Miss Elliots Girls | Page 8

could be plainly heard by
those inside.
Nellie turned presently, half laughing, but a little embarrassed.
"The boys want to know if they can't come in," she said. "I tell them it's
ridiculous for boys to attend a sewing society, but they won't go away
till I've asked."
Here the boys stepped forward and took off their hats. Their faces
shone with the scrubbing with soap and water they had given them, and
both had on clean collars. Sammy dived in his trowsers pocket and
brought out a couple of big brass thimbles and some needles stuck in a
bit of flannel.
"We are willing to help sew," said the boy, and bravely stood his
ground, though all the girls laughed, and even Miss Ruth looked
amused at the sight of these huge implements.
"If we let you in at all, boys," she said, "it must be as guests. What do

you say, girls? Suppose we put it to vote. As many of you as are in
favor of admitting Samuel Ray and Roy Tyler to the meeting of the
Patchwork Quilt Society, now in session, will please to signify it by
raising the right hand."
Every hand was lifted.
"It is a unanimous vote," she announced. "Walk in, boys. One more
chair, Susie. Now, then, are we ready?"
But this was fated to be a day of interruptions, for while she was
speaking the door opened and in walked Lavina Tibbs, bearing a plate
piled high with something covered with a napkin.
"Miss Elliot's compliments," she said, "and would the Bed-quilt Society
accept some gingerbread for luncheon?" She set the plate on the table,
removed the napkin with a flourish, and added on her own account:--
"It's jest out of the oven, an' if it ain't good I don't know how to make
soft gingerbread, that's all!"
Good? If you had inhaled its delicious odor, and seen its lovely brown
crust and golden interior, you would have longed (as did every boy and
girl in the room) to taste it directly; and, having tasted, you would have
eaten your share to the last crumb. Miss Ruth gave Susie a whispered
direction, and the little girl brought from a corner cupboard a pile of
pink-and-white china plates, and napkins with pink borders to
correspond. The plates had belonged to Miss Ruth's grandmother, and
were very valuable; but Ruth Elliot believed that nothing was too good
to be used, and that the feast would be more enjoyable for being
daintily served. But when all were helped, she still appeared to think
some thing was wanting, and, after looking round the circle, her glance
rested upon Mollie. The little girl had been unusually quiet ever since
her dispute with Fannie, for she knew very well, though not a word of
reproof had been spoken, that her aunt was not pleased with her. She
dropped her eyes before Miss Ruth's gaze, and grew red in the face;
then suddenly jumping up, she said:--

"I'll go and ask Fan Eldridge to come back, shall I, Auntie? and she
may have any seat she likes; I'm sure I don't care."
"Yes, dear," Miss Ruth said, in the tone Mollie loved best to hear, "and
be quick, do! or the gingerbread will be cold."
Fannie was standing idly at the window looking toward the parsonage,
already repenting of her hasty departure, when Mollie rushed in.
"Come back, Fan, do! we all want you to," she said. "Mamma has sent
in some hot gingerbread, and Sam Ray and Roy Tyler are there, and
auntie is going to tell us about swallow-tailed butterflies, and she
doesn't like to begin without you. Come, now, do! and you may have
my seat."
The little girl needed no urging, but her mother interposed.
"Fannie was greatly to blame," Mrs. Eldridge said. "She has told me all
about it, and I think she deserves to be punished by staying at home."
"Oh, but please, Mrs. Eldridge," said Mollie, "let her off this time! It
was my fault as well as hers, for you see I provoked her by answering
back."
"Say you are sorry, Fannie."
"Yes, truly, mamma, I am," said Fannie, with tears in her eyes; "and I'll
take any seat, or I'll stand up all the afternoon, if you'll only let me go,
and I will try to break myself of getting angry so easy; see if I don't!"
On the strength of these promises Mrs. Eldridge gave her consent, and
the little girls crossed the lawn hand-in-hand, in loving companionship.
So harmony was restored in the Society, and all ate their gingerbread
with a relish. Sammy and Roy would have liked better to have
munched their share on the piazza-steps, without plate or napkin. Under
the circumstances, however, they behaved very