Free Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott Page A

shape of a new pair of shoes
     and a straw hat with a streaming blue ribbon, on the ends of which shone silvery anchors. He was also allowed to drive home,
     while his new mistress read her letters. One particularly long one, with a queer stamp on the envelope, she read twice, never
     speaking a word till they got back. Then Ben was sent off with Lita and the Squire’s letters, promising to get his chores
     done in time for tea.

A Happy Tea
C HAPTER 9
    E xactly five minutes before six the party arrived in great state, for Bab and Betty wore their best frocks and hair ribbons,
     Ben had a new blue shirt and his shoes on as full dress, and Sancho’s curls were nicely brushed, his frills as white as if
     just done up.
    No one was visible to receive them, but the low tablestood in the middle of the walk, with four chairs and a footstool around it. A pretty set of green and white china caused
     the girls to cast admiring looks upon the little cups and plates, while Ben eyed the feast longingly, and Sancho with difficulty
     restrained himself from repeating his former naughtiness. No wonder the dog sniffed and the children smiled, for there was
     a noble display of little tarts and cakes, little biscuits and sandwiches, a pretty milk pitcher shaped like a white calla
     rising out of its green leaves, and a jolly little teakettle singing away over the spirit lamp as cozily as you please.
    “Isn’t it perfectly lovely?” whispered Betty, who had never seen anything like it before.
    “I just wish Sally could see us
now,”
answered Bab, who had not yet forgiven her enemy.
    “Wonder where the boy is,” added Ben, feeling as good as anyone, but rather doubtful how others might regard him.
    Here a rumbling sound caused the guests to look toward the garden, and in a moment Miss Celia appeared, pushing a wheeled
     chair, in which sat her brother. A gay afghan covered the long legs, a broad-brimmed hat half hid the big eyes, and a discontented
     expression made the thin face as unattractive as the fretful voice, which said, complainingly—
    “If they make a noise, I’ll go in. Don’t see what you asked them for.”
    “To amuse you, dear. I know they will, if you will only try to like them,” whispered the sister, smiling and nodding over
     the chair back as she came on, adding aloud, “Such a punctual party! I am all ready, however, and we will sit down at once.
     This is my brother Thornton, and we are allgoing to be very good friends by and by. Here’s the droll dog, Thorny; isn’t he nice and curly?”
    Now, Ben had heard what the other boy said, and made up his mind that he shouldn’t like him; and Thorny had decided beforehand
     that he wouldn’t play with a tramp, even if he
could
cut capers; so both looked decidedly cool and indifferent when Miss Celia introduced them. But Sancho had better manners,
     and no foolish pride; he, therefore, set them a good example by approaching the chair, with his tail waving like a flag of
     truce, and politely presented his ruffled paw for a hearty shake.
    Thorny could not resist that appeal, and patted the white head, with a friendly look into the affectionate eyes of the dog,
     saying to his sister as he did so—
    “What a wise old fellow he is! It seems as if he could almost speak, doesn’t it?”
    “He can. Say ‘How do you do,’ Sanch,” commanded Ben, relenting at once, for he saw admiration in Thorny’s face.
    “Wow, wow, wow!” remarked Sancho, in a mild and conversational tone, sitting up and touching one paw to his head, as if he
     saluted by taking off his hat.
    Thorny laughed in spite of himself, and Miss Celia, seeing that the ice was broken, wheeled him to his place at the foot of
     the table. Then, seating the little girls on one side, Ben and the dog on the other, took the head herself and told her guests
     to begin.
    Bab and Betty were soon chattering away to their pleasant hostess as freely as if they had known her for months; but the boys
     were still