“I don’t blame them,” laughed Mr.
Merrill. “When we get into the house I’ll
show you how those holes are made and then you’ll
understand why the ants didn’t want help.”
So Doris came into the house too and Mr. Merrill got
down a big book and showed the two girls pictures of
ant houses and told them all about how ants make their
homes and store their food.
“My, but I’m glad that sugar bag leaked!”
sighed Mary Jane when the big book was finally shut
up and put away, “because I had fun watching
the ants; and I was out front ready for a ride; and
now I’ve had a story—all because
sugar spilled! Mother, is lunch ready? May
Doris stay? We’re hungry!”
All the afternoon after she learned about ants and
their ways, Mary Jane was very quiet. Mrs. Merrill
thought perhaps she was disappointed because Doris
had had to go home right after lunch so she tried to
be very sociable and kind to make up for the absent
playmate.
“How would you like to make a new dress for
Marie Georgiannamore?” she asked.
“Make it now, instead of taking my nap?”
asked Mary Jane who sometimes disliked the hour of
quiet that her mother had her take every afternoon.
Of course she didn’t really nap, that is, sleep;
girls as big as she didn’t need to Mrs. Merrill
thought. But she did have to stay quietly in her
own room and look at pictures or rest which ever she
wished to do. Usually Mary Jane enjoyed the hour
but sometimes she wished she could play straight through
the day.
“Oh, no,” replied Mrs. Merrill smiling,
“you will want to take your rest the same as
you always do. But when you get up, then we’ll
make Marie Georgiannamore a new dress.”
“And while we’re making it,” asked
Mary Jane, “will I have to stay in the house?”
“Why, of course, Mary Jane,” replied Mrs.
Merrill, “how funny you are! You wouldn’t
enjoy my making a doll dress while you were out doors,
would you?”
“No-o-o,” said Mary Jane doubtfully, “maybe
I wouldn’t. Only I ’pect I’d
like it after it was done.”
“Well,” said Mrs. Merrill laughingly,
“if you don’t want a doll dress any more
than that, you don’t want one very badly—that’s
certain! You run along up to your room now and
then, after you’re dressed, I’ll take my
bag of darning out on the front porch—I
think it’s plenty warm enough to-day—and
you may play in the yard. Would you like that,
dear?”
“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Mary Jane, “that’s
just what I want to do. And may I take the ant
book upstairs?”
Mrs. Merrill said she could and helped her pull the
big book out from the shelves.
“If this is what you are going to look at,”
she said as she handed the book to Mary Jane at the
foot of the stairs, “better fix some pillows
real comfy fashion in the window seat where the light
is good.” And Mary Jane promised she would.
The book proved more than usually interesting and
Mrs. Merrill had to call the third time before Mary
Jane heard her and realized that her hour was up.
