Dorothy Dainty's Gay Times Part 8

"Alas! That's what my wife frequently calls me," he said, and from his manner one might have thought that he deeply regretted the fact.

"If your wife is here, young man, I should think she'd see you talking to that pretty girl beside you," said the little woman, sharply.

"Oh, she rather likes it," he said, with a soft laugh, "you see that pretty girl is my wife." Aunt Matilda stared.

"Wouldn't you like to meet her?" he asked; "this is such a very informal gathering that I might venture to present her, if only I knew your name."

"I'm Arabella Corryville's aunt," she said, without realizing that that was not telling her name.

"Vera," he said, "allow me to present you to Arabella's aunt; madam, this is my wife!"

The ladies bowed, and the younger woman spoke very cordially, then the curtain went up and every eye turned toward the stage.

It was in the last act that Arabella entered from the right, and all were surprised when in a clear voice, and with appropriate gestures, she spoke her lines, making quite as good an impression as any of her schoolmates.

During the early part of the dialogue Arabella had not been on the little stage, and her doting aunt felt injured, because she believed that the other children had been given the most important parts. She had expressed her disapproval of "play-acting" to Uncle Harry.

Now all was different; Arabella had appeared, had spoken well, and the applause which she received completely changed Aunt Matilda's mind.

"Granted our wishes, Happy hearts have we; True to our fairy queen Ever we'll be,"

sang the children, and then once more the red curtain hid the tiny stage.

"On second thoughts, I guess play-acting is rather a fine thing if it's well done," Aunt Matilda said, "an' I guess my Arabella did 'bout as well as any of 'em. I shouldn't wonder if she could be a great actress if she chose. Not that I'd want her to be one; no _indeed_, but it's pleasant to think that she could."

"Oh, certainly," said Uncle Harry. "It would be most delightful if we could be _sure_ that, at ten minutes' notice, Arabella could become the world's greatest actress; that by gently beckoning to him, the most obdurate theatrical manager would bow abjectly before her."

"Well, I guess so," the prim little woman said, not quite understanding his meaning, but thinking the speech, as a whole, rather grand.

The little entertainment had been a success, and Aunt Charlotte received very warm congratulations for the fine work which her little pupils had done.

As they strolled homeward, the guests talked of the numbers which had most delighted them.

Uncle Harry, wag that he was, had found Aunt Matilda quite as amusing as the music, the pretty dance which Nancy had contributed, or the fairy dialogue. He was expecting every moment that his young wife would gently upbraid him for his raillery, and he had not long to wait. As they turned in at their own gateway, she looked up at him.

"Harry," she said, "you have a merry heart, and I would not for the world have you more quiet, but sometimes you carry your jokes too far.

Dear, will you tell me why you did not mention that strange woman's name? You introduced her as Arabella's aunt."

"My dear, that's who she said she was; she didn't tell me her name, so how could I tell you?"

"But you did not tell her _my_ name; you introduced me as your wife."

"Well, surely you _are_ my wife; as she omitted to state what _her_ name was, I wouldn't tell her _yours_. Simply evening things up, that's all."

"What an idea!" she said, but she could not help laughing at his little joke.

CHAPTER V

THE RETURN OF PATRICIA

Of course they talked and talked of their entertainment, of their fine audience, of the applause, and the delight of their friends.

They were on their way to school one morning, Nina, Jeanette, and their cousin, Lola Blessington.

"Nancy Ferris danced just _beautifully_," said Lola, "I wonder where she learned."

"I don't know," Jeanette said, sullenly.

She had envied the applause which Nancy's graceful dancing had evoked.

"Why, Jeanette," exclaimed Nina, "you _do_ know that Nancy learned to dance in New York."

"Well, I don't know _who_ taught her, and that's probably what Lola meant," Jeanette retorted sharply.

"New York!" said Lola. "Why, I remember a little girl I saw once at the theatre, who danced so gracefully that I thought she must be a fairy.

She seemed ever so much like Nancy, but she had--"

"Come here, Nancy," called Jeanette, sharply, "Lola says she saw a girl once, at a theatre in New York, who danced and looked like you. What do you think of that?"

"_Jeanette_!" cried Nina, surprised that her sister should be so eager to tease Nancy, but Nancy did not seem annoyed.

She looked straight into Jeanette's flas.h.i.+ng eyes, as she said, quietly:

"Perhaps Lola did see me dance; I was in New York."

"Oh, I didn't say it was you who danced at the theatre. I said the little girl was like you, but I remember now her hair was yellow," Lola said.

"I wore a wig of long yellow curls," Nancy said, "and I had to dance whether I wished to or not; Uncle Steve made me. Oh, I was not happy there. I was never so happy as when I've been with dear Aunt Charlotte, and Dorothy. Let's talk about something else."

Jeanette felt a bit ashamed. Nina wished that her sister had not been so rude, and for a few moments neither could think of anything to say, but just at that moment Dorothy joined them, and soon they were talking as gaily as before.

Then Katie and Reginald came hurrying along the avenue, and a moment later Mollie Merton and Flossie Barnet, and soon they were all chattering like a flock of sparrows.

"Say! Just listen to me a minute," shouted Reginald, "I've got something great to tell you, but I can't until you'll hark."

"What is it? What is it?" cried the eager voices.

"It's just this," he said with much importance: "My mamma called on Aunt Charlotte yesterday, and while they were talking 'bout our school Aunt Charlotte said that the big girls would begin to study history this week, and my brother Bob says it'll be all 'bout cutting folks' heads off. I guess it'll scare girls to study that. 'Twould scare me, and _I'm_ a boy!"

"Why, Reginald Dean!" cried Katie.

"My middle name's Merton," said the small boy, coolly.

"Well, Reginald Merton Dean, then," Katie said, "and whatever your name is, you ought not to tell things like that!"