CHAPTER XXXV

MARY FRANCES AT HOME

MARY FRANCES came into her mother’s room on the evening of the day they all reached home.

“Oh, Mother, I have the loveliest surprise for you! Please shut your eyes and don’t peep. It will take me some time to get it ready.”

“Yes, dear,” smiled her mother, “but I’m very anxious to see!”

Mary Frances unlocked Mary Marie’s trunk, and spread all the contents out on the bed.

“I’ll be back in one minute. Don’t you peep, Mother, dear!” she begged as she ran out of the room.

She brought back Mary Marie, dressed in her party dress and summer hat, and sat her up on the pillow.

“Now,” she cried, kissing her mother, “now, you may look, Mother, dear!”

“Why, what in the world, my dear little girl? Where did all these lovely clothes come from?”

“I made them, Mother,―I mean―I, and the Thimble People.”

“You made them!” exclaimed her mother; “not that lovely kimono and bath robe, and those cunning little bonnets, and that lovely automobile coat!”

“Every one!” cried Mary Frances, dancing up and down.

“Why, dear,” said her mother, “I cannot believe my eyes! I thought you did very, very well in the few sewing lessons by mail, but I never dreamed―”

“If the Thimble People hadn’t helped me, Mother, I never could have made them; and if you hadn’t sent me the beautiful goods, and my dear, lovely dolly, I couldn’t have done it! It had to be a secret until I finished the lessons―I couldn’t tell Grandma,―and I was crazy to tell you!”

“Who are the Thimble People?” asked her mother. Then Mary Frances told all about her new friends.

When she finished, she showed the bundle of patterns last given her by the Thimble King.

“We’ll make these together, Mother, dear―if you say so?”

“I certainly do say so, dear,” said her mother.

“I would like to take some lessons myself―such delightful lessons; will you teach me?”

“I’ll do my best,―and―I just believe the Thimble People will help!” said Mary Frances wisely;―and she thought she surely saw Scissors Shears wink at her.

* * * * *

Transcriber’s note:

2. There are many mis-matched double-quotes in the original book. These have been corrected in this eBook.

3. Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors.

4. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.

5. ‘LIST of PATTERNS’ - Doll’s Nightgown page 130 corrected to page 127.