Brenda, Her School and Her Club
Copyright© 2024 by Helen Leah Reed
Chapter 24: An Evening’s Fun
Mrs. Blair had said that all the preparations for the Bazaar must be completed on Tuesday, the day before it was to open. She knew the ways of girls too well to think that it would be safe to have anything left for Wednesday morning. The flower table, of course had to be arranged on that day, and some things for the refreshment table. But so definite had she been in expressing her wishes, that the girls felt that it was due her for lending her house to pay all deference to what she said. On the Monday therefore after Easter they went to work with a will to gather in the promised contributions. There were naturally some disappointments, but on the whole the fancy articles bestowed upon them were numerous and beautiful, and many were the “ohs and ahs” from the Four and their assistants, when on Tuesday they fell to the task of opening the parcels and arranging their contents on the tables. Tuesday was rainy, and at dusk gave little promise of a bright sky for the following day. Brenda was in a tremor of excitement. “Oh, dear, how dreadful if to-morrow should be stormy! I am sure it will be, and what shall we do?” with great emphasis on the “shall.”
“Full many a cloudy morning turns out a sunny day,” sang Nora, while Edith patted Brenda on the back and said, “Well, we can’t do anything to change the weather, and we might as well hope for the best. I know that a lot of people will come even if it rains, and perhaps they’ll be good and buy three times as much as they would in fine weather.”
Just then Julia came in with the evening paper in her hand. “See, or rather hear the news. Old Probability says, ‘clear and fair Wednesday.’ Mrs. Blair sent this paper up from the library to cheer you. There was a large patch of blue in the west when the sun went down——”
“The sun!” exclaimed the others derisively.
“In the place where the sun should have gone down,” she responded with a smile. “Why, how well the rooms look! there won’t be a thing for the boys to do this evening.”
For Philip and Will Hardon and one or two others were to come in the evening to see what they could do to help, and in view of their coming Mrs. Blair had invited the girls to stay to dinner.
“Oh, no, there really isn’t a thing for them to do, but perhaps when they see how hard we have worked they will make up their minds to spend any amount of money to-morrow. I think it’s a rather good idea to have them come to-night, so that they can make a lot of other boys come to-morrow.”
“Boys are not so fond of spending money at fairs, I can tell you that,” said Nora, rather decidedly, “and besides most of them are so much in debt that they haven’t anything to spend.”
“Oh, well, Philip’s friends are not like that,” said Belle, rather sharply. “I know several who have more money than they know what to do with. Some juniors that I know—New York fellows, are coming to-morrow and they will spend a lot of money.”
“Gracious!” exclaimed Brenda, “I hope that we have things that will suit them. It seems to me that most of these things are for girls to use.”
“Oh, they can buy things for their sisters and cousins; besides, boys like pincushions and picture frames and sofa pillows. Oh, I am sure that we shall have no trouble getting them to buy all that they can afford,” replied Belle positively.
As a matter of fact when the boys after dinner were ushered into the pretty little ballroom, where the tables laden with fancy goods stood, they expressed great interest in all that they saw, and began to make bids for the things which seemed to them best worth having.
“Look out,” cried Nora, “or we may take you at your word, Will Hardon, and make you pay one hundred dollars for that crimson pillow that you admire so.”
“Well, why not?” he enquired, “as long as it is to be in a good cause.”
“Oh, no,” interrupted the practical Edith, “that would not really be fair. Besides, I am sure that we ought not to sell anything until to-morrow; everybody ought to have an equal chance at the beginning.”
“Oh, how silly you are, Edith,” broke in Brenda; “as if all the people who come to the Bazaar could be here at the same minute. If any one wants to bid on anything to-night I say that it is perfectly fair.” After much discussion, it was at last decided that any one who had a great preference for any special thing might write his name on a piece of paper and have it pinned to the object with the limit of price that he was willing to pay.
“Then you must be willing,” said Brenda, “to let us sell the things you have chosen, if some fussy old person comes along and wishes any of these reserved things, and refuses to be contented with anything else.”
“But in that case what are we to do?” cried two or three of the boys in chorus.
“Oh, there will be plenty of things that will suit you just as well, if you only make up your minds to it.”
“Perhaps you’ll want me to buy a blue sofa pillow or some other Yale thing,” sighed Will Hardon.
“Perhaps I shall be driven to take this,” moaned Philip, holding up a large doll dressed in the long embroidered robes of a baby.
All the girls laughed except Edith, who seldom saw the funny side of things as quickly as the others.
“Well, you can see yourselves, boys,” she said, in a determined tone, “that you ought to be glad to buy whatever is left over, —for you probably won’t get in until toward evening. You can always find some one to give the things to that you buy.”
“This doll?” asked Philip, holding it rather clumsily on his arm.
“Why, of course,” said Edith, “we know several children who would be delighted with it at Christmas.”
“No, thank you, sister Edith,” responded Philip, “I’m not going to spend my hard earned allowance in presents for children; if you make me buy this doll, out it goes to a certain room in one of the college buildings to become a cherished decoration, and,” waving the doll dramatically in the air, “I shall defy any proctor or college authority to tear it away from me.”
“Then I hope he may get it,” murmured Will Hardon to Ruth Roberts; “I can’t imagine anything that would amuse the fellows more; we’d have to hold open house for a week or two—a regular reception. But you know I’m in earnest about that pillow,” he added, for he knew, and Ruth knew that he knew that the down pillow with its rich crimson cover embroidered with a large “H.” was the work of her skilful fingers.
Ruth and Will had met several times since the ball game, and although the Four had not yet discovered it, these two young persons had begun to take considerable interest in each other.
“You wouldn’t pay a hundred dollars for it?” queried Ruth.
“If I couldn’t get it in any other way, of course I would, and besides it would be worth much more to me.”
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