Dorothy Daintys Gay Times

Dorothy Dainty's Gay Times

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Dorothy Dainty's Gay Times, by Amy
Brooks, Illustrated by Amy Brooks
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Dorothy Dainty's Gay Times
Author: Amy Brooks
Release Date: October 14, 2004 [eBook #13753]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOROTHY
DAINTY'S GAY TIMES***
E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, David Wilson, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which
includes the original illustrations. See 13753-h.htm or 13753-h.zip:
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/3/7/5/13753/13753-h/13753-h.htm) or
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/3/7/5/13753/13753-h.zip)

DOROTHY DAINTY'S GAY TIMES
by
AMY BROOKS
Author of Dorothy Dainty Series, The Randy Books, and A Jolly Cat
Tale
With Illustrations by the Author
1908

[Illustration: Down the path came a lovely little girl swinging a
skipping-rope.]

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I.
THE FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL.
II. ARABELLA AT SCHOOL
III. THE DIALOGUE
IV. AN ENTERTAINMENT
V. THE RETURN OF PATRICIA
VI. WHAT FLOSSIE DID
VII. PATRICIA'S PROMISE

VIII. THE PARTY
IX. TWO SLEIGHRIDES
X. THE PUNG RIDE
XI. AN UNEXPECTED TRIP
XII. THE NECKLACE

ILLUSTRATIONS
Down the path came a lovely little girl swinging a skipping-rope
She was reaching down as if to get something
"Put your left paw on do, and your right paw on mi; now sing"
"There! that's another fountain"
"I'll go if you'll promise to bring me back"
Nancy clasped her hands together and gasped, "Oh-o-o!"
CHAPTER I
THE FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL
The great gateway stood wide open, and through it one could see the
fine stone house with its vine-covered balconies, its rare flowers and
stately trees.
A light breeze swayed the roses, sending out their perfume in little
gusts of sweetness, while across the path the merry sunbeams flickered,
like little dancing elves.
Down the path came a lovely little girl, swinging a skipping-rope, and

dancing over and under it in perfect time with the song which she was
singing.
The sunlight touched her bright curls, making her look like a fairy, and
now she skipped backward, and forward, around the circular garden,
and back again, only pausing to rest when another little girl ran across
the lawn to meet her. She was Dorothy Dainty, the lovely little
daughter of the house, and the sprightly, dark-eyed child who now
joined her was Nancy Ferris, her dearest playmate.
"I was just wishing you'd come out, for I've something to tell you,"
Dorothy said. "You know Aunt Charlotte has all her plans ready for
opening her private school next week, and you heard her tell mamma
that the class was very full."
"Oh, I know it's to be a big class," said Nancy, "for besides all the girls
that used to be in it, there's to be one new one, and one boy, Katie
Dean's cousin, Reginald, and,--oh, did you know that Arabella is to join
the class?"
"Why, Nancy, are you sure?" asked Dorothy; "only yesterday we
looked over toward her house, and there seemed to be no one at home."
Nancy's eyes were merry.
"Come and look now!" she said, clasping Dorothy's hand, and running
with her down to the gate.
"There!" said Nancy, "see all those windows open, and somebody out
there behind the house beating a rug; you see they are at home, and
that's her queer little old Aunt Matilda."
Dorothy looked at the resolute little figure, and wondered how the thin
arm could wield the rug-beater with so much energy. She remembered
that Arabella had said that her father always did as Aunt Matilda
directed, and truly the small woman appeared able to marshal an army
of men, if she chose.
"Perhaps Arabella will go over to the public school," said Dorothy;

"she doesn't have to enter Aunt Charlotte's private class."
"Oh, but she will, I just know she will," Nancy replied, "and Aunt
Charlotte'll have to let her. You know Mr. Corryville was in your
papa's class at college, and if he says he wishes Arabella to join the
class, your papa will surely say 'yes.'"
"He certainly will," said Dorothy, "but there's one thing to think of,"
she said, with a bright smile, "There are nice girls in the class, and if
Arabella is queer, we mustn't mind it."
"We'll try not to," Nancy said, and then, as Dorothy again swung her
rope, Nancy "ran in," and the two skipped around the house together,
the rope whipping the gravel walk in time with the dancing feet.
It was cool and shady near the wall, and they sat down upon a low seat