CHAPTER XVI
A SURPRISE FROM MOTHER
A SHARP ring at the door bell.
“A telegram for Miss Mary Frances,” said Katie coming into the dining-room.
“A telegram! And for you, Mary Frances. What can it be!” exclaimed Grandma.
“Shall I sign for it, ma’am?” asked Katie.
“No,” said Grandma. “Mary Frances better learn to sign for herself.”
There was a little look of excitement in Grandma’s face, and a little pink spot in each cheek.
Trembling with wonder, Mary Frances gravely wrote her name in the book. She opened the queer looking envelope, with printing almost all over its face, and read:
Telegram
_Miss Mary Frances_:
_Expect_ | _by_ | _Express_ | _Mary_ | _Marie_ | _and_ | _trunk_. | _Letter_ | _follows_. | | _Mother._
“Oh! Oh! Oh!” she cried. “I know, Nanny dear, I know! Mary Marie is my dear new dolly. I do wonder what she will be like! Isn’t Mother too sweet and kind!”
“There’s the postman,” said Grandma, all laughter and smiles. “I wonder if he―” but Mary Frances was already at the door.
“Surely enough,” she cried. “A letter from Father. I’ll read it to you, Grandma―” tearing open the envelope:
_Dear Mary Frances_:―
_Mother bought for you to-day the prettiest doll in San Francisco, and she is going to send it by express, as soon as she gets some shopping done for the young lady. She will send a telegram when she starts Mary Marie on her journey, and will write a letter of instruction as to her health, wealth, and happiness._
_Give our love to dear Grandma._
_It is a delight to send the prettiest doll in San Francisco, to the darlingest little girl in the whole wide world―at least she is to her_
_Loving Father._
“Your Father meant that to reach here before the telegram,” said Grandma.
“San Francisco is so far off,” said Mary Frances; “but, oh, Grandma, isn’t it too lovely! Will Mary Marie have light hair and blue eyes, or dark hair and brown eyes, I wonder?”
“I wonder, too,” smiled Grandma.
“I know she’ll be pretty, for Mother has such superb taste, as Father says.”
“Yes, dear,” smiled Grandma.
“Oh, I can hardly wait,” said the little girl, looking out of the window.
“Come, dear, finish your breakfast.”
“May I tell Katie?”
“Yes,” nodded Grandma.
Katie was as delighted as Mary Frances.
“Katie is a wonder, Nanny,” said Mary Frances. “She was telling me yesterday about all she could do when she was little. When she was a mere child she could cook a pair of pork chops beautifully, she told me.”
“But Katie is only eighteen, now,” laughed, Grandma.
“That seems awfully old to me,” said Mary Frances.
“Katie loves animals, too, Grandma,” she went on, “and so do I! Last summer, Nanny, when Father had Josie Worrell and his horse plow our garden, I went out and patted the horse’s nose. He was so pleased, you should have seen him wag his tail.”
Grandma laughed again. “You have a dear, sweet heart, little girlie,” she said; and taking Mary Frances by the hand, went out on the veranda.
* * * * *
“Oh, Miss Mary Frances, here comes the expressman carrying a box!” exclaimed Katie a few mornings later.
“Katie, Katie, I’ll go to the door,” cried Mary Frances running down stairs.
“The dear, blessed dolly!” she exclaimed, taking the big package from the expressman. “Nanny, I can hear her calling, almost.”
“We’ll have you out of the dark box soon, Mary Marie, dear,” she whispered through an opening in the wrapping paper.
“Come, Katie, you help; we’ll carry it where the wrapping will make no trouble, out in the kitchen―and I’ll bring the dolly for you to see, Nanny, dear, soon as she’s unpacked.”
“You cut the string, Miss,” said Katie, “and I’ll pry off the cover.”
“Oh,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I never, never saw so much tissue paper―thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four sheets―when will I get to her! Oh, there she is! Isn’t she a darling, Katie! And look, here’s her trunk!”
Surely Mary Marie was a lovely doll. She had beautiful long curls tied with pink ribbon; and on her feet were short stockings and slippers,―but her dress was a very plain, simple, “slip” of lawn.
There was a note pinned on Mary Marie’s dress, and a little key. The note read:
_Dear Scout_:
_Please read my letter in the tray of Mary Marie’s trunk before unpacking. Here is the key._
_Mother._
“Oh, bring the trunk, please, Katie,” said Mary Frances, “and I’ll carry Mary Marie.”
“Come, dear,” she said. “Mother wants to take you up to see Grandma and Angie, your sister.”
Mary Marie nestled back in Mary Frances’ arms, and closed her eyes quite contentedly.
“What lovely long eye-lashes,” whispered Mary Frances.
After showing the dolly to Grandma, she unlocked the trunk and took out her mother’s letter.
“Oh, listen! Grandma, listen!” she burst out. “I’ll read it to you!”
_Dear Mary Frances:_
_This is Mary Marie. Isn’t she lovely? She is the very doll I’ve been looking for, for my own dear daughter. Father has told you something about Mary Marie, but I want to add some particulars._
_I have nothing to say about the care of her,―for I know my little girl’s careful, neat ways so well. You may be surprised when you unpack her trunk, to find no dresses. Mother is sending you, instead, all kinds of pretty goods which you may make up into dresses and clothes for your new little daughter; and you will find all kinds of laces and ribbons, and buttons, and hooks and eyes―everything Mother could think Mary Frances or Mary Marie could possibly want._
_There is a set of toilet articles,―but I’ll not tell you about the other things, for I know you are anxious to find out for yourself._
_I wish I could be with you, dear, to teach you how to make the pretty things; but I will, I hope, be able to do that before so very long. Meantime, I want you to use everything just as you wish. I’ve asked Grandma to let you do exactly as you want to with these things, and I ask you not to go to her with your sewing problems: for the doctor said that Grandma must not strain her eyes with any such work. I know you understand._
_I hope, dear, Mary Marie will bring a little bit of such pleasure to her Mother as her Mother has brought to me._
_With love, and a bear hug_, _Mother._
_P. S.―Expect to be home before long._
“Oh, isn’t it grand! Come on, Nanny, we’ll unpack the trunk now!”
Soon the tray was out, and all the delightful contents were spread in view.
“Isn’t it wonderful!” said Grandma, almost as much pleased and excited as the little girl herself.
These are some of the things they found in Mary Marie’s trunk: