The Twin Cousins Part 3

"Oh, grammy, they want me to stay _orf'ly_," she cried, out of breath, before they got to the house.

"Well, stay another hour, then," said the dear grandma, though baby was very cross and her arms ached, and Flaxie could have been _such_ a help.

So Flaxie went back and stayed another hour, and _then_ it wasn't tea-time. She could see some blue and white dishes spread on a round table covered with an oil-cloth, and she could smell gingerbread baking in the oven, which made her very hungry; and just as Mrs. Proudfit was opening a can of preserves, with at least six children clinging to her skirts, who should come but Preston, to say it was half-past five and Flaxie was wanted at home.

"So you can't stay to tea, after all," said Mrs. Proudfit, putting a small covered dish on the table. What in the world could be in it?

Flaxie dropped her head and blushed. "Oh, yes'm, I can stay. I've sent Preston home, and locked the door!"

Mrs. Proudfit smiled into the oven as she looked at her gingerbread, and thought--of course she did--that Flaxie Frizzle was a very queer child.

It did seem as if that gingerbread never would bake! A cloud came up, the wind blew, the baby cried so Patty couldn't play, the children quarrelled, and the kitten ran round in a fit.

Nothing seemed half as nice as it had seemed an hour ago; and when supper was ready, that gingerbread was burnt, and, as true as you live, the preserves were sour! There was nothing in the little covered dish but cheese, which Flaxie "despised;" and she wished she hadn't stayed to tea, for it was a very poor tea indeed.

It began to rain just as hard as it could pour, and Dr. Papa came for her in the carriage, without a single smile on his face.

When she got home there was mamma, looking grieved and surprised,--the dear mamma she hadn't seen for three weeks. And there was "Ninny," her sweet sister Julia, who had come and found out about her actions, and brought her a new doll.

"Baby has cut a tooth, too," said Auntie Prim; "but he's asleep now, and you can't see it to-night."

This was the last drop.

"I feel as if my heart was breaking," sobbed Flaxie, tottering up-stairs behind her mother. "I don't care if Baby Proudfit _has_ got fo--ur teeth; they're _very_ small!"

"I'm afraid you didn't have a good time, dear?"

"No'm, for Baby Proudfit's _so_ squirmy and wigglesome! But they wanted me to stay _orf'ly_!"

"And oh, mamma," burst forth Flaxie, at last, "if you'll forgive me, I'll never stay _anywhere_ to tea any more, as long as I live!"

"We'll talk about it to-morrow," said Mrs. Gray.

And then she put poor little Flaxie to bed.

CHAPTER III.

THE LONESOME VISIT.

Flaxie came down to breakfast next morning feeling rather humble, but n.o.body noticed her, for they were all talking about the cat. The cellar-door had been left unfastened, and Kitty Gray had come up about midnight bringing a nice fat mouse. She mewed a long time, hoping her mistress would get out of bed and stroke her, and say, "Good p.u.s.s.y, pretty p.u.s.s.y!" But as Mrs. Gray would not rise, what do you think Kitty Gray did, for this is a true story?

She just walked into the dining-room where the table was always set overnight, jumped up to Mrs. Gray's place by the waiter, and dropped the mouse beside her plate!

"There," thought p.u.s.s.y, "she'll see it now first thing in the morning, before she turns the coffee; and if she doesn't say 'Good p.u.s.s.y, pretty p.u.s.s.y,' why--I'll eat it!"

Of course when Mrs. Gray saw such a droll morsel lying on her napkin she laughed, sent for Kitty Gray, stroked her, and called her "Good p.u.s.s.y, pretty p.u.s.s.y; and the brightest p.u.s.s.y too that I ever saw!"

Even Mrs. Prim was laughing, and Flaxie began to hope her own behavior of yesterday was forgotten. But no, her mother called her into the nursery after breakfast, and said, as she took her in her lap:

"I am sorry to hear that my little girl has done so many wrong things since I have been gone."

Flaxie dropped her head for shame, but raised it again indignantly.

"How'd you know that, mamma? Auntie Prim must have gone and told."

"Yes, darling, I asked her to tell. Isn't it right for mamma to know all her child has been doing?"

"Yes'm," replied Flaxie, watching a fly walk on the ceiling.

"And I thought perhaps you would like to talk with me about it, dear."

"One, two, three, four, five," said Flaxie to herself, counting the rosebuds in the carpet. Strange her mamma should suppose she wanted to talk about it! Why, there wasn't a subject in the world so disagreeable as her own naughtiness!

Mrs. Gray waited patiently till the rosebuds were counted, and then Flaxie spoke.

"O mamma, you think I was bad yesterday, but do you _s'pose_ I'd have gone off if I'd known my little brother's tooth was a-cutting?"

Mrs. Gray smiled down at the innocent, upturned face.

"Well, darling, whether he cut a tooth or not, had you any excuse for staying to tea?"

"No'm. They didn't have a bit good supper at Patty's house, and I oughtn't to have stayed."

"Mary," said Mrs. Gray,--she thought her little daughter was old enough now to be called by her true name, so she never used the baby name of Flaxie Frizzle,--"Mary, I do not wish you to play any more with this little girl till I have seen her."

"No'm."

"Have you anything else to tell me?"

"I don' know. Well, yes. Well, I--I--I am so sorry I ran away from my party, mamma. Ever so long ago. I s'pect Auntie Prim told of that too?"

said Flaxie, twisting herself into odd shapes, for the thought of that unfortunate affair filled her with shame.

"Yes, Mary, she did."

"Well, I felt so sorry, mamma. And Milly 'n' I, we didn't get but one tart and one piece o' cake; for auntie had a party with 'em her own self. Do you think 'twas right when she made 'em for Milly and me?"

Here Flaxie's eyes flashed.

"My child, we are talking of you now, not Auntie Prim."

"Yes'm, I know it, and I'm real sorry I'm so naughty; but Auntie Prim _makes_ me naughty."

"Mary, Mary, you must not talk so about that good woman!"

"Oh, I know she's good, mamma. Why, she is the best woman in this town; she's the best woman in the world! And she _knows_ she's good, and it makes her just as proud!"