Mary's Rainbow Part 8

"But we can be-tend we's ladies, Beth, if d.i.c.k likes us to be. Mother says it isn't p'lite if we doesn't play same as our comp'ny likes us to. So I'll go first." And into the dining-room, single file, marched the four. Just inside the door they lined up, Berta proudly announcing, "We's going to help ev'ybody in the whole house."

"Indeed!" Mr. Selwyn was forced to laugh in spite of himself. "Don't you think you might have waited until after breakfast to don your working clothes? and where did you find the overalls for your guests, eh?"

"Oh, d.i.c.k finded them in w.i.l.l.y-mean's shootcase, Daddy; and Beth and I lended Aunt Mandy's apins. I'se quite sure she won't mind, 'cause we's going to help her 'mensely, too."

Wilhelmina stopped laughing long enough to explain: "Yes, Mother, d.i.c.k came to me at the last minute with his overalls and Jack's. I couldn't see why he wanted to bring them; but they didn't take up much room in my little suitcase."

d.i.c.k wriggled uneasily under his mother's surprised look.

"But you do not expect to sit at table in your working clothes, do you, son? Jack, being only two years old, does not know any better; but a big boy of nearly four and a half----"

"That's jes' 'zactly what d.i.c.k said, Aunt Etta." Though not related, the children of each family always called the grown folks of the other, uncle and aunt. "He told us you doesn't like over-halls so very well for breakfus; but----but----oh, dear, _me_! they's such a drefful many things to do, you see, that we thinked we ought to be ready afore breakfus. Doesn't you think you could possiglee 'scuse us jes' this once--you and Daddy and Mother and Uncle Frank? I'se quite sure w.i.l.l.y-mean and Mary doesn't mind over-halls and gingham apins."

"Perhaps we can do so, Berta, since this is the first moving-day that we have ever had in any of our lives." Mrs. Marvin looked very grave.

"What do you think about it, Elizabeth?"

"I quite agree with you, Etta, if these little folks will remember to lay aside their working clothes at meal time in future." Mrs. Selwyn was just as serious as Mrs. Marvin.

"And the very first one we is going to help is Daddy."

"I fear you can not do anything to a.s.sist me until later in the day, Beth, thank you. I am going to take the library in hand, and the books that I shall pack this morning will be too large and heavy for such little people to handle. However, I am very sure that you can make yourselves useful by carrying messages for every one."

"Oh, goody! I hope they's going to be great, big, heavy ones. d.i.c.k has strong mushes in his arms, and he's going to show Beth and me how to get some, too, so we can lift big things like----like trunks!"

"Better begin with your doll trunks, then. It will take many years for even d.i.c.k's muscles to grow strong enough to lift a steamer trunk, for instance."

"Oh, but I'se quite sure you never did see d.i.c.k's mushes, Uncle Frank."

The morning was a very exciting one for the four little folks. Up the front stairs, through the halls, down the back stairs, they raced, Berta always leading, and baby Jack, carefully watched by Beth, bringing up the rear. At the door of every room where packing was being done, they stopped while their leader asked, "Does you s'pects you would like us to help you?" until the oft-repeated answer, "Not just at present," at last caused the twins to sink on the stairs and sob out their disappointment.

Knowing that his mother was with Mrs. Selwyn in the storeroom on the third floor, d.i.c.k ran for his sister and Mary, who were busy carrying piles of sheets, pillowcases, towels, and table linen from a closet in the hall to a big trunk in one of the bedrooms.

"Come quick, Willie! The girls are crying their eyes out, 'cause they can't help."

"I suppose they could carry some of these things, Mary. Then I can climb the ladder and hand you the ones on the high shelves."

The twins were soon comforted, and for a time the four trotted back and forth with small piles of linen. It was not long before Berta thought of a "s'prise;" and when Mary went to the bedroom to see what was delaying them, she was just in time to see the procession starting down the back stairs, each member of it carefully bearing a piece of drawn work or embroidery. Her cry of dismay halted them.

"Oh, we's jes' going to wrap them in the nice w'ite disher paper what's on the table in the dining-room, and then we's going to pack them in one of those big boxes in the liberry, same as Daddy is doing with the books."

Mary, remembering the storm of a quarter of an hour before, thought a moment before speaking. "It's this way, Berta. When we get to Bird-a-Lea, it will be much easier for Mother to find these center pieces and things if they are packed in the trunk with the table cloths and napkins. She is not very strong yet, you know, and Uncle Frank has asked us to help her in every way we can; don't you remember?"

"Ye----es, Mary, but----but----"

"Why don't you go out in the yard to play for a little while? You need a rest, I think."

"Rest! _rest_! The very idea! _Rest_ when ev'ybody is working so hard as they can, and they's such a drefful many things to do? Why, Mary, I'se on the shock at you! I s'pects you think we's lazy. We'll jes'

go right down and help Liza, so we will!"

Liza in the pantry on the top step of a ladder heard them coming.

"'Clah to goodness! Ef'n dem chilluns am gwine to come in heah pesterin' dis heah n.i.g.g.ah, I reckon dey won't be no moah work _dis_ mawnin'. Why fo' Aunt Mandy doan' keep dem upstairs wif her, I lak to know."

The four stood in the doorway.

"Does you s'pects we can help you, Liza?"

"Wal, now, Missy Berta, dey might be sumpin yo' alls kin do aftah while, but not jes' dis instinct, honey; 'kase yo' see, dis yeah chile got to git all dese t'ings down off'n de top shelf fust t'ing. Dey's milk an' cookies on de li'l table out on de back porch fo' yo' alls, an' aftah yo's done wif dat, Aunt Mandy wants yo' to help her, I reckon. She am powahful busy packin' up all yo' clothes and t'ings."

"We's going to help her the very 'zact instinct when we eat the milk and cookies, Liza."

"Dat's right, Missy Bef. I jes' knowed yo' would ef'n I told yo' how plumb tiahed out she am." And Liza chuckled as the little ones ran off.

They found the old nurse packing dainty white dresses in a trunk.

"We's going to help you, Aunt Mandy. We'll carry ev'ything right over by side you, and you can put them in the trunk, so you can."

"Bress yo' li'l heart, Missy Berta! Yo' sho'ly kin help yo' ole mammy a right smart. Ma ole laigs gits powahful tiahed walkin' round disaway. Dats' right, Missy Bef. Bring dem li'l pettiskirts right obah heah; an' Ma.s.sa d.i.c.k kin fotch dem li'l shoes, an' Ma.s.sa Jack dat stockin' pile."

All went well until Aunt Mandy caught Berta carefully wrapping a pair of slippers in a hand embroidered white dress, and Beth stuffing dainty little handkerchiefs into her rubbers.

"Laws a ma.s.sy! Go 'long out'n heah wif yo'! Yo's nuffin but babies, nohow. Git yo' dollies an' play lak nice li'l chilluns." And she drove them before her into the playroom and closed the door on them.

But d.i.c.k Marvin had no more use for dolls than his elder brothers had; so the twins brought out their picture books and games, which he had already seen. At last a bright idea struck him.

"What's that big box for, Beth?"

"That's Mary's toy box when she was a little girl. She said we can have it now for our dollies and ev'ything."

"Then why don't you pack your dolls and things in it? Come on, I'll help you."

"That's zactly what we'll do, and then we'll be the same as big folkses, won't we, d.i.c.k?"

The little fellow was not quite sure of that and wisely said nothing, but began to examine the hinges and clasp of the strong oak box. Berta and Beth took their dolls and let Jack carry their other toys to him, and d.i.c.k stowed them away with more speed than care. Soon the box was filled to over-flowing.

"The cover doesn't close tight, so we'll have to jump on it, girls."

"Oh, goody, d.i.c.k! We jes' love to jump on trunks and things."

They scrambled up on the box and jumped, jumped, _jumped_! Snap!

Crack!

"Oh, my dear! What's that, Beth?"

"It's just the things settling down, Berta," explained d.i.c.k, jumping off the box to fasten the clasp.

"Oh! oh! there's my big rubber ball under the table. That must go in the box, too, d.i.c.k."

"All right, Beth. I'll open it again." d.i.c.k threw back the cover; and with a cry of dismay, Beth s.n.a.t.c.hed up a doll from the box.