Hilarity Hall. Carolyn Wells

      I. Pillows and Pitchers

      CHAPTER I.

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      PILLOWS AND PITCHERS.

      "Is there any way to pack pillows in pitchers?" said Marjorie, framing herself in the front doorway, one hand grasping recklessly the handles of three large pitchers and both arms full of sofa-pillows.

      The group on the veranda looked up at her doubtfully.

      "Yes," said brilliant Nan. "Have your pitchers bigger than your pillows and the thing is done."

      "But the pillows are bigger than the pitchers."

      "Then pack the pitchers in the pillows," said Betty.

      "Why, of course! Betty, you 're a genius!" And Marjorie disappeared with her burdens, while the girls on the veranda fell to chattering again like half a dozen shirt-waisted magpies.

      Now, I know that a story with eight heroines is an imposition upon even the gentlest of readers; but you see there were eight girls in the Summer Club, and when their president, Marjorie Bond, proposed that they go down to Blue Beach and spend a fortnight in her father's cottage all by themselves, the whole club rose up as one girl and voted ay.

      Objections were disposed of as fast as they were raised. Permission? The girls were sure that the sixteen parents concerned could be persuaded to see the matter in a favorable light. Expense? That should be divided equally among them all. Trouble? Would be more than compensated by the fun. Luggage? Not so very much required; the house was completely furnished, except the linen and silver, and each girl should take her share. Burglars? That idea caused some apprehension; but when Marjorie said that Uncle Ned and Aunt Molly would be right next door, plans were suggested sufficient to scare any reasonably cautious burglar out of his wits. And so the preliminaries had been arranged, and the date decided upon, and the day had come.

      It was Thursday morning, and they were to leave on the noon train; and now. although ten o'clock had struck, six sailor-hatted girls were gathered on the Bonds' veranda, hurriedly making final arrangements and frantically trying to remember what were the most important things they had forgotten.

      "It's like a fire," Jessie Carroll was saying. "You know people always save their old trash and leave their best things to burn up. Now I'm sure I 've packed just the very things we won't want, and left at home the things we 'll need most. And that reminds me—Nan, can't I put my best hat in your box? I just had to take my down comfortable, and it was so puffy—it would n't leave room for anything else."

      "Oh, don't take your best hat," cried Betty Miller. "We 're not going down to Blue Beach to dress up and be giddy. It's so late in the season none of the summer boarders will be there, and we 're just going to wear flannel frocks all day, and tramp in the woods, and loll in the hammocks, and get brown as berries and hungry as hunters and uncivilized as-—as Hottentots."

      "Yes, Betty; but remember somebody has to care for these hungry Hottentots," said Mrs. Bond, smiling. "Are n't you afraid, girls, that you 'll get tired of it? And you 'll find that there's a great deal of work connected with housekeeping if you do it all yourselves."

      "Oh, no, Mrs. Bond," said Hester Laverack. "I just love to look after things; I don't mind housework a bit. Oh, here's Helen. What's your misfortune, my pretty maid?"

      Helen Morris came up on the veranda, and dropped into a big wicker chair, and fanned herself with her hat.

      "Girls, I'm exhausted. You know I said I'd take all the things for afternoon tea, but I had no idea there were so many. Why, I packed a whole barrel, and they 're not all in yet. To be sure, it's mostly tissue-paper and excelsior, but I was so afraid they'd break. And I could not get the tea-cozy in at all, or the Dresden cups; I'd hate to break them."

      "Yes," said Betty, sympathetically, "don't break the tea-cozy, whatever you do, if it's that pretty yellow satin one. But you 've no ingenuity, Nell. Why don't you wear it down on your head? Then you 'll look like a drum-major."

      "I will, if you 'll all obey my orders. Well, this won't do for me. I must go back and reason with those tea-things. I just ran over a minute because 1 saw you all here. If I can't get them into the barrel I 'll have to take a cask besides. Good-by; I 'll meet you at the train. What time do we start?"

      "Twelve-ten," replied Hester. "I 'll go home with you, Helen, and help you pack your china."

      "Yes, do," said Betty. "Two heads are better than one in any barrel."

      But the two heads were already bobbing down the walk, and did n't hear Betty's parting shot.

      "Nell's crazy," remarked Millicent Payne, who always did everything leisurely, yet always had it done on time. "I do hope her barrel will go safely, for her tea-cups and things are lovely."

      "Shall we have tea every afternoon?" asked Marguerite Alden, a fragile wisp of a girl who looked as if a real strong ocean breeze would blow her away. "I'm so glad. I don't care for the tea at all, but the having it with all us girls together will be such fun, only—I do hate to wash up the tea-things."

      "Girlies," said Mrs. Bond, "I think it would be much better all round if you'd hire a neat little maid to wash your dishes for you. You can probably find one down there, and I'm sure you 'll be glad to have help when you discover what dish-washing for eight means."

      "I think it would be heaps better, Mrs. Bond," said Marguerite. "I don't see how we can have any fun if we have to work all the time."

      "Lazy Daisy!" said Betty; "you won't do any more than your share. But we won't let the interloper do any of our cooking—I insist upon that."

      "All right, Betty," said Marguerite, or Daisy, as the girls called her, though she wished they would n't. "And you may be chief cook."

      "No," said Betty, "I'm not chief cook; Marjorie is that; I 'll be the first assistant. I 'll prepare the vegetables for her, and be