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[108] <h2>CHAPTER XV. A Ball in the Nursery.</h2> <div> <ANTIMG class="drop-cap" src="images/drop-t.jpg" width-obs="157" height-obs="173" alt="T" /></div> THE new Teddy bears proved a great acquisition to the society of the nursery. They were fine, plump specimens, and were all tagged “made in Germany,” a fact which marked them with especial distinction. Their manners were polished in the extreme and they at once became prime favorites. One of them, a particularly fine looking fellow, was labeled “the Kaiser,” and his round and sleek little frau so captured Bedelia’s fancy that she immediately devoted herself to the new acquaintances to the exclusion of everything else, even to Peter Pan and the cubs. Peter Pan was anything but pleased at this turn of events, and began to fear that he had bitten off more than he could chew in sending for the strange bears. It was now his turn to sulk, and he behaved with such outrageous rudeness that the Kaiser took offence and matters began to assume a threatening aspect. Bedelia was herself a delighted spectator of the trouble that she had stirred up, watching the trend of affairs with impish glee and redoubling her attentions in proportion as she saw it annoyed her husband. [109] Thus matters stood when the toys determined to give a grand reception and ball in honor of the newcomers, and elegant, engraved invitations were issued by an executive committee. This was not a difficult thing to achieve, as Bedelia had purloined the same from mamma’s desk. To be sure they had been neither filled out nor directed, as none of the toys could write, but neither could they read; the invitations were handed around merely as a matter of form, for every toy in the nursery knew the time and place of the wonderful event. Such a brilliant affair had never before taken place, and society was all agog and in a flutter of excitement. The committee was at first somewhat puzzled as to how they should secure adequate refreshments, as, in the light of recent events, a raid on the kitchen was out of the question. But Bedelia again came to the rescue, and by the aid of the telephone ordered such a gorgeous supper that the caterer who had served the North family for years concluded that some grand society function was afoot. All this time Peter Pan was growing sulkier and sulkier, and his attitude had become more threatening. He had even been overheard to vow that he would not attend the ball. All the rest of the toys felt extremely anxious as to the outcome of affairs. Many of them sided with Peter Pan, for he had always[110] been friendly and courteous with everyone, while his wife had kept, to herself. And her accession of friendship with the newcomers had only tended to aggravate society at large. The Kaiser and his plump and pretty wife, however, had become extremely popular, and owned a goodly following. So public opinion appeared to be about evenly divided. It seemed a great shame that such a radical split should have taken place in a society that heretofore had always moved in perfect unison. The twins had been looking forward to the coming festivities with the liveliest anticipations, but on the very day before the ball their father, having been offended at them for some infringement of rules, declared that they should not set foot in the ball-room. Bedelia immediately vowed that they should, and so matters stood on the evening of the ball. All the dolls were rigged out in their best attire, and Bedelia had borrowed a beautiful pink silk dècolletè gown from one of them who was fortunate enough to own several. To be sure, it was rather a tight fit and two buttons indignantly burst off the back of the waist when they discovered who it was that was putting it on. A pin or two, however, made good the deficiency, and Bedelia really looked very charming in the glistening pink silk with a wreath of tiny pink rosebuds twined around her ears. She felt entirely[111] satisfied as she surveyed herself in the mirror on Sally’s bureau, to the top of which she had climbed in order to get a full view of herself, and quite forgot all about the anxious twins who, decorated with two of Sally’s newest blue hair-ribbons, hovered nervously in the background awaiting developments. Soon the music struck up and the Kaiser and Bedelia proceeded to lead the grand march around the nursery. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus116.jpg" width-obs="414" height-obs="252" alt="a promende of bears" /></div> To be sure the music was not very grand, for the doll’s piano was the sole instrument available and the only personage who could be persuaded to perform upon it was an ancient china doll, who had lost both feet, the result of having been dropped in the wash basin by Sally, and consequently was unable to do any dancing. However, the hearty good-will of the guests and their vigorous execution of the various dances on the program quite made up for all deficiencies in other directions. [112] At first the twins hid themselves behind the door and contented themselves with simply watching the opening exercises, although they fairly itched to be on the floor, but as the tail end of the grand march swung past them, they resolved to do or die and, boldly emerging from the hiding-place, fell into line and went capering along after the rest of the crowd, taking care, however, to keep a sharp lookout for their father, who apparently had so far failed to observe their presence. Peter Pan, in fact, was having the time of his life, marching with an extremely pretty and vivacious stuffed guinea pig, and had already commenced to pay her such marked attention that Bedelia was observed to cast a number of uneasy glances in their direction. That two should play at her own little game was not at all a part of her program. Peter Pan had evidently forgotten her existence; while as for the Kaiser, he never noticed him at all, save once, to salute him with a rude and irreligious gesture as they were dancing vis-à-vis. The meaning of this was as Greek to the imported bear, and as nobody cared to enlighten him on the subject the affair came to nothing. The twins had meanwhile been dancing together, as no other partners seemed available. They might have gotten through the evening without especial notice from anyone had not Tom, after the first three dances, refused to dance lady any longer, while selfish Jerry insisted[113] on keeping the gentleman’s part. Words soon came to blows, and in a moment the dancing ceased and everyone came hurrying up to ascertain the cause of the disturbance. Immediately Peter Pan was in the middle of the fray, and collaring his offspring, one in each paw, he yanked them off to the dogs’ lair under Sally’s bed, where he presently left them, a considerably less impudent pair of cubs. As Rough House was still away at the farm, there was nothing to fear from his dreadful jaws. Joined by a common trouble and each one equally anxious to get even with his father, they had now quite forgotten their differences, and held a most emphatically worded conference under the bed, at last deciding that they would run away and so square accounts with their unfeeling parent. It was now high time to serve supper, and the committee on refreshments descended to the kitchen, only to find nothing at all that resembled freezers of ice-cream and boxes of cake and sandwiches. They had not counted on the fact that everything would be received at the door by cook, but such had been the case, and she had declined to receive them in language more emphatic than that usually employed in polite society. That there was no party at that house she had vigorously maintained, and the driver had retreated in some perplexity, carrying along the goodies. [114] Loud were the exclamations of disappointment, as the hungry toys crowded around the dismayed and disheartened committee, and in the general confusion the twins crept noiselessly out from under the bed and slipped into the dark hall. They had learned by this time that to slide down the banisters is really the swiftest method of locomotion, and they quickly availed themselves of this speedy method and went skimming fleetly away to the lower regions. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus119.jpg" width-obs="278" height-obs="123" alt="decoration" /></div> <hr class="chap" /></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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