FullReads

Our Aunt Esta suddenly seemed very much encouraged. She didn’t wait a minute. She snatched a little book from her pocket. It was a little book that she had made herself all full of typewriter directions about the Game.

“Someone, of course,” she said, “will have to be the Witch,–someone who knows the Game, I mean, so perhaps I–?”

We rushed to help her drag the old battered tricycle to the Porch! We helped her open up every porch door till all the green lawn and gay petunia blossoms came right up and fringed with the old porch rug! We helped her tie on the Witch’s funny hat! And the scraggly gray wig! And the great horn-rimmed spectacles! We helped her climb into the tricycle seat! We were too excited to stay on the porch! We wheeled her right out on the green lawn itself! The green lilac hedge reared all up around her like a magic wall!

We screamed with joy! The Rich Man jumped when we screamed. The Rich Man’s name was Mr. Trent.

“And Mr. Trent shall be the Black Woman who pushes you all about!” we screamed.

“I will not!” said Mr. Trent.

But Carol had already tied a black velvet ribbon on the Rich Man’s leg to show that he was!

Our Aunt Esta seemed more encouraged every minute. She stood us all up in front of her. Even Father. She read from her book. It was a poem. The poem said:

Now come ye all to the Witch’s Ball,
Ye Great, ye Small,
Ye Short, ye Tall,
Come one, Come all!

“I will not!” said the Rich Man.

He sweated.

“Oh Shucks! Be a Sport!” said my Father.

“I will not!” said the Rich Man.

He glared.

Our Aunt Esta tried to read from her book and wave her wand at the same time. It waved the Rich Man in the nose.

“Foul Menial!” waved our Aunt Esta. “Bring in the Captives!”

“Who?” demanded the Rich Man.

“You!” said our Aunt Esta.

The Rich Man brought us in! Especially Father! He bound us all up in silver paper chains! He put a silver paper ring through my Father’s beautiful nose!

“Oh, I say,” protested my Father. “It was ‘guests’ that I understood we were to be! Not captives!”

“Ha!” sniffed the Rich Man. “Be a Sport!”

They both glared.

Our Aunt Esta had cakes in a box. They seemed to be very good cakes. “Now in about ten minutes,” read our Aunt Esta from her book, “you will all begin to feel very queer.”

“Oh–Lordy!” said my Father.

“I knew it!” said the Rich Man. “I knew it all the time! From the very first mouthful–my stomach—-“

“Is there no antidote?” cried my Mother.

Our Aunt Esta took off her horn-rimmed spectacles. She sniffed.

“Sillies!” she said. “This is just a Game, you know!”

“Nevertheless,” said the Rich Man, “I certainly feel very queer.”

“When you all feel equally queer,” said our Aunt Esta coldly, “we will proceed with the Game.”

We all felt equally queer just as soon as we could.

Our Aunt Esta made a speech. She made it from her little book.

“Poor helpless Captives (said the Speech). You are now entirely in my power! Yet fear not! If everybody does just exactly as I say, all may yet be well!”

“Hear! Hear!” said my Father.

The Rich Man suddenly seemed to like my Father very much. He reached over and nudged him in the ribs.

“Shut up!” he whispered. “The less you say the sooner it will be over!”

My Father said less at once. He seemed very glad to know about it.

Our Aunt Esta pointed to a boxful of little envelopes.

“Foul Menial,” she said. “Bring the little envelopes!”

The Rich Man brought them. But not very cheerfully.

“Oh, of course, it’s all right to call me that,” he said. “But I tell you quite frankly that my daughter Posie’s maid will never stand for it! Her name is Elizabeth Lou!–Mrs. Jane–Frank–Elizabeth Lou–even!”

Our Aunt Esta looked at the Rich Man. Her look was scornfuller and scornfuller.