“No, all for you and Bess. The boys will like to see it, and want to
play one part of it. But you can do as you like about letting them.”
“I’ll let Demi, if he wants to.”
“No fear that they won’t all want to, especially Stuffy,” and Mrs.
Bhaer’s eyes twinkled more than ever as she patted a queer knobby
bundle in her lap.
“Let me feel just once,” prayed Daisy.
“Not a feel; you’d guess in a minute and spoil the fun.”
Daisy groaned and then smiled all over her face, for through a
little hole in the paper she caught a glimpse of something bright.
“How can I wait so long? Couldn’t I see it today?”
“Oh dear, no! It has got to be arranged, and ever so many parts
fixed in their places. I promised Uncle Teddy that you shouldn’t
see it till it was all in apple-pie order.”
“If uncle knows about it then it must be splendid!” cried Daisy,
clapping her hands; for this kind, rich, jolly uncle of hers was as
good as a fairy godmother to the children, and was always
planning merry surprises, pretty gifts, and droll amusements for
them.
“Yes; Teddy went and bought it with me, and we had such fun in
the shop choosing the different parts. He would have everything
fine and large, and my little plan got regularly splendid when he
took hold. You must give him your very best kiss when he comes,
for he is the kindest uncle that ever went and bought a charming
little coo Bless me! I nearly told you what it was!” and Mrs. Bhaer
cut that most interesting word short off in the middle, and began to
look over her bills, as if afraid she would let the cat out of the bag
if she talked any more. Daisy folded her hands with an air of
resignation, and sat quite still trying to think what play had a “coo”
in it.
When they got home she eyed every bundle that was taken out, and
one large heavy one, which Franz took straight upstairs and hid in
the nursery, filled her with amazement and curiosity. Something
very mysterious went on up there that afternoon, for Franz was
hammering, and Asia trotting up and down, and Aunt Jo flying
around like a will-o’-the-wisp, with all sort of things under her
apron, while little Ted, who was the only child admitted, because
he couldn’t talk plain, babbled and laughed, and tried to tell what
the “sumpin pitty” was.
All this made Daisy half-wild, and her excitement spread among
the boys, who quite overwhelmed Mother Bhaer with offers of
assistance, which she declined by quoting their own words to
Daisy:
“Girls can’t play with boys. This is for Daisy, and Bess, and me, so
we don’t want you.” Whereupon the young gentlemen meekly
retired, and invited Daisy to a game of marbles, horse, football,
anything she liked, with a sudden warmth and politeness which
astonished her innocent little soul.
Thanks to these attentions, she got through the afternoon, went
early to bed, and next morning did her lessons with an energy
which made Uncle Fritz wish that a new game could be invented
every day. Quite a thrill pervaded the school-room when Daisy was
dismissed at eleven o’clock, for everyone knew that now she was
going to have the new and mysterious play.
Many eyes followed her as she ran away, and Demi’s mind was so
distracted by this event that when Franz asked him where the
desert of Sahara was, he mournfully replied, “In the nursery,” and
the whole school laughed at him.
“Aunt Jo, I’ve done all my lessons, and I can’t wait one single
minute more!” cried Daisy, flying into Mrs. Bhaer’s room.
“It’s all ready, come on;” and tucking Ted under one arm, and her
workbasket under the other, Aunt Jo promptly led the way upstairs.
“I don’t see anything,” said Daisy, staring about her as she got
inside the nursery door.
“Do you hear anything?” asked Aunt Jo, catching Ted back by his
little frock as he was making straight for one side of the room.
Daisy did hear an odd crackling, and then a purry little sound as of