her father's side, and cuddled in his arm, as she looked athis watch. Marjorie saw Uncle Steve's smile inviting her, so she flewacross the room to him; and King politely offered his watch to his motherand grandmother, saying the nursery clock would do for him.

  Care was taken to have all the time-pieces set exactly alike, and then itwas three minutes of midnight, and they waited.

  "He'll come in at the window, the New Year will," said Mr. Maynard as heflung the casement wide open. "The old year is going. Bid him good-bye,children, you'll never see him again. Good-bye, old year, good-bye!"

  "Good-bye, old year, good-bye!" they all said in concert, and murmured itagain, as the last seconds flew steadily by.

  "Happy New Year!" shouted Mr. Maynard, as his second-hand reached themark, but he was no quicker than the others, and all the voices rang outa "Happy New Year" simultaneously.

  Then the village clock began to strike twelve, all the bells in thelittle town began to ring, some firing was heard, and shouts frompassers-by in the streets added to the general jubilee.

  "Isn't it splendid!" cried Marjorie, as she leaned out of the window."The moon is gone, but see the bright, bright stars, all twinkling 'HappyNew Year' to us!"

  "May it indeed be a Happy New Year for you, my dear child," said herfather, as he kissed her tenderly.

  And then everybody was exchanging kisses and greetings, and good wishes,and Marjorie realized that at last, she had sat up to "see the New Yearin."

  "But I don't see how we happened to fall asleep," she said, lookingpuzzled.

  "I, either," said King; "I was just bound I wouldn't, and then I did."

  "You were bound I shouldn't, too," said Kitty, "but I did!"

  "You all did!" said Mr. Maynard. "Such sleeping I never saw!"

  "Well, it was lovely of you to wake us up," said Marjorie; "I wouldn'thave missed all this for anything."

  "All things come to him who waits," said her father, "and you certainlywaited very quietly and patiently!"

  "And now, skip to bed," said Mrs. Maynard, "and not until three hundredand sixty-five nights are passed, do we have such a performance as thisagain."

  "All right," said the children, "good-night, and Happy New Year!"

  "Good-night and Happy New Year!" echoed the grown-ups.