The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-11-29

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papa" and they raced off before she
could ask any more questions.
Almost every one said they would
come; even Miss Hepsy, though she did
dislike children somuch. ~ 'spose you
expect folks to bring something, DOM
you?" and Miss Hepsy shut up one eye
and looked at them sharply with the
other.
why, it's surprise party" said Bet
| ty, "and we've never been to one, papa
doesn't know much -"
mo- l presume to say he don't, y
snapped Miss Hepsy; 81 never saw any
of the family who did-but I'll come, y
and she stepped back and shut the door
| hard.
"Therer' said Polly, 81 guess we
didn't draw the right line after all.
don't believe, Betty Hildreth, your
mamma ever would have invited such a
hateful squint-eyed old thing as she is,
and told you So"
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 q 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 q
sponge cake with hole in the middle
OF it, and she promised them rolls and a
large plate of gooseberry tarts.
ooh! it will be fine, won't it?" said
Betty.
81 hope so, replied Fred, who already
began to feel some misgivings.
The next day was warm and bright,
and the children had busy time, for
they were making jack O. lanterns
with which to decorate the yard. "Of
course we must have it gay" said 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 at the great quantities of pump
kins. ''Why, boys, where did you get
so many? We didn't know there were
so many in the pasture-lot," they cried.
''Never mind where 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. 81 don't believe we had better
find any more, though" said Harry, in
a low tone, 'or the old dame will catch
us surely. i 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.. Hildreth sat
reading the paper and Miss Nancy, who
was hard of hearing, sat knitting on
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
olanterns! There were eighty in all
set about all over the yard, wherever
post could be put firmly to hold one,
and forty seed cucumbers 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 came1by twos and threes, and fin |
ally by skies and sevens. Mr.. Hill |
1reth greeted them with politeness, but
after awhile no words could express his
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 if
he were suddenly growing crazy. He
stormed out into the dining-room.
'Nancyl Nancy" he called, "where
are you, Nancy? why don't you come and
help me receive these idiots, Nancy"
"Well / amt def" replied Miss
Nancy, slowly, as she came out from her
bedroom where she had slipped away to
change her cap; and they went back to
the parlor and Mr.. Hildreth made up
his mind that it was party and he
had got to be in it. And the people
kept coming, bringing plates and bas-
kets, while Jane was going round and
round the kitchen, DECLARING that she
was distracted and that everybody's |
dishes were getting mixed up.
The two Misses Brownlow came in,
filigree basket filled with |
tissue paper, and nine little cakes, with |
very crispy edges and very thin FROST
ing. Dear Mr.. Hildreth," they said,
''we are so glad to come and celebrate
your natal day." and they held out the
little fligree basket, and Miss Euphe-
mia crooked her little finger out over
,he handle, as she said: mot more
han the MUSES. nor less than the Graces,
you see."
And then Mr.. Hildreth felt certain
hat he was going mad. And the Brown
ows tiptoed across the room and sit
lown just as Miss Hepsy came in.
81 did intend to bring q good sized
pie with me-" was her first re-
mark, "but l was prevented by ercuns-
tances"
And at this Captain Jennifer, who was
'laying cribbage with Miss Flutter-
'ucket, laughed 30 hard that he shook
ii the pins out OF the board and they
lad TO begin over again.
The Gibbons girls brought over their
Backgammon board and Authors" and
he people played games and laughed