Read Online Substitute Guest by Grace Livingston Hill - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
Ads: Link
do until the women came who had planned this party and had merely asked her to assist.
But the morning went on and no women came. Presently the telephone rang and Mrs. Bartlett, who was supposed to be at the head of the affair, told the janitor to tell whoever was there to go right ahead without her. She had been delayed and couldn’t tell how long it would be before she could get there. She didn’t wait to talk with Ruth. When the janitor told her Miss Latimer was there, she said with a relieved sigh, “Oh, well then, everything will be all right. Tell her to just go ahead and do whatever she thinks best. I’ll be there soon as I can!” and hung up.
Ruth listened to this message from the janitor with dismay. Just what had they intended to do? She couldn’t carry out plans that she had never heard discussed.
She rushed to the telephone and called Mrs. Bartlett, but found she had left for the train to the city. She had gone to shop for a few forgotten Christmas things.
Ruth’s heart sank. She called up another woman, but got no answer. Probably she, too, was shopping. She tried two of the teachers and one was away for over Christmas, and declared they were sending down their contributions of cake and candy according to promise, and that the ice cream would be sure to be there, for Mrs. Bartlett always ordered it.
So Ruth went back to the big empty room where the party was to be held and looked around her speculatively. It was going to be up to her, was it? Very well, she would do what she pleased.
She enlisted the janitor and rearranged the little tables and chairs, so the main part of the room would be empty for games, marshaling the tables in a circle with the little chairs behind them for the refreshments.
Then the cakes began to arrive, and there were dishes to get out, and spoons, and lovely Christmas paper napkins that one of the delinquents thoughtfully sent. It really was rather interesting to have all this provision and do just as she pleased with everything. She wished that she dared telephone for Daryl to come and help, but she knew Daryl was expecting another guest and would be needed at home getting ready for the next two days. Besides, how would Daryl get there? The car was in Collamer at the garage, and Lance had gone into the woods for the Christmas tree. So she worked away alone, folding napkins, placing little games, balls and simple puzzles, ring toss, balloons to be blown back and forth from opposite lines. It was going to be fun, only how could she do it alone? Perhaps when Mrs. Bartlett came she would think of some other girls who would come to help.
But time went on and Mrs. Bartlett didn’t come. Presently Mrs. Bartlett’s chauffeur arrived with two enormous cakes and a lot of cookies and a large clothes basket full of toys wrapped in bright paper. There was also a message that the lady herself had been delayed in the city and would not get out until late in the afternoon, and that Miss Lattimer
and her helpers
were just to carry on!
Ruth laughed aloud when she got that message and didn’t even stop to eat her sandwich, she had so much to do.
The ice cream arrived, though she hadn’t had time to miss it yet. The men who brought the things came in with snow on their shoulders and hats, and snow on the packages they brought, and they said it was a bad day, but Ruth scarcely heard what they said.
And then at last everything was ready and the kiddies began to arrive, muffled to their eyes, and so heavily garbed they had to be undone like bundles.
“I didn’t think I ought to bring Jimmy out in this weather,” explained one troubled mother, stamping the snow from her galoshes and unwrapping Jimmy from an enveloping blanket. “He’s got an awful cold, and I don’t suppose this weather’ll do him a bit of good, but he cried something awful to come to the Christmas party! So his pa said fix him up and he’d bring us down!” She undid the boy, and he stood in all the glory of a new
But the morning went on and no women came. Presently the telephone rang and Mrs. Bartlett, who was supposed to be at the head of the affair, told the janitor to tell whoever was there to go right ahead without her. She had been delayed and couldn’t tell how long it would be before she could get there. She didn’t wait to talk with Ruth. When the janitor told her Miss Latimer was there, she said with a relieved sigh, “Oh, well then, everything will be all right. Tell her to just go ahead and do whatever she thinks best. I’ll be there soon as I can!” and hung up.
Ruth listened to this message from the janitor with dismay. Just what had they intended to do? She couldn’t carry out plans that she had never heard discussed.
She rushed to the telephone and called Mrs. Bartlett, but found she had left for the train to the city. She had gone to shop for a few forgotten Christmas things.
Ruth’s heart sank. She called up another woman, but got no answer. Probably she, too, was shopping. She tried two of the teachers and one was away for over Christmas, and declared they were sending down their contributions of cake and candy according to promise, and that the ice cream would be sure to be there, for Mrs. Bartlett always ordered it.
So Ruth went back to the big empty room where the party was to be held and looked around her speculatively. It was going to be up to her, was it? Very well, she would do what she pleased.
She enlisted the janitor and rearranged the little tables and chairs, so the main part of the room would be empty for games, marshaling the tables in a circle with the little chairs behind them for the refreshments.
Then the cakes began to arrive, and there were dishes to get out, and spoons, and lovely Christmas paper napkins that one of the delinquents thoughtfully sent. It really was rather interesting to have all this provision and do just as she pleased with everything. She wished that she dared telephone for Daryl to come and help, but she knew Daryl was expecting another guest and would be needed at home getting ready for the next two days. Besides, how would Daryl get there? The car was in Collamer at the garage, and Lance had gone into the woods for the Christmas tree. So she worked away alone, folding napkins, placing little games, balls and simple puzzles, ring toss, balloons to be blown back and forth from opposite lines. It was going to be fun, only how could she do it alone? Perhaps when Mrs. Bartlett came she would think of some other girls who would come to help.
But time went on and Mrs. Bartlett didn’t come. Presently Mrs. Bartlett’s chauffeur arrived with two enormous cakes and a lot of cookies and a large clothes basket full of toys wrapped in bright paper. There was also a message that the lady herself had been delayed in the city and would not get out until late in the afternoon, and that Miss Lattimer
and her helpers
were just to carry on!
Ruth laughed aloud when she got that message and didn’t even stop to eat her sandwich, she had so much to do.
The ice cream arrived, though she hadn’t had time to miss it yet. The men who brought the things came in with snow on their shoulders and hats, and snow on the packages they brought, and they said it was a bad day, but Ruth scarcely heard what they said.
And then at last everything was ready and the kiddies began to arrive, muffled to their eyes, and so heavily garbed they had to be undone like bundles.
“I didn’t think I ought to bring Jimmy out in this weather,” explained one troubled mother, stamping the snow from her galoshes and unwrapping Jimmy from an enveloping blanket. “He’s got an awful cold, and I don’t suppose this weather’ll do him a bit of good, but he cried something awful to come to the Christmas party! So his pa said fix him up and he’d bring us down!” She undid the boy, and he stood in all the glory of a new
Similar Books
