“Oh, we’ll do that,” answered Mary Frances. “All we ask you to do, Billy, is to open the freezer and dish the ice-cream.”
“Believe me, you may count on me, ladies,” said Billy, bowing. “Count on me for a large share in the ice-cream work, although I can’t see that there will be much work, for I ordered it in the form of bricks.”
“Billy, you’re a brick!” laughed Eleanor.
By twelve o’clock Wednesday, the refreshments were ready, and the girls went to the big house to “doll up,” as Billy said.
Mary Frances glanced out of the window just as she fastened the last button of Eleanor’s dress.
“Here comes Aunt Maria!” she cried and bounded down-stairs and out on the porch to meet her. While she was hugging her, Eleanor’s father and Bob appeared on the scene, and you can imagine how happy the little girls were.
“Where can Grandma be?” Mary Frances asked, after her mother and father had welcomed everybody. “Oh, there comes the station auto-bus. It’s going to stop here!” Surely enough it stopped, and out stepped the dear old lady, whom everybody tried to greet at once.
In the midst of the confusion, Mary Frances and Eleanor slipped away to the play house, and a little later Billy and Bob piloted the guests to the play house garden.
“Mistress Mary, never contrary, Will show how her garden grows,”
announced Bob, leading the way up the path, where Mary Frances shook hands with each one in a most grown-up, dignified fashion introducing them to “My friend, Miss Eleanor,” just as Mother Paper Doll had done in the Housekeeper story.
“So this is you children’s garden surprise, dear! Isn’t it beautiful!” There were tears of joy in their mother’s eyes.
“Were there ever such children!” exclaimed their grandmother.
“If there are any more wonderful, I have yet to see them!” Aunt Maria’s nose went up into the air with pride.
“Jolly good gardener, Bill!” Bob slapped his friend on the back.
“What you’ll be next year,” Billy retorted.
“Father hasn’t said a word!” Mary Frances suddenly discovered.
“I’ve been speechless with surprise, dear,” he said. “It certainly paid to wait to see such a garden. The flowers are wonderful!”
“Why, haven’t you seen the garden before this?” everybody asked, and he told the whole story.