Mrs. Merrill smiled and kissed Mary Jane good night.
Mary Jane had had quite enough excitement for one
day so she said not a word about another surprise
that she knew was coming—a surprise that
might prove to be even more fun than a party!
Mary Jane slept late on the morning after the party.
By the time she was awake enough to realize that another
day had come, she discovered that she was alone upstairs.
She ran to the top of the stairs and looked over the
railing. No one was in the hall and sounds from
the dining room told her that the family was at breakfast.
“I’ll just surprise them,” she said
to herself, “and show them how much a big girl
like me can do.” She ran back into her room
and put on her slippers and her kimono; she went into
the bathroom and washed her hands and face and brushed
her teeth and then she slipped soundlessly down the
stairs. At the door of the dining room she stopped
to get a good breath with which to say “Boo-o-o-o!”
and as she took her breath she heard her father say,
“Well, if you really think it’s all right
for her to go—five years old seems pretty
young to me for such a trip.”
“Of course it would be if she went alone—I
wouldn’t even think of that!” answered
Mrs. Merrill’s voice, “but with Dr. Smith
to look after her and Alice coming as soon as school
is out—I believe it will do the child good.”
“So do I,” exclaimed Mary Jane, darting
into the room, the “booo” quite forgotten.
“Now, you’ll have to tell her,”
laughed father, “and of course she won’t
want to go.
“Of course I will,” laughed Mary Jane
gayly. “Where am I going, mother?”
“Do you think you are old enough to go visit
your great-grandmother Hodges all by yourself?”
asked mother.
“With my own trunk and my own ticket, and my
own pocket book and my own conductor?” demanded
Mary Jane, who could hardly believe what she heard.
“With your own trunk and pocket book,”
said Mrs. Merrill, “but I don’t know about
the ticket and the conductor because Dr. Smith is coming
again and he will take you back with him if we will
let you go and trust him to look after you on the
journey. Do you think you’d like to go?”
“I don’t think it, I know it!” cried
Mary Jane, and she danced around the table with her
kimono flying out behind her. “Can I go
to-day?”
“Hardly!” laughed Mrs. Merrill. “We
have to buy you some strong shoes for the country
and make you some rompers to play with the chickens
in and pack your trunk and, oh, a lot of things before
you can go.”
“Well, a lot of things won’t take very
long because I’ll help,” said Mary Jane
eagerly, “see? I’ll climb right up
and eat my oatmeal without you telling me to—that’s
how I’ll help.”
Mr. and Mrs. Merrill both laughed and Mr. Merrill,
as he rose from the table, said, “If you will
eat your breakfast, just as you know you should, every
morning while you are gone, I really think I’ll
let you go.” (For, you see, Mary Jane hadn’t
ever liked her oatmeal.) And when Mary Jane promised
solemnly that she would, he said it was all settled.
