The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-01-31

invite that old cranky th1ngF asked
Polly, 'she don't like US one BIT, and
she scolds IL we SO much as look at her
sweet apple tree going by. wouldn't
ask her to toaTs party!"
''Well. Polly" said Betty, when peo-
pie have parties they have to draw a
line, or else they can't draw one, don't
know which, but l know they have to
be very particular about it. Is'pose we
must ask Miss Hepsy, but I hope she
won't come"
After awhile they concluded they had
thought of everybody, and they put on
their hats and raced downstairs and
out into the street and ran from house
to house and invited people. Some
looked o little surprised, for the
Hildreths never went to surprise parties
themselves. But the children seemed
very eager about it, so the invited
guests supposed some one had given
them leave to have such a party.
But isn't your mamma gone now?"
asked the doctors wife.
"Yes," replied Fred, s'but this is for
papa" and they raced of before she
could ask any more questions.
Almost every one said they would
come; even Miss Hepsy, though she did
dislike children so much. II 'spose you
expect folks to bring something, don't
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"
snapped Miss Hepsy; 81 never saw any
of the family who debut I'll come"
and she stepped back and shut the door
hard.
''Therer' said Polly. II 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 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 a hole in the middle
of it, and she promised them rolls and
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 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 CAV, 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
q row to wait till the evening festivities
began. The little girls were much
pleased at the reatquantities of pump
kins. "Why, boys, where dad you get
so many? We didn't know there were
30 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. II don't believe we had better
find any more. though" said Harry, in
. 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
we're done and the children waited for
evening to come and the party to begin.
1t grew dark early and the shades
we're all drawn and Mr.. Hildreth sat
reading the paper and Miss Nancy, who
was hard of hearing, sat knitting on
lark-blue sock. The children slipped
but and with the help of Hiram, the
hired man, who was let into the secret,
hey lighted those gorgeous jack
''lanterns! There were eighty in all
yet about all over the yard, wherever a
post could be put firmly to hold one,
Ind forty seed cucumbers adorned the
ront fence. stuck in between the pick
ITS. The children thought they never
lad seen such beautiful decorations be-
ore.
At seven o'clock the bell began to
ing and the guests began to arrive.
They came by twos and threes, and fin-
lily by skies and sevens. Mr.. Hill
lreth greeted them with politeness, but
Ifter awhile no words could express his
Betty and Fred were
lancing about and Polly and Harry
we're capering through the rooms with
lelight. Mr.. Hildreth began to feel as
I the very foundations of his house
we're being torn up: he had pllled up
'urtain and looked out; and seen the
ack o'lanterns and then he felt as IL
le were suddenly growing crazy. He