The Twin Cousins | Page 2

children very trying, and their parties "perfectly absurd." Besides, Flaxie wasn't her own niece.
"O auntie, auntie!" cried the little tease, coming back again, with Milly at her heels, "we've got to go and invite 'em!"
"Certainly; and why don't you go, then?"
"Don' know how; please tell us how," said Flaxie, clutching Mrs. Prim by the skirt, and wishing there was a hinge in that lady somewhere, so she could bend.
"Don't know how? Just go to the houses, child, and ask the little girls' mothers."
"O auntie, we don't want the little girls' mothers!"
"No, no; ask the mothers to let their little daughters come here to tea; that's what I mean."
Then Auntie Prim made out a list of ten little girls, for the table would seat twelve, and she wanted the party large enough to please Flaxie. She thought she would make some of her own delicious tarts and a nice sponge roll, and Dora might mix White Mountain cake and boil a tongue. Mrs. Prim meant to be very kind, though she was sure, if she had had any little girls of her own, they would never have had any parties!
"Now, be sure to say I want the children to come early--at half-past two."
"Yes um!" And the little messengers danced out of the house.
"Flaxie," said Mrs. Prim, rapping on the pantry window with the egg-beater, "are you sure you heard what I said?"
"Yes um."
"What time did I set?"
"Ha' pas' two."
"Very well.--And I shall be thankful when it is over," sighed the poor lady, taking down the spice-box.
But wasn't it gay times for the twin cousins, who had all the fun and none of the worry! I wish I were a little girl, just going to have a party, don't you? They didn't stop to look at the beautiful trees, with their bright October leaves, or at the sky, with its soft white clouds; they hopped along, their arms around each other's waist, keeping time to the happy thoughts in their hearts.
"Oh, Milly, aren't you glad you came to my house visiting?"
Milly was very glad to-day; she had not been glad yesterday, when they had the trouble about their dolls.
The first house was General Townsend's; and when Mrs. Townsend came to the door, Milly hid behind a lilac-bush; but Flaxie, who was never afraid of anybody, looked up with her laughing blue eyes, and said, without stopping for 'How d'ye do?'--
"Oh, Mrs. Townsend, I'm goin' to have a party six years old, and mayn't Fanny come? Auntie Prim says for the children to come early,--at ha' pas' two,--and she'll be thankful when it's over."
Mrs. Townsend could not possibly help smiling at this remarkable speech, but she replied that Fanny might go.
"Now, Flaxie Frizzle," said Mabel, as the door closed, "you oughtn't to say your auntie'll be 'thankful'; it isn't polite."
"Yes it is. I guess Auntie Prim knows; she knows everything. But 'fore I'd run and hide!" retorted Flaxie.
There wasn't any lilac-bush at the next house, and Milly had to stand on the door-stone and hide under her hat.
It was surprising how fast Flaxie said it over: "I'm goin' to have a party six years old," &c., without skipping a word; and though Milly had her doubts about the politeness of Mrs. Prim's being so "thankful," she did think Flaxie Frizzle was a wonderful girl; and indeed Flaxie thought so too.
"What, back so soon?" said Auntie Prim, who had scarcely missed the children before they appeared again at the pantry-door, rosy with running.
"Yes um; I've invited 'em all up."
Flaxie said "I" with quite an air.
"Possible? I wonder if you did it correctly. What did you say?"
"I said," replied Miss Frizzle, proud to have made no mistakes this time, "I said, 'I'm goin' to have a party six years old, and Auntie Prim says for the children to come early,--at ha' pas' two,--and she'll be thankful when it's over.'"
"You didn't!" cried auntie, the color flying into her pale face, and her spectacles shining like diamonds.
"Well, I never!" said Dora, and sat right down by the oven-door to laugh. "But they do say, children and fools always speak the truth!"
Mrs. Prim resolved to keep calm, but this was very trying.
"Mary Gray," said she, pressing her hands together quite sticky with dough, "I didn't mean you to repeat the last part of that speech; I didn't even know you had heard it. It does seem to me you are old enough to have a little sense of propriety. What can those ladies think of me? What can they think of you? I shouldn't blame them if they didn't let their children come, after such an invitation as that!"
Flaxie hung her head. What had she done so very wrong? She could never bear to be blamed; and I must relate that she was rude enough to slip out