Part 35 (1/2)

Ernest looked at Sherm and Sherm looked at Carol, and Carol saw something out of the window that interested him.

At length, Ernest, getting no a.s.sistance from the others, blurted out:

”One's enough for me. What do you say, boys?”

Carol and Sherm nodded.

”One apiece--my, this looks exciting. Somebody is to be very specially honored I see. It is too late to make the kind the little girls have, but you might buy some tiny baskets--I'd love to trim them up for you.

Got any money, boys?”

An exhaustive search of trousers' pockets revealed a combined capital of twenty-five cents. The boys asked anxiously if it were enough.

”Yes, for three. Are you getting this for Chicken Little, Ernest?”

Ernest got red and looked uncomfortable.

”Never mind--I didn't mean to be prying--only I wish you big boys would hang some for the little girls--it would please them to death. If you don't mind my having a part in this. I'd like to put in a little money, too. Let me put in another quarter and I'll do the tr.i.m.m.i.n.g and you boys can repay me by hanging a basket to each of the little girls as well as to your own friends.”

The bargain was speedily struck and the boys hurried off downtown for the baskets and the ribbon for the tiny bows Marian had decided should adorn them.

They came back so quickly, it made Marian breathless to think of the pace they must have gone. Carol didn't come straight either. He slipped round by home to beg some blossoms from his mother's house plants. Not finding her, he promptly helped himself to all her most cherished blooms to her surprise and wrath when she discovered her loss.

Marian filled in with her own flowers and the boys hung round admiring, waiting upon her awkwardly and watching every move she made with the baskets.

”Is it all right?” she asked, holding up the first, filled with scarlet geraniums.

”Gee, that's a dandy!” Ernest approved.

”Say, I'd like to have that one,” said Sherm.

”I like blue better anyway--make mine blue, will you, Marian?” Ernest added.

Marian thought of Katy's scarlet and white offering to be laid at Ernest's shrine and smiled.

”Yellow for me, please,” put in Carol. ”Yellow's so kind of cheerful--like suns.h.i.+ne or gold--I always liked dandelions only they're such a pest.”

The little girls had been too happily full of their own plans to wonder whether they would get any baskets in return. But they came back that evening from the delightfully exciting task of hanging their fragrant gifts to find that friends and playmates had been equally mindful of them.

Katy had the most--seven. Jane and Gertie had each five. One of Jane's was a marvellous creation so heavy that she promptly investigated what lay beneath the flowers, finding a fat little box of candy hidden away.

Another was a crude little pasteboard affair fairly overflowing with dainty spring beauties, and this, too, contained an offering in the shape of a jolly little homemade whistle. Still another had scarlet bows.

Katy wondered and wondered who sent her a similar basket with golden yellow bows on each side of the handle.

”I'm sure I heard Ernest and Sherm outside our gate. I just know Ernest gave me that,” she confided to Gertie.

Gertie's biggest basket had blue bows and Gertie loved blue.

Marian never knew where the mates to the blue and yellow and red baskets found a lodging place. She did not inquire. But when she saw Chicken Little's candy she promptly exclaimed ”d.i.c.k Harding!”