The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-11-27

expect folks to bring something, don't
you? and Miss Hepsy shut up ono eye
and looked at them sharply with the
other.
why. it's surprise party" said Bet
ty. sand we've never been to one. papa
doesn't know much -" sf@@E Es
mo. l presume to say he DON'T"
snapped Miss Hepsy; II never saw any
Of the family who debut I'll come,"
and she stepped back aud shut the door
hard. f., Z ....-,.- -.-.s.@z5 49,:
"Therer' said Polly. II guess we
didn't draw the right line after all 1
don't believe, Betty Hildreth, your
mamma ever would have invited such q
hateful squintreyed old thing as she is,
and I told you so. - ss-'ss~.s g - s..
At last every one was invited. 1t had
occurred to the children that this party
would be fine way to celebrate their
fathers birthday, for he would be forty
tomorrow. Their mother had felt sorry
to be gone at this time, but this would
be beautiful way to surprise him.
They said nothing of their plan to
Miss Nancy, distant relative who was
staying with them. But they coaxed
Jane to make nice cocoanut cake and .
sponge cake with hole in the middle
of it, and she promised them rolls and q
large plate Of gooseberry tarts.
"Oh! it will be fine, won't it?' said
Betty.
II hope so," replied Fred, who already
began to feel some misgiving& 81,
The next day was warm and bright,
and the children had q busy time, for
they were making jack o lanterns
with which to decorate the yard. ''Of
course we must have 1t gay" ssid Polly,
so they worked and cut and scraped
away on the pumpkins till their hands
were nearly blistered. They did this
work out behind the new shed under an
apple tree. BY afternoon an enormous
pile Of seeds lay on the ground and the
grinning jack o lanterns were set up in
a row to wait till the evening festivities
began. The little girls were much
pleased 1T the great quantities Of pump.
kins. '..Why, boys, where did you got
so many? We didn't know there were
so many in the pasture-lot," they cried.
''Never mind whore they came from
boys can always find pumpkins" said
Fred and Harry, as they came hurrying
along, trundling the wheel-barrow
piled high with the shining yellow
balls. II don't believe we had better
find any more, though" said Harry, in
a low tone, ''or the old dame will catch
Us surely. saw her old sun-bonnet
come flying out of the shed just as got
over the fence" At last the lanterns
were done and the children waited for
evening to come and the party to begin.
1t grew dark early and the shades
were all drawn and Mr.. Hi]dreth sat
reading the paper and Miss Nancy, who
was hard OF hearing, sat knitting on a
dark-blue sock. The children slipped
out and with the help of Hiram, the
hired man, who was let into the secret,
they lighted those gorgeous jack
o'lanterns! There were eighty in all
set about all over the yard, wherever a
post could be put firmly to hold one,
and forty seed oucumbers adorned the
front fence, stuck in between the pick.
cts. The children thought they never
had seen such beautiful decorations be-
fore.
At seven o'clock the bell began to
ring and the guests began to arrive.
They came by twos and threes, and fin.
ally by SKIES and sevens. Mr.. Hill.
dreth greeted them with politeness, but
after awhile no words could express his
astonishment Betty and Fred were
dancing about, and Polly and Harry
were capering through the rooms with
delight. Mr.. Hildreth began to feel as
If the very foundations of his house
were being torn up; he had pllled up a
curtain and looked out; and seen the
jack o'lanterns and then he felt as ii
he were suddenly growing crazy. He
stormed out into the dining-room.
"Nancy! Nancy' he called, "where
are you, Nancy? why don't you come and
help me receive these idiots, Nancy!'
well amt deef" replied Mis-:
Nancy, slowly, as she came out from hol
bedroom where she had slipped away t.
change her cap; and they went back te
the parlor and Mr.. Hildreth made VI
his mind that it was party and hi
had got to be in it. And tho people
kept coming, bringing plates and has
kets, while Jane was going round anG
round the kitchen, declaring that she
was distracted and that everybody ".
dishes we're getting mixed up.
The two Misses Brownlow came in
bringing a flligree basket filled with
tissue paper, and nine little cakes, with
very crispy edges and very thin frost
ing. Dear Mr.. HildrNth," they said
''we are so glad to come and celebrate
your nata! day." and they held out the
| little filigree basket and Miss Euphe
mia crooked her little finger out over
| the handle. as she said: ''Not more
| than the Muses. nor less than the Graces
you see."
And then Mr.. Hildreth felt certain
that he was going mad And the Brown
lows tiptoed across the room and 81
down just as Miss Hepsy came in.
II did intend to bring q good-sizet
pumpkin pie with me-" was her first re
mark, ''but was prevented by eircums
stances"
And at this Captain Jennifer, who wa!
playing cribbage with Miss Flutter
bucket, laughed 50 hard that he shool
all the pins out of tho board and they
had to begin over again.
The Gibbons girls brought over thei
backgammon board and Authors" an(
the people played games and laughed
and chatted all the evening.
The doctors wife knew at once hov
this party had been arranged as soon a
| she got there and saw the jack o'lan
terms So she went right upstairs ant
found large white apron and put it o,
| and came down and set the table ant
cut cakes. and spread biscuits and b,
nine o'clock supper was ready. And i
you had seen the gallons Of coffee an,
quarts of cream disappear, think yo'
would have been surprised too.
By eleven o'clock the party was owe
and the lights were most of them out
| Mr.. Hildreth sat before the fire in tn
quiet parlor.
/ DoAA~~ 81 T.1S n.--<