CHAPTER XXXIII

FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE

“PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her. “Perhaps you and Father suspected we were gardening.”

“We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested. We didn’t try to find out.”

“Wasn’t that dear!” exclaimed Eleanor. “I think Mary Frances has such wonderful experiences!”

“She has had a happy life,” said the mother, looking sympathetically at Mary Frances’ little friend, for Eleanor’s mother had died two years before.

Only for a few moments did the tears stand in Eleanor’s eyes, then she said:

“Mary Frances has been so good about sharing her splendid times with me. Do you remember the cooking lessons, and the sewing lessons, and Mrs. Paper Doll’s housekeeping lessons, girlie?”

“They’re not so far past that you can’t remember,” smiled Mary Frances’ mother, “but you girls are growing up fast. I hope that, even when you are young ladies, you will delight in just such lessons as you have already had.”

“I feel sure I shall,” declared Mary Frances.

“I do, too,” said Eleanor.

“Play lessons,” went on the mother, “keep fun in your hearts and ‘fun keeps one young,’ you know.”

“Well, these garden lessons were fun,” said Mary Frances, “but they had a great deal of hard work attached. Oh, Mother dear, I’ll ask you what I meant to! May we serve the lettuce and radishes for dinner, and not say a word to Father about them? Then, perhaps he’ll say, ‘What fine radishes! What tender lettuce! Where did you get them, Mother?’ Oh, wouldn’t I just love that to happen!”

“I don’t doubt that he will say it, Mary Frances! I would, I know, for I’ve not seen any so fine this year,” replied her mother.

“I have the radishes all washed and ready for the table,” said Eleanor. “Shall I put them on?”

Mary Frances nodded.

“Just put them in the refrigerator until nearer the meal hour,” said her mother, “then they’ll get more crisp!”

“How about this lettuce?” asked Mary Frances, who had it well washed by this time. “Feather Flop didn’t hurt it so much after all,” she said to herself. “I don’t think I’ll say anything about what he did.”

“Put it in this glass-covered dish and place it on the ice to make it crisp in the same way.”

* * * * *

“Here comes Father!” exclaimed Mary Frances, and she and Eleanor ran to meet him.

“Dinner’s about ready, Father,” said the mother, greeting him and nodding her head to the girls to put their “surprise” on the table.

“Billy will be here in a minute,” he replied. “I saw him as I turned in the walk. There he is, now.”

“Why,” he exclaimed, as he looked at the table, “where did these beautiful little red radishes come from? We haven’t seen such beauties this year! And that lettuce! Who’s been sending in such a treat?”

Mary Frances was delighted.

“It’s our surprise!” she explained. “They are from my own garden, Father!” and she told about the lessons.

At least she tried to tell, but Billy, and Eleanor, too, helped in telling the story.

“Such interesting lessons, Father!” said Mary Frances. “My, I had no idea gardening is so wonderful.”

“Fine!” exclaimed her father. “Billy boy, I see it paid to send you to a practical school.”

“I wish,” said Eleanor, “that Bob was going to study gardening, too.”

“Can’t you persuade your father to send him away to Billy’s school this Fall?”

“Wouldn’t that be splendid!” exclaimed Eleanor. “I never thought of it. I’ll try my best!”

“But, Father, you and Mother both had an idea of what we were about, hadn’t you?” asked Billy.

“We knew ‘something was up,’ Billy,” smiled his father, “but we didn’t know radishes and lettuce were.”

Everybody laughed.

“Now, that we’re all in the secret,” Mary Frances declared happily, “I like it better than ever.”

“Father can give us a lot of information I don’t know a bit about,” said Billy.

“I believe Mother knows a lot she’s not telling,” said Mary Frances.

“Father, won’t you give us some lessons on the wild flowers?” asked Billy.

“That would be delightful,” his mother said. “We could all share in such lessons. For instance, some day soon we could all take a walk in the woods.”

“Won’t that be a picnic!” Billy was enthusiastic. “When shall we go? Can’t you make a holiday of it, Father? Let us take our lunch.”

“If it suits all parties, we’ll go day after to-morrow,” said his father.

“It just suits me!” declared Billy.

“It just suits me!” echoed Mary Frances.

“It just suits me!” said Eleanor.

“How about you, Mother?” asked the father.

“It will charm me to accept the invitation,” smiled the mother.

“Don’t you girls oversleep!” warned Billy.

“Oh, Billy, we’re not the sleepy-heads!” laughed Mary Frances, shaking her finger at Billy.