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Read Ebook: Marjorie in Command by Wells Carolyn Pratt Julie C Illustrator
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Ebook has 1987 lines and 61672 words, and 40 pages
"Yes, sir; but then, you see, I love Mother."
This simple explanation seemed to please Mr. Maynard, and he said:
"Well, I wouldn't bother much about this obedience matter. I doubt if Miss Larkin lays down very strict laws, anyway. Suppose you take this for a rule. Don't do anything that you think Mother would forbid if she were at home."
"That's ever so much better," said King, with a sigh of relief. "I did hate to be tied to old Larky's apron strings."
"Yes, sir," said Kingdon, looking ashamed. "I understand, and I'll obey; but, Father, we always call her Larky."
"But you won't any more. I don't think you realize what bad taste it is, for a child to speak so of an elder person. Call your school friends by nicknames, if you like, but show to grown-ups the civility and respect that good-breeding calls for."
"All right; I'll call her the Honorable Miss Larkin; Dear Madam," and King swept a magnificent bow nearly to the floor, in token of his great respect for the lady.
"But do hurry home as soon as you can," said Marjorie, as she squeezed her father's coat sleeve with one hand, and with the other reached out to grasp a fold of her mother's trailing gown.
"We'll be gone just six weeks, dearie," said Mr. Maynard. "I can't remain away longer than that. And I think that will be long enough to make the roses bloom once more on Mother's wan cheeks." Mrs. Maynard smiled.
"I'm not really ill, Ed," she said; "it's more of a pleasure trip than a health trip, I think. And six weeks will be quite long enough to burden Miss Larkin with these four beautiful but not very manageable children."
"And, oh, Father," cried Marjorie, "there'll be an Ourday while you're gone! What shall we do about that?"
"Bless my stars!" said Mr. Maynard; "so there will. I hadn't thought of that! Shall we give up the trip, Helen?"
"No," said Kitty, who always took things seriously; "we can have two Ourdays together when you come back."
"Bravo, Kitsie!" said her father; "you have a logical head. I think you had better take charge of the family while we're gone."
"I'm not old enough," said Kitty, practically. "But I'll help all I can."
"I know you will," said Mrs. Maynard, caressing her. "And you'll all do the best you can. I know my quartette, and I can trust them to do right,--if they think in time."
"That's just it," said Mr. Maynard, his eyes twinkling. "I expect King or Midget will pull the house down around Miss Larkin's ears, and then excuse themselves by saying they forgot it was mischievous until it was all over."
"All over Miss Larkin, I suppose you mean," said Marjorie, chuckling at her own joke.
"Oho!" laughed Kingdon; "Mopsy's quite a wit, isn't she? Give us another, Midget!"
As he spoke, he affectionately pulled off Marjorie's hair ribbon, and the mop of dark curls that gave her one of her nicknames came tumbling all over her laughing face.
This was a favorite performance of King's, and though it never teased Marjorie, there was, of course, but one reply to it. That was to tweak the end of King's Windsor tie out of its neat bow, and, if possible, out from under his flat round white collar.
But knowing what was coming, King sprang away and around the table before even quick-motioned Midget could catch him. Of course a race ensued. Round the room they went, knocking over a few chairs and light articles of furniture, until King paused and danced maddeningly up and down on one side of the large centre table, while Midget, at the other side, stood alert to spring after him should he run.
"Mopsy, Midget, Midge, just come around the idge!" sang King, as he made a feint of going one way, then another.
But even as he leaned over to smile teasingly in her face, Marjorie made a quick grab across the table, and just gripped the end of his tie enough to untie it.
Then, of course, peace was declared, although a pile of books was knocked off the table, and a small vase upset.
"Why, I just had to catch him, you see," was Midget's plausible explanation, "'cause a hair-ribbon pull-off always means a necktie untie. Doesn't it, King?"
"Yep," agreed her brother, who was adjusting his tie before a mirror, "always. If Miss Larkin pulls off my tie, I shall sure go for her hair-ribbon."
"I believe you would," said Mrs. Maynard; "and the worst of it is, Miss Larkin will be so anxious to entertain and amuse you, that I'm sure she'll try to enter into your childish games. If she does, do try to remember she's a lady and not a member of the Jinks Club."
"She can be a member if she wants to," said King, condescendingly; "only if she is, she must take what she gets."
"Well, she'll be here pretty soon, and I'll warn her," said Mr. Maynard.
"No," said his wife, "she's not coming to-night, after all. I expected her, but she telephoned to-day that she can't come until to-morrow afternoon."
"And we leave to-morrow morning! Why, my dear, that's too bad."
"Yes; I'm sorry, for there are lots of things I want to tell her. I'll write a long note and leave it for her. And, Marjorie, I trust to you to welcome her properly, and in every way act like a gracious hostess."
"I think I'll practise," said Midget, jumping up. "Now, you be Miss Larkin, Father, and I'll be me."
"Very well," said Mr. Maynard, going out to the hall, and coming in again.
"Why, how do you do, Marjorie?" he said, offering his hand in exact imitation but not caricature of Miss Larkin's vivacious manner. Marjorie suppressed a giggle, and gave her hand, as she said:
"How do you do, Miss Larkin? I hope you understand that we're a very bad crowd of children. At least, King and I are. Kit and Rosy are angels."
"Indeed! I thought you were the angelic one."
"Oh, no; Miss Larkin. I'm awful bad; and King is even worse."
"Nothing of the sort," put in King. "I'm bad, I know, but I can't hold a candle to Mops for real lovely mischief."
"You come pretty near it," said his mother, laughing; "and now scamper, all of you, and make yourselves tidy for dinner."
"Good-by, Miss Larkin," said Marjorie, again shaking hands with her father. "You can't say you haven't been warned!"
"They'll lead the poor girl a dance," said Mrs. Maynard, as she watched the four romp out of the room and up the stairs.
"Oh, it will do her good," replied Mr. Maynard. "And it will do them good too. Even if there are scenes, it will all be a new experience for Miss Larkin, and a shaking up will do her no harm. As to the children, they'll live through it, and if they have some little troubles, it will help to develop their characters. And as for us, Helen, we'll have a good vacation, and come home refreshed and strong to set right anything that has gone wrong in our absence."
"Very well," said Mrs. Maynard, agreeing, as she usually did, with her clever, sensible husband.
BREAKFAST next morning was not the gay, cheery feast it usually was.
Mrs. Maynard came to the table with her hat on, and the children seemed suddenly to realize afresh that their mother was going away.
"Oh," said Marjorie, "I wish I could go to sleep for six weeks, and then wake up the day you come home again."
"Oh, you have that farewell feeling now," said Mr. Maynard; "but after we're really gone, and you find out what fun it is to have no one to rule over you, you'll begin to wish we would stay six months instead of six weeks." Marjorie cast a look of reproach at her father.
"Not much!" she said, emphatically. "I wish you'd only stay six days, or six hours."
"Or six minutes," added Kitty. But at last the melancholy meal was over, and the good-bys really began.
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