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Authors: Gilbert L. Morris
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that Belle likes
.
8
A Birthday Party
O n her second afternoon on the ship, Leah made her way to the galley, where she found James Austin, the cook, preparing the evening meal. She had been friendly with the man and now said, “Mr. Austin, I’d like to do something.”
“What’s that, Miss Leah?” he asked cheerfully. He was a short man with thinning red hair and china-blue eyes, and there was always a smear of flour on his face.
“Well, it’s Miss Belle’s birthday, and I’d like to make her a cake if I wouldn’t be in the way too much.”
“So! You don’t tell me! Well, I think we can find enough to put a cake together. Maybe not as fancy as you’d make at home, but we can do the best we can. I think it’d be a shame if we didn’t give the Rebel Spy a birthday party.”
Leah was pleased that he liked her suggestion. “I can make it, if I won’t be in the way.”
“Not a bit of it! We’ll work on it together. I reckon the two of us can do a bang-up job.” He lifted his voice and said, “Jeff!”
Leah turned quickly and saw Jeff come through the door.
When he saw her, he nodded briefly. “Hello,” he mumbled.
“Hello, Jeff.”
Austin said, “We’re going to make a cake for Miss Belle. Move all this stuff over here, and I’ll get Miss Leah started on it. You know how to make cakes, don’t you, Miss Leah?”
“Oh, yes, I do.” Leah expected Jeff to say something about how good a cook she was, but he ignored her glance and went on about clearing the table.
She discovered that all the ingredients for a cake were in the small, well-equipped larder, and soon she had the batter ready and poured it into the pan that Austin gave her.
Popping it into the oven, she said, “I hope it doesn’t bake too fast. I never know exactly how my cakes are going to come out.”
“Oh, it’ll be good. I know a lot about cooks, and you’re a good one. I watched you real close,” Austin said with a grin. “Miss Belle’ll be plumb surprised. Well, nothing to do now. Why don’t you two take a stroll around deck?”
Jeff blinked, then said abruptly, “Well, I guess I’ve got to go get the captain’s clothes pressed.” He turned and sullenly walked away.
Austin seemed surprised, but he winked at Leah. “That sure is a strange young fellow. When I was his age, if I’d of had a chance to walk a pretty girl home from a dance or to church, you wouldn’t have caught me turning it down.”
Leah said nothing, but her feelings were hurt.
Why’d he have to be so mean? I thought after I helped him when he got too hot, we’d make up
, she thought.
He’s just not like the old Jeff. If that’s what growing up is, I think he should have stayed what he was!
The birthday party proved to be an astounding success. The captain came. Mr. Pollard was there. Lieutenant Mailer dazzled them all with a sparklingfresh uniform and his mustache waxed until it had needle points.
Belle was delighted at the attention. There were no gifts, but they all sang “Happy Birthday,” and when she tasted the cake she said, “Why, Captain, you’ve got a fine cook! My compliments to him.”
“Austin had little to do with this,” the captain said. “This is Miss Leah’s baking.”
“Is that so? My, what a fine cook you are, Leah!” Belle smiled. She took another bite and rolled her eyes. “This is the best birthday cake I’ve ever had in my life!”
“I think we ought to have some entertainment,” the captain said. “John, you used to be a pretty fair tenor. You suppose we might make a quartet—you and me, Miss Belle and Miss Leah?”
Leah protested, but Belle urged her, and they soon found that they knew all the words to “Aura Lea.” It was a favorite all over the South, and after getting a pitch from the captain, they sang the song:
“When the blackbird in the spring
On the willow tree
Sat and rocked I heard him sing,
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Maid of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee,
Swallows in the
.
8
A Birthday Party
O n her second afternoon on the ship, Leah made her way to the galley, where she found James Austin, the cook, preparing the evening meal. She had been friendly with the man and now said, “Mr. Austin, I’d like to do something.”
“What’s that, Miss Leah?” he asked cheerfully. He was a short man with thinning red hair and china-blue eyes, and there was always a smear of flour on his face.
“Well, it’s Miss Belle’s birthday, and I’d like to make her a cake if I wouldn’t be in the way too much.”
“So! You don’t tell me! Well, I think we can find enough to put a cake together. Maybe not as fancy as you’d make at home, but we can do the best we can. I think it’d be a shame if we didn’t give the Rebel Spy a birthday party.”
Leah was pleased that he liked her suggestion. “I can make it, if I won’t be in the way.”
“Not a bit of it! We’ll work on it together. I reckon the two of us can do a bang-up job.” He lifted his voice and said, “Jeff!”
Leah turned quickly and saw Jeff come through the door.
When he saw her, he nodded briefly. “Hello,” he mumbled.
“Hello, Jeff.”
Austin said, “We’re going to make a cake for Miss Belle. Move all this stuff over here, and I’ll get Miss Leah started on it. You know how to make cakes, don’t you, Miss Leah?”
“Oh, yes, I do.” Leah expected Jeff to say something about how good a cook she was, but he ignored her glance and went on about clearing the table.
She discovered that all the ingredients for a cake were in the small, well-equipped larder, and soon she had the batter ready and poured it into the pan that Austin gave her.
Popping it into the oven, she said, “I hope it doesn’t bake too fast. I never know exactly how my cakes are going to come out.”
“Oh, it’ll be good. I know a lot about cooks, and you’re a good one. I watched you real close,” Austin said with a grin. “Miss Belle’ll be plumb surprised. Well, nothing to do now. Why don’t you two take a stroll around deck?”
Jeff blinked, then said abruptly, “Well, I guess I’ve got to go get the captain’s clothes pressed.” He turned and sullenly walked away.
Austin seemed surprised, but he winked at Leah. “That sure is a strange young fellow. When I was his age, if I’d of had a chance to walk a pretty girl home from a dance or to church, you wouldn’t have caught me turning it down.”
Leah said nothing, but her feelings were hurt.
Why’d he have to be so mean? I thought after I helped him when he got too hot, we’d make up
, she thought.
He’s just not like the old Jeff. If that’s what growing up is, I think he should have stayed what he was!
The birthday party proved to be an astounding success. The captain came. Mr. Pollard was there. Lieutenant Mailer dazzled them all with a sparklingfresh uniform and his mustache waxed until it had needle points.
Belle was delighted at the attention. There were no gifts, but they all sang “Happy Birthday,” and when she tasted the cake she said, “Why, Captain, you’ve got a fine cook! My compliments to him.”
“Austin had little to do with this,” the captain said. “This is Miss Leah’s baking.”
“Is that so? My, what a fine cook you are, Leah!” Belle smiled. She took another bite and rolled her eyes. “This is the best birthday cake I’ve ever had in my life!”
“I think we ought to have some entertainment,” the captain said. “John, you used to be a pretty fair tenor. You suppose we might make a quartet—you and me, Miss Belle and Miss Leah?”
Leah protested, but Belle urged her, and they soon found that they knew all the words to “Aura Lea.” It was a favorite all over the South, and after getting a pitch from the captain, they sang the song:
“When the blackbird in the spring
On the willow tree
Sat and rocked I heard him sing,
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Maid of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee,
Swallows in the
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