Dorothy's House Party   By: Evelyn Raymond (1843-1910)

by

EVELYN RAYMOND

Illustrations by S. Schneider

Chatterton Peck Company New York, N. Y.

Copyright 1908 by Chatterton Peck Co.

[Illustration: THE MOONLIGHTED FIGURE BY THE LILY POND. Dorothy's House Party. ]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I END OF AN INFAIR 9

II CHOOSING THE GUESTS 21

III THE FIRST AND UNINVITED GUEST 35

IV TROUBLES LIGHTEN IN THE TELLING 44

V RIDDLES 61

VI A MORNING CALL 79

VII A MEMORABLE CHURCH GOING 93

VIII CONCERNING VARIOUS MATTERS 106

IX HEADQUARTERS 118

X MUSIC AND APPARITIONS 133

XI MORNING TALKS 145

XII THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH 159

XIII IN THE GREAT KITCHEN 174

XIV AUNT BETTY TAKES A HAND 189

XV A MARVELOUS TALE AND ITS ENDING 203

XVI THE FINDING OF THE MONEY 215

XVII THE STORY OF THE WORM THAT TURNED 229

XVIII CONCLUSION 244

DOROTHY'S HOUSE PARTY

CHAPTER I

THE END OF AN INFAIR

Dorothy sat up in bed and looked about her. For a moment she did not realize where she was nor how she came to be in such a strange and charming room. Then from somewhere in the distance sounded a merry, musical voice, singing:

"Old Noah of old he built an ark One more river to cross! He built it out of hickory bark One more riv "

The refrain was never finished. Dorothy was at the open window calling lustily:

"Alfy! Alfy Babcock! Come right up here this very, very minute!"

"Heigho, Sleepy Head! You awake at last? Well, I should think it was time. I'll be right up, just as soon as I can put these yeller artemisias into Mis' Calvert's yeller bowl."

A fleeting regret that she had not waked earlier, that it was not she who had gathered the morning nosegay for Mrs. Betty's table, shadowed the fair face of the late riser; but was promptly banished as the full memory of all that happened on the night before came back to her. Skipping from point to point of the pretty chamber she examined it in detail, exclaiming in delight over this or that and, finally, darting within the white tiled bathroom where some thoughtful person had already drawn water for her bath.

"Oh! it's like a fairy tale and I'm in a real fairy land, seems if! What a dainty tub! What heaps of great soft towels! and what a lovely bath robe! And oh! what a wonderful great aunt Betty!"

A moisture not wholly due to the luxurious bath filled Dorothy's eyes, as she took her plunge, for her heart was touched by the evidences of the loving forethought which had thus prepared for her home coming before she herself knew she possessed a birthright home. Of her past life the reader if interested may learn quite fully, for the facts are detailed in the two books known as "Dorothy's Schooling," and "Dorothy's Travels."

So though it was still a radiantly happy girl who welcomed Alfaretta it was a thoughtful one; so that Alfy again paused in her caroling to demand:

"Well, Dolly Doodles, what's the matter? If I'd been as lucky as you be I wouldn't draw no down corners to my mouth, I wouldn't! I'd sing louder'n ever and just hustle them 'animals' into that 'ark' 'two by two,' for 'There's one more river to cross! One more river One more river to cro o o oss!'"

But without waiting for an answer the young farm girl caught her old playmate in her strong arms and gave her a vigorous hug.