"But Jilly, Huz can't talk."

"He nod he's ear, Mamma. Huz nod he's ear."

The unfortunate Huz went up into the chair once more.

Mrs. Morton glanced out the window where the March wind was whipping the bare branches of the cherry trees into mournful complaining. Eddying leaves fluttered from the heaps acc.u.mulated in fence corners or beneath the friendly shelter of the evergreens. A huge tumble weed went whirling down the road, pa.s.sed on by each succeeding gust. In and out of the cedars, the robins were flying, prospecting for new nests. She pushed back her hair and sighed.

"It doesn't seem possible that April is almost here. Ernest has been gone nearly a school year. I am beginning to realize that I sha'n't see much more of my boy."

"But, Mother Morton, he is doing so beautifully and he likes the life.

You couldn't keep him with you much longer, even if he were not in the academy. Besides, you still have Jane."

Mrs. Morton sighed again.

"That is the worst of this ranch life. Jane is growing so fast I shall soon have to be sending her away to school. If we only lived some place where she could be right with me till she finished her education."

"Oh, Mother Morton, I am glad she can't. It is the best part of a girl's education to go away from all the home coddling and have to rely upon herself. I wouldn't give anything for what I learned by being away from family and friends, and having to exert myself to make people like me, instead of taking it for granted."

"I don't doubt what you say is true, Marian, but Ernest is gone, and you don't know what a wrench it is going to be to send my baby away, too."

"Are you thinking of sending her next year?"

"I think I must, unless I can persuade Father to move to town for the winter so she can go to the High School. It isn't merely the studies--I am most dissatisfied with her a.s.sociations here."

"I know--the Creek is certainly a little crude. Still I think Jane is pretty sensible. And she is learning a lot about human nature--human nature without its party clothes. It's good for her, Mother, if she doesn't get too much of it."

"What's good for whom?" Dr. Morton, coming in, was attracted by Marian's earnest tone.

"Jane, and the effect District Thirteen is having on her," Marian explained.

"I was just saying, Father, that she is getting too old to be a.s.sociating with Tom, d.i.c.k, and Harry the way she is doing up at the schoolhouse."

"There you go again, Mother. You don't go about enough among the neighbors to know what good kindly people they are. Of course, they are plain, but the Tom, d.i.c.k, and Harry you complain of, are more wholesome than lots of more stylish youngsters I know. I wish you'd try to be a little more neighborly. I am constantly hearing little thrusts about our family being stuck up. Frank will bear me out in this."

Frank had followed his father and was warming his hands in the blaze.

"Oh, the Creek thinks the Morton family has a good opinion of itself, all right. But I have been thinking for some time that it wouldn't hurt us any to have some sort of a merry-making and invite all the neighbors in." Frank looked at Marian.

"What could we have, Frank?" Marian inquired, her brow puckered a little.

"Well, April Fool's Day is next Wednesday--why not get up a frolic for that evening?"

"Just for the young folks?"

"No, men, women, and children. Invite the families. Send out an invitation to the whole Creek. There will be a lot who can't come. Cook up plenty of stuff and we can play tricks--they won't need much entertaining. How would that suit you, Chicken Little?"

Jane had just strayed in to join the family group and was listening with interest.

"I think it would be bully."

"Jane, where did you pick up such a coa.r.s.e expression? Father, that's just what I complain of. How am I to teach my daughter to be a gentle woman, when she is constantly hearing vulgar language?"

"Chicken Little is old enough to know better than to use such words, but she probably got that from Ernest or Sherm, if the truth were known."

Frank laughed.

Chicken Little looked injured.

"Why, bully isn't a by-word--or strong language--and Ernest said it a lot. You never said anything to him about it's being vulgar."

"My dear daughter, can I never make you understand that little ladies may not do everything their brothers do?"

"I don't care, Mother, I'm sick of hearing about ladies, and if bully is so vulgar, I don't see why it isn't vulgar when a boy says it. You expect Ernest to be a gentleman, don't you, just as much as you do me to be a lady?"

"Come, Chicken Little, don't speak to your mother that way," Dr. Morton reproved her.

Mrs. Morton was more severe.

"You may go to your room and remain until you can address your mother respectfully, my daughter."

Frank's plan was carried out. There were no formal invitations issued.

Frank and Dr. Morton and Jim Bart spoke to every neighbor they met for the next few days, inviting them to come to an April Fool frolic at seven on the evening of April first, and asking them to pa.s.s the invitation along to the other residents of Big John. Chicken Little and Sherm rode over to give Captain Clarke a special invitation, fearing he might not have become sufficiently used to Creek ways to come on the more general bidding.

The Captain was charmed and begged leave to send Wing over to help that evening. Wing delighted in every new experience he was having on the Creek. He grinned joyously at the prospect.

The entire Morton family entered into the preparations for this novel party with enthusiasm. Even Jilly and Huz and Buz caught the excitement of something unusual going on, and hung round, and got under everybody's feet, more successfully than usual. Jilly had the privilege of sc.r.a.ping icing bowls while Huz and Buz looked enviously on. They licked their sticky chops ecstatically when Jilly turned the bowl over to them after she had done her best with the big tin spoon. Her mother reproached her for letting the pups eat out of one of the family dishes, but Jilly couldn't see why her mother was so particular.

Mrs. Morton and Annie and Marian baked cakes and doughnuts and cookies and mince pies and custard pies, and roasted turkeys and whole hams, until pantry and cellar and spring house were all overflowing. It would be a never-ending reproach, if there should not be an abundance for all who might come, and no one could even guess how many would come.

"It looks like enough for a regiment," said Mrs. Morton wearily, dropping into a rocking chair on the afternoon of the thirty-first day of March.

"Yes, but country men do have such astonishing appet.i.tes. I am sure it would feed all Centerville for twenty-four hours. Of course, some of the things are not eatable," Marian replied.

They had carried out the April Fool idea as much as possible without spoiling the supper. Six nice brown doughnuts had wads of cotton concealed in their tempting rings. These were to be mixed with the good ones. Pickles just out of the brine, were to be put in the same dish with deliciously perfect ones. There was to be just enough of the false to keep the guests on the alert and make fun.

While they were sitting there resting, Frank and Dr. Morton came in from a trip to town. Frank tossed a package into Marian's lap with a laugh.

"These ought to do the work for somebody. I'd like to fool old Jake Schmidt. It would be worth ten dollars to see his face--he is such a screw about driving a bargain."

Marian untied the string and opened the parcel, revealing a handful of the most luscious-looking little cuc.u.mber pickles that ever lured the unwary.

"They certainly look all right," said Marian, "what's the matter with them--salt?"

"Feel them."

Marian picked one up gingerly as if she were afraid it might p.r.i.c.k her or explode in her hand. Then she threw back her head and laughed merrily.

"Frank, they are just perfect. I never should have guessed it. You can fetch Jake all right with one of these. Let me know when you do, I'd like to be round to see the fun."

"Aren't you afraid you will hurt somebody's feelings with all these pranks? They don't seem quite dignified some way for grown up people."