Ethel Turner

“ It was not till the acting was over, and the chairs being cleared away for games and dancing, that the little ragged skirts and the burst old boots were discovered beneath the splendid capes.
One mite, resplendent in irreproachable foot-gear and dainty frock, nudged another one excitedly.
"Just look at those girls!" she said. Flip caught the whisper and gave her sisters the word. ”

“ She had made a very decided mental note that never again would she allow Netta to ask a child she herself did not know personally.
"What is her name?" she asked Netta in great annoyance.
"Dorothy Marjorie Fitz-Stephen," mumbled Netta.
"How did you come to know her? How did you ask her? Surely she does not go to anyone else's house?"
"She's been to Laura's house often, and to Flora's and Marion's. She doesn't make more noise than Nora Chilchester or Wilfred Boyle. Don't be horrid to her, mother."
Mrs. Burns still looked dissatisfied, but led the way to the supper-room. ”

“ The waif was returned to Mrs. Brookes under the care of a servant. All the "lady-like" clothes were taken from her; she was bidden learn to sweep and dust, as it befitted one whose profession would naturally be represented by a broom and a dust-pan.
At the end of a month, so melancholy to her was the transition from Dorothy Marjorie Gladys Fitz-Stephen to Eliza Jones, that she incontinently took to her heels one fine day, and, prevailing on her parents' indulgence, became Flip Huggins again. ”

“ Laura owned that a great deal of caution would be necessary. "What I thought," she said, "is this. We'll start from now and treat her just like one of ourselves. We'll have her in soon and tell her all about it. We'll teach her things she doesn't learn at that public school ourselves—dancing and French, and fancy work and things. And then in a year or so, when she is quite a lady, we'll take her to our mothers and surprise them. We'll show them the experiment can be done." ”

“ The waif was tricked out in a pale-blue frock belonging to the Vice-President; she wore white gloves that the Secretary had saved up to buy, and a beautiful blue sash of the Treasurer's. They frizzed her hair with hot curling-tongs, they lent her bracelets and brooches, then wrapped her up in a little red cloak.
"Don't move," said the President. "Sit still all the time on the bed, Dorothy; if you get the least bit out of order everything will be spoiled." ”

“ Then in a whisper she besought her to be careful. "You're spoiling everything," she said.
"Oh, dry up! Let me 'ave a bit of fun for once!" was Dorothy's loudly spoken retort, and she went back to her hoppings and leapings amongst the dancers.
An exhibition of conjuring followed, given by Laura's socialistic uncle, who fancied he had a real gift for sleight of hand. He borrowed a hat and a handkerchief, and everyone distinctly saw him put the handkerchief in. ”

“ So the rich little girls formed themselves into a committee, and when they had held half a dozen meetings to decide on the president, Vice-president, secretary and treasurer, and had spent their first collection in badges and pink cards and red money-boxes, they set to business and adopted a child. An orphan not being available at the time, they sought till they found a little scrap of humanity who possessed the necessary qualification of having suffered sad parental neglect. ”

“ For a month Eliza was seemingly humble and grateful, and the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Committee were graciously condescending and kind. And then one night the banker's old socialistic brother came to dine with him, and from that time a new order of things began with the waif.
The brother was rich, and a bachelor, and Laura was his godchild; naturally she had always been taught to pay the greatest respect to his opinions.
He heard of the adoption of the child and sniffed.
"Better have left the youngster alone," he said. " ”

“ But life is too short and one's social obligations too heavy to find time to experiment. All we propose to do is to give this unfortunate child board and lodging and a certain amount of education. If she repays us by making somebody a thoroughly good servant we shall be more than satisfied, for the race will be extinct soon. ”

“ Finally "Dorothy Marjorie Gladys Fitz-Stephen" was decided upon and agreed to cheerfully by the one-time "Flip."
"An'," said the freshly christened one, "red flannel petticoats an' striped pinnies ain't no kind o' clothes for a lyedy with three names an' a 'arf."
"There's my pink party dress," said the Treasurer eagerly. "It's grown too short for me, and just hangs in the wardrobe. Mother will never miss it." ”

“ The poor little intruders saw there was no chance of watching the dancing, so they took their sister's advice. Before the grown-up people could be told they darted towards the door and forced their way without much difficulty through the groups of children there, who were too busy chattering to notice anything unusual. ”

“ I've ripped a hole in the curtain at the dancin'-room winder; dad and mother can stand up close to it and look in and keep liftin' Tiny and baby up. And look here." They looked, and were shown two handsome little opera cloaks. ”