Yet voices were heard about the place, the lilacsnodded over the high wall as if they said," Wecould tell fine secrets if we chose," and the mulleinoutside the gate made haste to reach the keyhole,that it might peep in and see what was going on.

 

　　If it had suddenly grown up like a magic bean-stalk, and looked in on a certain June day, it wouldhave seen a droll but pleasant sight, for somebodyevidently was going to have a party.

 

　　From the gate to the porch went a wide walk,paved with smooth slabs of dark stone, and borderedwith the tall bushes which met overhead, making agreen roof. All sorts of neglected flowers and wildweeds grew between their stems, covering the wallsof this summer parlor with the prettiest tapestry.

 

　　A board, propped on two blocks of wood, stood inthe middle of the walk, covered with a little plaidshawl much the worse for wear, and on it a miniaturetea-service was set forth with great elegance. To besure, the tea-pot had lost its spout, the cream-jug itshandle, the sugar-bowl its cover, and the cups andplates were all more or less cracked or nicked; butpolite persons would not take notice of these triflingdeficiencies, and none but polite persons were invitedto this party.

 

　　On either side of the porch was a seat, and herea somewhat remarkable sight would have been revealed toany inquisitive eye peering through theaforesaid keyhole. Upon the left-hand seat lay sevendolls, upon the right-hand seat lay six; and so variedwere the expressions of their countenances, owingto fractures, dirt, age, and other afflictions, that onewould very naturally have thought this a doll's hospital, andthese the patients waiting for their tea.

 

　　This, however, would have been a sad mistake; forif the wind had lifted the coverings laid over them,it would have disclosed the fact that all were in fulldress, and merely reposing before the feast shouldbegin.

 

　　There was another interesting feature of the scenewhich would have puzzled any but those well acquaintedwith the manners and customs of dolls.

 

　　A fourteenth rag baby, with a china head, hung byher neck from the rusty knocker in the middle ofthe door. A sprig of white and one of purple lilacnodded over her, a dress of yellow calico, richlytrimmed with red-flannel scallops, shrouded her slenderform, a garland of small flowers crowned herglossy curls, and a pair of blue boots touched toesin the friendliest, if not the most graceful, manner.

 

　　An emotion of grief, as well as of surprise, mightwell have thrilled any youthful breast at such aspectacle; for why, oh! why, was this resplendentdolly hung up there to be stared at by thirteen of herkindred? Was she a criminal, the sight of whose executionthrew them flat upon their backs in speechless horror?

 

　　Or was she an idol, to be adored inthat humble posture? Neither, my friends. She wasblonde Belinda, set, or rather hung, aloft, in the placeof honor, for this was her seventh birthday, and asuperb ball was about to celebrate the great event.

 

　　All were evidently awaiting a summons to thefestive board; but such was the perfect breeding ofthese dolls, that not a single eye out of the wholetwenty-seven (Dutch Hans had lost one of the blackbeads from his worsted countenance) turned for amoment toward the table, or so much as winked,as they lay in decorous rows, gazing with muteadmiration at Belinda. She, unable to repress the joyand pride which swelled her sawdust bosom till theseams gaped, gave an occasional bounce as the windwaved her yellow skirts, or made the blue bootsdance a sort of jig upon the door. Hanging wasevidently not a painful operation, for she smiledcontentedly, and looked as if the red ribbon aroundher neck was not uncomfortably tight; therefore, ifslow suffocation suited her, who else had any rightto complain? So a pleasing silence reigned, noteven broken by a snore from Dinah, the top ofwhose turban alone was visible above the coverlet,or a cry from baby Jane, though her bare feet stuckout in a way that would have produced shrieks froma less well-trained infant.

 

　　Presently voices were heard approaching, andthrough the arch which led to a side-path came twolittle girls, one carrying a small pitcher, the otherproudly bearing a basket covered with a napkin.

 

　　They looked like twins, but were not, for Bab was ayear older than Betty, though only an inch taller.

 

　　Both had on brown calico frocks, much the worsefor a week's wear; but clean pink pinafores, in honorof the occasion, made up for that, as well as thegray stockings and thick boots. Both had round,rosy faces rather sunburnt, pug noses somewhatfreckled, merry blue eyes, and braided tails of hairhanging down their backs like those of the dear littleKenwigses.

 

　　"Don't they look sweet?" cried Bab, gazing withmaternal pride upon the left-hand row of dolls, whomight appropriately have sung in chorus, "We areseven.""Very nice; but my Belinda beats them all. I dothink she is the splendidest child that ever was!"And Betty set down the basket to run and embracethe suspended darling, just then kicking up her heelswith joyful abandon.

 

　　"The cake can be cooling while we fix the children.

 

　　It does smell perfectly delicious!" said Bab, liftingthe napkin to hang over the basket, fondly regardingthe little round loaf that lay inside.

 

　　"Leave some smell for me!" commanded Betty,running back to get her fair share of the spicy fragrance.

 

　　The pug noses sniffed it up luxuriously, and thebright eyes feasted upon the loveliness of the cake,so brown and shiny, with a tipsy-looking B in pie-cruststaggering down one side, instead of sittingproperly a-top.

 

　　"Ma let me put it on the very last minute, and itbaked so hard I couldn't pick it off. We can giveBelinda that piece, so it's just as well," observedBetty, taking the lead, as her child was queen of therevel.

 

　　"Let's set them round, so they can see too," proposedBab, going, with a hop, skip, and jump, tocollect her young family.

 

　　Betty agreed, and for several minutes both wereabsorbed in seating their dolls about the table; forsome of the dear things were so limp they wouldn'tsit up, and others so stiff they wouldn't sit down, andall sorts of seats had to be contrived to suit thepeculiarities of their spines. This arduous task accomplished,the fond mammas stepped back to enjoy thespectacle, which, I assure you, was an impressive one.

 

　　Belinda sat with great dignity at the head, her handsgenteelly holding a pink cambric pocket-handkerchiefin her lap. Josephus, her cousin, took the foot,elegantly arrayed in a new suit of purple and green gingham,with his speaking countenance much obscuredby a straw hat several sizes too large for him; whileon either side sat guests of every size, complexion,and costume, producing a very gay and varied effect,as all were dressed with a noble disregard of fashion.

 

　　"They will like to see us get tea. Did you forgetthe buns?" inquired Betty, anxiously.

 

　　"No; got them in my pocket." And Bab produced from thatchaotic cupboard two rather stale and crumbly ones, savedfrom lunch for the fete. These were cut up and arranged inplates, forming a graceful circle around the cake, still inits basket.

 

　　"Ma couldn't spare much milk, so we must mixwater with it. Strong tea isn't good for children,she says." And Bab contentedly surveyed the gillof skim-milk which was to satisfy the thirst of thecompany.

 

　　"While the tea draws and the cake cools, let's sitdown and rest; I'm so tired!" sighed Betty, droppingdown on the door-step and stretching out thestout little legs which had been on the go all day; forSaturday had its tasks as well as its fun, and muchbusiness had preceded this unusual pleasure.

 

　　Bab went and sat beside her, looking idly down thewalk toward the gate, where a fine cobweb shone inthe afternoon sun.

 

　　"Ma says she is going over the house in a day ortwo, now it is warm and dry after the storm, and wemay go with her. You know she wouldn't take us inthe fall, cause we had whooping-cough, and it wasdamp there. Now we shall see all the nice things;won't it be fun?" observed Bab, after a pause.

 

　　"Yes, indeed! Ma says there's lots of books inone room, and I can look at 'em while she goes round.

 

　　May be I'll have time to read some, and then I cantell you," answered Betty, who dearly loved stories,and seldom got any new ones.

 

　　"I'd rather see the old spinning-wheel up garret,and the big pictures, and the queer clothes in theblue chest. It makes me mad to have them all shutup there, when we might have such fun with them.

 

　　I'd just like to bang that old door down!" AndBab twisted round to give it a thump with her boots.

 

　　"You needn't laugh; you know you'd like it asmuch as me," she added, twisting back again, ratherashamed of her impatience.

 

　　"I didn't laugh.""You did! Don't you suppose I know what laughing is?""I guess I know I didn't.""You did laugh! How darst you tell such afib?""If you say that again I'll take Belinda and goright home; then what will you do?""I'll eat up the cake.""No, you won't! It's mine, Ma said so; and youare only company, so you'd better behave or I won'thave any party at all, so now."This awful threat calmed Bab's anger at once, andshe hastened to introduce a safer subject.

 

　　"Never mind; don't let's fight before the children.

 

　　Do you know, Ma says she will let us play in thecoach-house next time it rains, and keep the key ifwe want to.""Oh, goody! that's because we told her howwe found the little window under the woodbine, anddidn't try to go in, though we might have just aseasy as not," cried Betty, appeased at once, for, aftera ten years' acquaintance, she had grown used toBab's peppery temper.

 

　　"I suppose the coach will be all dust and ratsand spiders, but I don't care. You and the dollscan be the passengers, and I shall sit up in frontdrive.""You always do. I shall like riding better thanbeing horse all the time, with that old wooden bit inmy mouth, and you jerking my arms off," said poorBetty, who was tired of being horse continually.

 

　　"I guess we'd better go and get the water now,"suggested Bab, feeling that it was not safe to encourageher sister in such complaints.

 

　　"It is not many people who would dare to leavetheir children all alone with such a lovely cake, andknow they wouldn't pick at it," said Betty proudly,as they trotted away to the spring, each with a littletin pail in her hand.

 

　　Alas, for the faith of these too confiding mammas!

 

　　They were gone about five minutes, and when theyreturned a sight met their astonished eyes whichproduced a simultaneous shriek of horror. Flat upontheir faces lay the fourteen dolls, and the cake, thecherished cake, was gone.

 

　　For an instant the little girls could only standmotionless, gazing at the dreadful scene. Then Babcast her water-pail wildly away, and, doubling upher fist, cried out fiercely, --"It was that Sally! She said she'd pay me forslapping her when she pinched little Mary Ann, andnow she has. I'll give it to her! You run that way.

 

　　I'll run this. Quick! quick!"Away they went, Bab racing straight on, and bewilderedBetty turning obediently round to trot in theopposite direction as fast as she could, with the watersplashing all over her as she ran, for she had forgottento put down her pail. Round the house theywent, and met with a crash at the back door, but nosign of the thief appeared.

 

　　"In the lane!" shouted Bab.

 

　　"Down by the spring!" panted Betty; and offthey went again, one to scramble up a pile of stonesand look over the wall into the avenue, the other toscamper to the spot they had just left. Still, nothingappeared but the dandelions' innocent faces lookingup at Bab, and a brown bird scared from his bath inthe spring by Betty's hasty approach.

 

　　Back they rushed, but only to meet a new scare,which made them both cry "Ow!" and fly into theporch for refuge.

 

　　A strange dog was sitting calmly among the ruinsof the feast, licking his lips after basely eating up thelast poor bits of bun, when he had bolted the cake,basket, and all, apparently.

 

　　"Oh, the horrid thing!" cried Bab, longing to givebattle, but afraid, for the dog was a peculiar as well asa dishonest animal.

 

　　"He looks like our China poodle, doesn't he?"whispered Betty, making herself as small as possiblebehind her more valiant sister.

 

　　He certainly did; for, though much larger anddirtier than the well-washed China dog, this live onehad the same tassel at the end of his tail, ruffles ofhair round his ankles, and a body shaven behind andcurly before. His eyes, however, were yellow, insteadof glassy black, like the other's; his red nose workedas he cocked it up, as if smelling for more cakes, inthe most impudent manner; and never, during thethree years he had stood on the parlor mantel-piece,had the China poodle done the surprising feats withwhich this mysterious dog now proceeded to astonishthe little girls almost out of their wits.

 

　　First he sat up, put his forepaws together, andbegged prettily; then he suddenly flung his hind-legsinto the air, and walked about with great ease.

 

　　Hardly had they recovered from this shock, whenthe hind-legs came down, the fore-legs went up, andhe paraded in a soldierly manner to and fro, likea sentinel on guard. But the crowning performancewas when he took his tail in his mouth and waltzeddown the walk, over the prostrate dolls, to the gateand back again, barely escaping a general upset ofthe ravaged table.

 

　　Bab and Betty could only hold each other tight andsqueal with delight, for never had they seen any thingso funny; but, when the gymnastics ended, and thedizzy dog came and stood on the step before thembarking loudly, with that pink nose of his sniffingat their feet, and his queer eyes fixed sharply uponthem, their amusement turned to fear again, and theydared not stir.

 

　　"Whish, go away! " commanded Bab.

 

　　"Scat! " meekly quavered Betty.

 

　　To their great relief, the poodle gave several moreinquiring barks, and then vanished as suddenly ashe appeared. With one impulse, the children ran tosee what became of him, and, after a brisk scamperthrough the orchard, saw the tasselled tail disappearunder the fence at the far end.

 

　　"Where do you s'pose he came from?" askedBetty, stopping to rest on a big stone.

 

　　"I'd like to know where he's gone, too, and givehim a good beating, old thief! " scolded Bab, rememberingtheir wrongs.

 

　　"Oh, dear, yes! I hope the cake burnt him dreadfully if hedid eat it," groaned Betty, sadly remembering the dozen goodraisins she chopped up, and the "lots of 'lasses" mother putinto the dear lost loaf.

 

　　"The party's all spoilt, so we may as well gohome; and Bab mournfully led the way back.

 

　　Betty puckered up her face to cry, but burst outlaughing in spite of her woe.

 

　　"It was so funny to see him spin round and walk onhis head! I wish he'd do it all over again; don't you?""Yes: but I hate him just the same. I wonderwhat Ma will say when - why! why!" and Babstopped short in the arch, with her eyes as roundand almost as large as the blue saucers on thetea-tray.

 

　　"What is it? oh, what is it? " cried Betty, all readyto run away if any new terror appeared.

 

　　"Look! there! it's come back!" said Bab in anawe-stricken whisper, pointing to the table.

 

　　Betty did look, and her eyes opened even wider, --as well they might, -- for there, just where they firstput it, was the lost cake, unhurt, unchanged, exceptthat the big B had coasted a little further down thegingerbread hill.