going to do at the wedding, that I was surprised Sarah Jane had withheld that information from me.
"Maybe they just didn't want two nosy little girls to know all about it," Ma said. "Did it ever occur to you that they may not have told Sarah Jane?"
"But Caleb is her brother! You always know what happens to your own brother!" I turned to Reuben. "You'd tell me if you were getting married, wouldn't you?"
Reuben looked disgusted. "More likely, you'd tell me. When has anyone ever kept a secret from you?"
"That's enough," Pa interrupted. "Have you forgotten that we have a guest?"
"Sorry, Pa," Reuben said.
The subject was changed, but I was determined to get to the bottom of the story as soon as I could see Sarah Jane.
The next morning when she came to play, I hurried down to the creek where we could talk undisturbed.
"You didn't tell me that Caleb was getting married!" I accused her.
Sarah Jane's eyes grew round, and her mouth dropped open. "Married! My brother Caleb?"
"Yes, your brother. How many other Calebs do you know?"
Sarah Jane shook her head in bewilderment. "He's not getting married. I heard him tell Pa he wouldn't marry until he is twenty. And he's only nineteen now."
"Well then," I said smugly, "Ruth Edwards is going to marry someone else. The peddler told us that she bought the goods for her wedding dress!"
I was pleased to see that this was news to Sarah Jane. At least she hadn't kept anything from me.
"I don't think Ruth would keep company with Caleb if she was going to marry someone else," she said. "He just rode over to see her last evening. Are you sure that's what the peddler said?"
"Positive." I nodded. "I was sitting right there and hear it all. What should we do now?"
Neither of us thought that possibly this affair was none of our business. Or that we ought to keep out of it. Instead we began planning how to get the news out as soon as possible.
"I think we should have a party for them," I said.
"But we don't know what day it will be," Sarah Jan, protested.
"That doesn't matter. You can have a party to announce the wedding. Who shall we invite?"
We immediately set to work and invited everyone we saw to a party at Sarah Jane's house the next Saturday night Of course, we didn't think to say anything to either of our families. But word got back to Ma.
"What's this I hear about a party? Do Sarah Jane's folks know anything about it?"
"I don't think so. But I suppose she'll tell them."
"I certainly hope so. What is the party for?"
"It's a wedding party for Caleb and Ruth," I said. "It will be a surprise."
"Yes, it will," Pa agreed, "especially since they aren't getting married for another year, and haven't even set the date yet."
"Why is Ruth doing her sewing so soon?" I asked in surprise. "The peddler said she bought the goods for her wedding dress."
"The peddler said a dress, not her dress. Ruth made a wedding dress for her cousin," Ma informed me crossly. "Oh, no!"
"You'll be saying more than 'Oh!' before you get this story straightened out, young lady," Pa scolded. "How could you girls pass along a story you didn't know was true?"
"We thought it was true," I said. "What shall we do now?"
"I suggest you tell Sarah Jane's folks about it first, then start uninviting all those people. Maybe this will teach both of you to check your news before you begin spreading it around. It's a good thing it wasn't a story that could have hurt someone." '
"We learned from that experience. By the time we heard the last of that mistake, we were heartily sorry that we had been so quick to tell our news."
Grandma laughed. "Just think how much more mischief we could have done if we'd had a telephone!"
Charlotte
Grandma," I wailed, "look what happened to Virginia!" I held up my doll so Grandma could see how her leg had come away from her body. "Can she be fixed?"
Grandma examined the doll carefully. "I should think so. I imagine your Uncle Roy can mend her. Ask him when he comes in."
I sat on the
"Maybe they just didn't want two nosy little girls to know all about it," Ma said. "Did it ever occur to you that they may not have told Sarah Jane?"
"But Caleb is her brother! You always know what happens to your own brother!" I turned to Reuben. "You'd tell me if you were getting married, wouldn't you?"
Reuben looked disgusted. "More likely, you'd tell me. When has anyone ever kept a secret from you?"
"That's enough," Pa interrupted. "Have you forgotten that we have a guest?"
"Sorry, Pa," Reuben said.
The subject was changed, but I was determined to get to the bottom of the story as soon as I could see Sarah Jane.
The next morning when she came to play, I hurried down to the creek where we could talk undisturbed.
"You didn't tell me that Caleb was getting married!" I accused her.
Sarah Jane's eyes grew round, and her mouth dropped open. "Married! My brother Caleb?"
"Yes, your brother. How many other Calebs do you know?"
Sarah Jane shook her head in bewilderment. "He's not getting married. I heard him tell Pa he wouldn't marry until he is twenty. And he's only nineteen now."
"Well then," I said smugly, "Ruth Edwards is going to marry someone else. The peddler told us that she bought the goods for her wedding dress!"
I was pleased to see that this was news to Sarah Jane. At least she hadn't kept anything from me.
"I don't think Ruth would keep company with Caleb if she was going to marry someone else," she said. "He just rode over to see her last evening. Are you sure that's what the peddler said?"
"Positive." I nodded. "I was sitting right there and hear it all. What should we do now?"
Neither of us thought that possibly this affair was none of our business. Or that we ought to keep out of it. Instead we began planning how to get the news out as soon as possible.
"I think we should have a party for them," I said.
"But we don't know what day it will be," Sarah Jan, protested.
"That doesn't matter. You can have a party to announce the wedding. Who shall we invite?"
We immediately set to work and invited everyone we saw to a party at Sarah Jane's house the next Saturday night Of course, we didn't think to say anything to either of our families. But word got back to Ma.
"What's this I hear about a party? Do Sarah Jane's folks know anything about it?"
"I don't think so. But I suppose she'll tell them."
"I certainly hope so. What is the party for?"
"It's a wedding party for Caleb and Ruth," I said. "It will be a surprise."
"Yes, it will," Pa agreed, "especially since they aren't getting married for another year, and haven't even set the date yet."
"Why is Ruth doing her sewing so soon?" I asked in surprise. "The peddler said she bought the goods for her wedding dress."
"The peddler said a dress, not her dress. Ruth made a wedding dress for her cousin," Ma informed me crossly. "Oh, no!"
"You'll be saying more than 'Oh!' before you get this story straightened out, young lady," Pa scolded. "How could you girls pass along a story you didn't know was true?"
"We thought it was true," I said. "What shall we do now?"
"I suggest you tell Sarah Jane's folks about it first, then start uninviting all those people. Maybe this will teach both of you to check your news before you begin spreading it around. It's a good thing it wasn't a story that could have hurt someone." '
"We learned from that experience. By the time we heard the last of that mistake, we were heartily sorry that we had been so quick to tell our news."
Grandma laughed. "Just think how much more mischief we could have done if we'd had a telephone!"
Charlotte
Grandma," I wailed, "look what happened to Virginia!" I held up my doll so Grandma could see how her leg had come away from her body. "Can she be fixed?"
Grandma examined the doll carefully. "I should think so. I imagine your Uncle Roy can mend her. Ask him when he comes in."
I sat on the
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