12 - Eight Girls and a Dog by Carolyn Wells

Eight girls and their dog Timmy Loo take a summer break filled with cooking, self-discovery, and hilarious misadventures in this delightful vacation story. Discover hundreds of ad-free audiobooks, soothing sounds for sleep and meditation, and more—unwind and learn at www.adfreebooks.com!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Is in the public domain the boy's entertainment. Well, said Marjorie.
I suppose we've got those boys on our hands for
this whole day. And the Duchess's pretty brow wrinkled, as
if with the cares of a nation. It was the
morning after the play, and the house was in a
state of chaos and old Knight, as Betty expressed it.

(00:23):
I'm glad of it, said Marguerite, frankly. I think we'll
have lots of fun, and there are so many things
we can do. We can clear up this house, for one,
said Hester, looking dubiously at the wreck of scenery and
properties scattered all about. Let's make the boys clear it up,
suggested Betty. Good for you, cried Jesse. You do have

(00:43):
brilliant ideas sometimes, don't you, Betsy. Those scapegraces have imposed
themselves upon us, and they may as well be put
to use. Where are they? I don't see them, said Nan,
peering under the tables and chairs. Oh, I'll be here
soon enough, don't worry, said Millicent, who was calmly eating

(01:03):
a late breakfast. They are but henchmen. Let us command them.
They should be only too glad to do our bidding
very soon. After with the wild war. Whoop, the boys appeared.
What a lazy lot, they cried, looking at the table.
Why we had breakfast hours ago, and we've had a

(01:24):
swim and run, and we've called on Aunt Mollie, and
oh I say give us some jam. Not until you
work for it, said Millicent, putting the jam jar in
the cupboard, and standing in front of the closed door.
You see the disarray of our household. Gods, well, restore
this palace to its original exquisite tidiness and order, and

(01:46):
you shall have a spoonful of jam. Apiece, a spoonful,
cried Harry Bond. A jarful, you mean, But come on, fellows,
let's fire out this trash. There were ten boys for
the eight who came down from Middleton had promptly annexed
the two Hillis boys. In The rapidity with which Hilarity

(02:09):
Hall was put in order was suggestive of a Western cyclone.
You girls, the mouse, shouted Roger Hale, run upstairs or outdoors,
or across the street, or somewhere and quick the Blue
Ribbon club as one girl flew upstairs and proceeded to
dictate orders over the banister, which, however, were unheeded and

(02:29):
even unheard. Timmy Loo danced frantically about among the marauding
boys until he was unceremoniously swept out of the front
door by Roger's broom. He was rescued by Rosie, who
had much astounded at the turn things had taken. Ran
over dant Molly's for shelter and safety, but soon the

(02:50):
squall was over and calm reigned again. Come down, girls,
called ted Lewis, one free, all free, Down came the club,
bright and smiling, with fresh shirt waists and the additional
ribbons or trinkets that masculine presents always seem to necessitate. There, Milady,

(03:10):
said Harry Bond to Millicent, your palace is restored to
all its pristine glory, and I'll fork over that jam.
So the jamb and everything else that the larder contained
was set forth, and those voracious boys speedily dispatched it all. Now,
said Harry Bond, We're all going down to the beach

(03:31):
to take pictures and otherwise enjoy ourselves this pleasant morning.
And then, since you urge us, so, we're all coming
back here to dinner, do said Marjorie heartily. That will
be lots of fun, and the other girls echoed her opinion,
except Marguerite and Nan. But you can't, exclaimed the embarrassed matron.

(03:53):
You see, it's Nanny's in my turn to get dinner
to day, and there isn't half enough in the house
for a horde of pirates, and we'd have to stay
home all the morning to get ready for you. Marguerite
looked the picture of distress at the thought of missing
the fut on the beach, and Nan looked placidly indifferent,
but had no appearance of intending to be left behind.

(04:17):
We'll take the white Cap to the beach with us,
she said, as she put on her hat, and the
boys can draw pictures in it. Jack's quite clever at
catching a likeness. But what about dinner, said Marguerite piteously,
her responsibilities as chaperone suddenly beginning to weigh upon her.

(04:37):
That's all right, Daisy, said Tom Burley, who had been
holding a whispered but emphatic conversation with Harry Bond. We
realized the unexpectedness of this visitation, and tis but natural
that you girls should find yourselves unable to cope with it. Whereupon,
and therefore, and for which reason we beg to inform

(04:58):
you that we will get the dinner ourselves, and all
we ask of you, fair ladies, is your gracious company
with a flourish and a grand bow. Tom completed his
speech and awaited a reply. It doesn't seem quite right,
said Marguerite, But Betty said, oh, bother, of course it's
all right. It'll do you boys good to do a

(05:21):
little work. And I for one, except your invitation. With
delight me too, shouted all the other girls, and Marjorie
inquired where the dinner would be served in Hilarity Hall,
of course, said Tom. But don't ask questions, miss when
you're invited out, you mustn't be rude, and we'll invite
the kind lady and gentleman next door. Put in Roger

(05:43):
for tis to them we owe this trip anyway. Uncle
Ned and Aunt Molly were pleased to accept the invitation
which was duly offered them, and then, after a few
mysterious confabs with Rosy, the boys declared that they were
at the young lady's services and all ran down to
the beach. They stayed until noon when Tom Burleigh, who

(06:06):
announced himself as the master of the ceremonies, ordered the
whole crowd back to the cottage. Now, ladies, he said
as they arrived, every one of you fly upstairs to
your rooms and occupy yourselves with sewing dolls, rags, or
knitting aprons, or whatever pastime pleases you. Take beauty naps

(06:27):
if you like, but don't dare appear on the first
floor of this cottage until summoned by the dinner horn.
Marguerite and Jessie wanted to stay and help the new cooks,
but it was not allowed. So upstairs the girls trooped
and ted Lewis tied rope barriers across the staircase. Those

(06:47):
ridiculous boys, said Marjorie, as the girls congregated in her room.
They won't have half enough plates or forks or anything. Yes,
they will, said Betty, confidently, they'll have everything ship shaped.
Don't you worry. From the noise, I should think they
were building a house, said Nan, And sure enough, hammering

(07:10):
and pounding was going on below, as well as the
clattering of the dishes and much scurrying to and fro.
Of course, the girls looked out of the windows and
they saw Rosy and some of the boys bringing piles
of plates and cups from Aunt Molly's, But as that
lady herself did not appear, they guessed she too had

(07:33):
been forbidden to assist. After an hour or more of
impatient excitement on the part of the girls, Rosy came
up to them, broadly smiling. The young gentleman bid me
to say that dinner is about to be served, and
would you please come down to the parlor. So the
girls trooped down and found Uncle Ned and Aunt Mollie

(07:53):
waiting them. Then the boys appeared, and with obsequious demonstrations
of greeting and compliment, they invited their guests to the
dining room. The boys all wore aprons, having confiscated with
Rosy's help, all those belonging to the club. Big Tom

(08:14):
Burleigh looked especially funny in a lace frilly little affair
of Jesse's. And as there had not been quite enough
to go round, Harry Bond had made a big pinafore
of newspapers. Then some boys had found time to make
cooks paper caps for them all, and paper roses left

(08:34):
from the night before were in their buttonholes. Their appearance
was festive. Indeed, the dining room was a sight to behold.
They had discarded the regular dining table, and brought a
narrow one of the boards of the dismantled stage. This table,
whose length was such that it required three tablecloths, was

(08:56):
decorated with great bowls of paper roses, and the The
whole room was decked with green branches, palms, and paper flowers,
all of which had done duty as the garden in
the play. The twenty people seated themselves at the long
infestive board, Uncle Ned and Aunt Molly, of course, being

(09:17):
invited to sit the head and foot, and then Rosie
began to serve the feast, But one waitress was far
from being enough for the hungry crowd, so the b
aproned boys took turns in plain waiter. The first course
was clam chowder, of which the Burleigh boys were justly
famed concoctors. It was wonderfully good, and they had made

(09:41):
a great kettleful, and there was enough and to spare.
Next was the course of broiled lobster. Although the boys
pretended at first that they had cooked these, they afterward
confessed that they had ordered them sent over from the inn.
But their guests cared not a jot where the lobsters
had met their fiery fate and pronounced them the most

(10:03):
delicious ever tasted. After this came BlackBerry pies, half a
dozen of them, and Aunt Mollie fairly blushed as encomiums
were showered on her contribution to the spread. The coffee
was fine, Ted Lewis always made it in camp, and
being accustomed to making large quantities, and in a big

(10:24):
tin pale instead of a coffee pot, he had no
trouble in turning out a perfect concoction. Crackers in a
red coated cheese made their appearance, also a big basket
of fruit, and Uncle Ned had brought over a box
of Bond bonds. So the merry crowds sat for a
long time over their dessert, so long indeed, that the

(10:45):
boys were obliged to leave the table and scurry away
to catch their home bound train. You hall a few
dishes to wash, said Harry Bond, with a twinkle in
his eye. But that's women's work, a nice housewifely occupation.
Oh they'll be done all right, said his sister. And
now run, Harry, or you'll be late. Give lots of
love to Mamma and Grandma and tell them. But Harry

(11:09):
was out of sight and hearing by that time, so
Marjorie didn't send her message. Now, said Betty as they
turned back to the deserted dining room. What a collaboration.
But I suppose if twere done, when tis done to
wear well, twere done quickly, yes, said Hester. The practical
Let's fly at it and clear everything up, and then

(11:31):
sit on the veranda and talk it all over. Aunt
Mollie and Uncle Ned were politely invited to go home,
And then the many hands went at the work, and
it was accomplished with surprising quickness. Then the Blue Ribbon
Club grouped itself on the veranda, and if those eight
tongues didn't wag, they talked as an octave until bedtime,

(11:57):
and then breaking up into duets, they kept on talking
until they fell asleep. End of Chapter twelve.