Little Folk

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 30, 4 August 1923, Page 18

Little Folk

(All Eights Reserved.) No. 4. TOPSYTURVY TOWN (Written for "The Post" by Edith Howes.) CHAPTER IV. When Kenenth and Isabel arrived home after the meeting they found their parents finishing the evening meal. "I am Mayor!" cried Kenneth. " Then you have beaten yonr father's record," Mr. Graham remarked. " I have had hopes of reaching that giddy height some day." " I hope you will keep the -town clean," said Mrs. Graham. "It needs some attention." ""And I am Mayoress!" chanted Isabel. The two children were so excited that they scarcely knew what they were eating. They chattered away, giving an account of the meeting and repeating what everybody said, while Mr. and Mrs. Graham listened with faces of polite respectfulness, very becoming in their inferior position. At last, however, Mr. Graham grew weary of it. He rose and yawned a little. " Well, I think I'll go along to the club for an hour," he said. Kenneth flashed a triumphant look at Isabel, then turned to Mr. Graham with_ a fatherly air. "You have been out', more than once this week already,'' he said. " You must not go out to-night." Mr. Graham flushed and glared and began to shout " How dare you?" But Mrs. Graham giggled and made a little squeak and suddenly rolled back helpless with laughter, her pretty teeth flaslring and her face all dimpled with mirth. Mr. Graham looked at her for a moment, then his face twitched and lie sat down and roared with laughter too. " Very »well," he said meekly when he could speak, " then I won't go out." And presently, while Mrs. Graham sat up and wiped her eyes, he added ruefully, " It's a little hard to become accustomed to the.new order of things. Perhaps, as I'm so young, I'd better go to bed. It will, give me a chance to think things out." " That's a splendid idea!" Kenneth said approvingly. "An early bed is so good for you, father. ' Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.' You have often told us that, haven't you?" " Yes," replied Mr. Graham, " but I never noticed that you took it very much to heart, Kenneth." "I think I shall go to bed too," said Mrs. Graham. "I am quite tired with laughing and all the queer excitement of the day." " Do, dear," said Isabel gravely, " and, darling, don't read in bed; it is bad for your eyes. I'll give you a quarter of an hour, and then I shall come and turn out your light." Mrs. Graham giggled again, and the two said good night meekly and went off. Kenenth and Isabel drew their chairs up cosily to the fire. "Isn't is lovely? We can sit up as long as we like," said Isabel. " Let's make plans for (tomorrow." But at that moment there came a Joud ring at the front door. Kenneth opened it, and a crowd of their schoolmates trooped in, Clive Banks, Mavis Clark, Alice Dare, Mary Montague, Jim Smith, arid a dozen other boys and girls, all merry and noisy and ready for a romp. '• We've sent our fathers and mothers to bed, and we've come to give you a surprise party," Mavis explained. "Do let's have a jolly time." They had a jolly time. They played games, acted charades, turned the place upside down in their search for suitable clothing,_ sang and whistled, ,and made a groat noise," each one being a law unto himself in that respect, and by 10 o'clock were all beginning to look heavy-eyed and either flushed or rather white. Like Mrs. Graham, they were tired when they came, tired with the queer excitement of the day, though they did not know it; and now they were over-tired and in-, clined to be snappy with one another. " Let's have supper," said Alice Dare at last. Isabel and- Kenneth looked at each other. Was there enough cake in th? house? "We each brought something, 'said Alice, seeing the look. "It's a surprise -party, you know, and we felt sure you wouldn't have enough for such a crowd of us." ' Baskets were produced, and ; soon emptied. Kenneth found a bottle of lemon squash in the pantry, and Isabel made fizzy drinkß with cream-of-tartar and soda. She offered to make tea, but everybody preferred cold drinks, so she used up all Mrs. Graham's cream-of-tartar and a basinful of sugar. " Here's to the Mayor!" called Clive Banks, holding his cup of lemon squish aloft. " And the Mayoress!" Alice Dare added. The toast was drunk hilariously, and then the .young revellers went home. Their first night of freedom had been very jolly, but they really were tired, and the thought of bed was somehow very comforting. It' was still more comforting next .morning. Isabel and Kenneth both slept late, and. even when they woke they didn't want to get up. " Ken!" called Isabel through the wall, " what about breakfast in bed?" "Best idea in the world!" Kenenth called back. ." Mother !" he shouted, " Mother!'' Mrs. Graham opened his door. "Yes?" she said; " I should like my breakfast in bed, and so would Isabel. Mrs. Graham looked doubtful . " It is after 9," she said. " Your father has gone to the office, but before he went he told me that there was to be a deputation to the Mayor at half past 10. So perhaps you had better get up. Breakfast in bed makes you late for things, you know." " A deputation ! What's that?" Kenneth asked. " *r' s a number of people sent to ask the Mayor for something. You must be a*«* e Town Hall by half past 10." Oh, dear!" yawntd Kenneth, '? then I d better get up. " Tumble out, Isabel, he called. "HI can't have breakfast in bed, you're not going to either." Isabel had already tumbled out. "I'm coming with you," she replied. " I want to see what a deputation is like." "You're not a councillor!" Kenneth objected loudly thVough the wall. "I'm a Mayoress, and that's better!" Isabel contended as loudly. (To be continued.)