Dorothy Dales Queer Holidays | Page 6

from possible
harmful consequences.
Tavia dropped into the offered seat, and then she saw Nat--in the light.
"Glory be!" she exclaimed, staring at his costume, which he had
entirely forgotten. "Is it the plumber?"
"Gas man!" sang out Roger gleefully. "We had just turned the meter on
when we heard your noise outside."
Nat was not proud, but he had not calculated on being in overalls when
he met Tavia. Ned nearly went in kinks at his brother's discomfiture.
Dorothy and Mrs. White had hurried off to fetch warm drinks for
Tavia.
"You'll have to get up a 'visitor alarm,' I guess, Nat," said Joe, noting
Tavia's plight and Nat's embarrassment. "If we had heard the dump-cart
on the drive we would not have kept her so long out in the cold."
"That's right," answered Nat; "we will surely have to rig up something
to send signals from the gate."
"Like the coal office scales," suggested Roger. "When any one stepped
on a platform at the gate the clock would go off in the house."
"Say," interrupted Tavia, "I'm not a regular circus. Suppose you let me
get my things off and give us all this signal business later."
"Great idea," acquiesced Nat, being glad of the chance to change his
own costume.
"Come, now, drink this beef tea," commanded Dorothy, as she brought
from the pantry a steaming cup of the fragrant beverage. "You must be
perished inside as well as out."
"Oh, but you should have seen me in that cart!" began Tavia as she
sipped the tea. "You know--I--"

"Missed the train," broke in Ned, who had been just a little joyful that
all his predictions had turned out to be correct.
"Never," replied Tavia; "I was on the 4:10, but I stayed on it."
"Why?" asked Dorothy in surprise.
"Couldn't get off," replied Tavia. "I was talking to the cunningest little
boy, and never knew it until the train was out on the branch, going for
dear life toward--land knows where."
"And you went all the way out to--"
"Indeed I did. I went all the way, and then some. I thought I had gone
even farther than that before the conductor would make up his mind to
stop and let me come back."
"But that train couldn't stop nearer than a telegraph station,"
volunteered Ned. "If it did there might have been a collision."
"I would have welcomed even a collision if some one only had to walk
back home my way," said Tavia. "But to be put off a train at such a
place! Why, I just made a bolt for the first black speck I could see with
a light in it. It turned out to be a farmhouse, and I simply told the man
he must hitch up and drive me here."
"What was the name of the place?" asked the major.
"Oh, something like Gransville, or Grahamsville. I wasn't particular
about remembering the name, major; I really hoped I would forget it."
"Do you mean to say you rode from Gransville in a cart? And we have
let the man go away without giving him a warm drink or anything!
Why, Ned, call up the stable and see if John can catch the fellow; he
may not be out on the road yet," and at the major's order the three boys
hurried to overtake the man, Roger and Joe wrapping quickly in their
warm coats and running out toward the drive, while Ned 'phoned the
stable for John to stop the cart if he could do so.

This interruption left Dorothy and Mrs. White with Tavia, for the major,
too, had left the room, and presently, when Tavia had "thawed out"
sufficiently to move about, she went with Dorothy to the alcove room,
one of the twin guest chambers in the suite always given Dorothy and
Tavia the girls were at The Cedars.
"My, how like Christmas you look already!" exclaimed Tavia as she
glanced about at the table of packages, and at another table of things
that were to be in packages.
"Isn't it time?" asked Dorothy, getting out one of her own pretty robes
for Tavia. "Why? it is only ten days off."
"Please, Doro, dear, don't be exact. It makes me think of work--school
is still in existence, I believe. Had a letter from 'Ned' the other day, and
the old place hasn't burned down, or anything."
"From Edna? How are they all?" and Dorothy helped Tavia into her
house garments.
"Able to sit up," answered Tavia facetiously. "Cologne is pining for
you, I believe."
"I did hope Rose-Mary could come over for the holidays, but she has
written she cannot."
"Sorry for you, Doro, dear, but I really like The Cedars all to myself."
"And the boys?" asked Dorothy