had happened. "I wouldn't say that it would be safe for either one of you to boast about anything being perfect," she commented. "I've seen things that couldn't possibly go wrong, fall apart when you two got mixed up in them."
She pointed to the apron on my lap. "If taking out a little sewing is the worst that happens, you won't have to worry."
"It had better be the worst," I grumbled. "I don't have the time to be doing things over."
It was a good thing that we couldn't see the future. The Bible is right when it says that each day's troubles are enough for that day. We don't need to know that more will follow.
Everything went well until April 23, the day of the party. If Miss Gibson noticed that her class seemed more restless that day, she didn't mention it. But for most of us, it was the longest day of the year.
At closing time, Reuben raised his hand. "A couple of us would like to stay and work a little longer, Miss Gibson. I'll be sure to lock up if it's all right."
"Why, that's fine, boys,' she replied. "I'm glad to see you so interested in your studies. I'll be happy to stay awhile, too, if you like."
We held our breath.
"Oh, no thank you, Miss Gibson. We'll get along just fine," Reuben answered her. "You can go right along home."
Fortunately, she agreed. When school was dismissed, most of us left the yard as she did. But when she was out of sight, we returned quickly.
"We'll put two tables together at the front to hold the presents," Reuben directed. "The cakes can go on the desks by the wall. Now let's hurry and put the streamers around."
Miss Gibson's desk was chosen as the ideal place for the happy birthday banner. Sarah Jane and I set to work at once to print it.
"Be sure you don't spell something wrong, Mabel," Roy called. "You've got four whole words to put on there."
"Ignore him," I told Sarah Jane. "He thinks he's so bright. He'd like you to believe that he'd never made a mistake in his life."
When we were finished, Reuben locked the door, and we hurried home to get ready for the party.
"Try to get your folks to leave a little bit early," Sarah Jane said. "Then we can be there to welcome everyone."
I assured her that we would be there by quarter of seven, and we were. By seven o'clock the others began to arrive. We hurried about, placing cakes and gifts in their proper places.
Soon the room began to fill up. Whenever the door opened, we looked expectantly toward it. But Miss Gibson did not appear.
"Do you suppose we should go and get her?" Sarah Jane asked me. "Or at least go over and see when she's coming?"
I agreed that we should, and we ran across the school ground to the minister's home, where Miss Gibson lived.
"But she's not here," the minister's wife told us when we inquired about Miss Gibson. "Her parents came and took her into town for dinner."
"Everyone is here for her birthday party!" I cried.
"Mabel," Sarah Jane said, "did you tell her about the party?"
We look at each other in silence.
"You didn't tell her, either," I said. "Nobody told her. What do we do now?"
"I'll tell her," offered Mrs. Brooke. "As soon as she gets home I'll send her right over there. Why don't you just go ahead with your party?"
There was nothing else to do. Slowly we went back to the school.
"You'd think we'd learn, wouldn't you?" Sarah Jane said sadly. "We can't even have a party that goes right. What are we going to tell them?"
"We'll just have to say that everyone kept the secret so well that Miss Gibson still doesn't know it.... I hope she gets back early."
Happily, Miss Gibson and her parents arrived at eight o'clock. The party was a huge success, and she was greatly pleased with her gifts.
When she thanked us, she said, "It isn't often that a surprise party is a surprise to the people who give it!"
"No," pa agreed, "not unless it's Sarah Jane and Mabel who are giving it. Then anything can happen!"
Windfalls
GRANDMA, UNCLE ROY, and I were enjoying fresh apple dumplings in the bright,
She pointed to the apron on my lap. "If taking out a little sewing is the worst that happens, you won't have to worry."
"It had better be the worst," I grumbled. "I don't have the time to be doing things over."
It was a good thing that we couldn't see the future. The Bible is right when it says that each day's troubles are enough for that day. We don't need to know that more will follow.
Everything went well until April 23, the day of the party. If Miss Gibson noticed that her class seemed more restless that day, she didn't mention it. But for most of us, it was the longest day of the year.
At closing time, Reuben raised his hand. "A couple of us would like to stay and work a little longer, Miss Gibson. I'll be sure to lock up if it's all right."
"Why, that's fine, boys,' she replied. "I'm glad to see you so interested in your studies. I'll be happy to stay awhile, too, if you like."
We held our breath.
"Oh, no thank you, Miss Gibson. We'll get along just fine," Reuben answered her. "You can go right along home."
Fortunately, she agreed. When school was dismissed, most of us left the yard as she did. But when she was out of sight, we returned quickly.
"We'll put two tables together at the front to hold the presents," Reuben directed. "The cakes can go on the desks by the wall. Now let's hurry and put the streamers around."
Miss Gibson's desk was chosen as the ideal place for the happy birthday banner. Sarah Jane and I set to work at once to print it.
"Be sure you don't spell something wrong, Mabel," Roy called. "You've got four whole words to put on there."
"Ignore him," I told Sarah Jane. "He thinks he's so bright. He'd like you to believe that he'd never made a mistake in his life."
When we were finished, Reuben locked the door, and we hurried home to get ready for the party.
"Try to get your folks to leave a little bit early," Sarah Jane said. "Then we can be there to welcome everyone."
I assured her that we would be there by quarter of seven, and we were. By seven o'clock the others began to arrive. We hurried about, placing cakes and gifts in their proper places.
Soon the room began to fill up. Whenever the door opened, we looked expectantly toward it. But Miss Gibson did not appear.
"Do you suppose we should go and get her?" Sarah Jane asked me. "Or at least go over and see when she's coming?"
I agreed that we should, and we ran across the school ground to the minister's home, where Miss Gibson lived.
"But she's not here," the minister's wife told us when we inquired about Miss Gibson. "Her parents came and took her into town for dinner."
"Everyone is here for her birthday party!" I cried.
"Mabel," Sarah Jane said, "did you tell her about the party?"
We look at each other in silence.
"You didn't tell her, either," I said. "Nobody told her. What do we do now?"
"I'll tell her," offered Mrs. Brooke. "As soon as she gets home I'll send her right over there. Why don't you just go ahead with your party?"
There was nothing else to do. Slowly we went back to the school.
"You'd think we'd learn, wouldn't you?" Sarah Jane said sadly. "We can't even have a party that goes right. What are we going to tell them?"
"We'll just have to say that everyone kept the secret so well that Miss Gibson still doesn't know it.... I hope she gets back early."
Happily, Miss Gibson and her parents arrived at eight o'clock. The party was a huge success, and she was greatly pleased with her gifts.
When she thanked us, she said, "It isn't often that a surprise party is a surprise to the people who give it!"
"No," pa agreed, "not unless it's Sarah Jane and Mabel who are giving it. Then anything can happen!"
Windfalls
GRANDMA, UNCLE ROY, and I were enjoying fresh apple dumplings in the bright,
Similar Books
