Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

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4 THE PORCUPINE could see that she was terribly vexed and it was a very grave little trio that picked up the splintered remains of the vase. We spent several moments thus when, sud- denly, grandma remembered her cake, and left us. We heard the oven door click and then, “Girls, girls! The cake. It’s gone.” Had she lost her senses! Was the destruction of the vase enough to unbalance her! Such thoughts surged through my mind as we hurried to the kitchen, for how could a cake just simply disappear. But it was too true. It was gone, our beautiful cake, and no suspicious looking tramp lurking around the corner. there was no one far or near, who could have taken it, Nell sank into a chair, weeping convulsively and de- claring that nobody but a witch could have taken a cake right out of the oven without opening the door, and I, blundering as usual, suggested that we immediately pro- ceed to make another. “Another,” cried grandma, almost fiercely, “I never had to make two Alderly cakes at one time before, never, and I’) not do it now. That cake’s gone and we'll just do without it, that’s all,’ and she rushed into the parlor, and began to sweep the already spotless carpet, energeti- eally. Nell and I followed, meekly. “Girls,” said grandma, when she saw us, “Don’t you ever mention that cake to me. You can tell John, and then [ won’t have a word spoken about it, not a word.” We nodded, submissively, and so the ill-fated cake was not mentioned again, although we couldn’t forbid our thoughts to stray to it quite often. The next day was the 22nd and everything else proceeded as well as possi- ble. Nel] and I displayed our artistic ability in arrang- ing the tables beautifully. But we couldn’t put anything where the cake was to have been. We tried flowers, but even that wouldn’t do, so we left the spot vacant and regretted that the days of fairies were over so that we might hope that our cake would appear by magic.

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—— THE PORCUPINE 3 said, with a twinkle in his eye, “Didn’t you know, ‘little Miss Wisdom, that your erandparents were cousins?” “Oh,” gasped Nell, “and that made grandma an Alder- ly, didn’t it.” We were all quiet the rest of the way and finally we drew up before the great gate of the old home-place, where, without waiting for assistance, we jumped out of the high, spring wagon and rushed up the walk to greet the dear old lady who was standing in the doorway. This was our first visit so we spent the remainder of the day exploring the old haunts where our mother and numerous aunts and:uncles spent their childhood; but the next morning bright and early, and arrayed in chec k- ed aprons, Nell and I assisted in the making of the Alderly cake. Grandma bustled about the kitchen like a girl of twenty with a bright red spot in either cheek, while Tommy stood and looked on, wide-eyed and silent as usual. The cake was a great success and it came out of the oven, baked to a beautiful, golden brown. ‘“It never turned out better, but once,” said grandma, as she spread the last touch of pink and white icing. “hat was when your ma was married, but this is nearly as good.” “Tt couldn’t be better,” cried Nell, dancing about the room, in’ her tomboyish manner. © “It just couldn't. [ tell you, Tommy,” pinching his chin, greatly to the little fellow’s annoyance, “I believe the witches will come and dance around that cake tonight. I truly do.” , “T'l] just put this in the oven for a minute now,” said erandma, laughing at Nell’s gaiety. “You girls can go and straighten up the front pz ia and Tommy, you'd better go out and play. ” We all turned away at this and all would have gone on well, if Nell hadn’t caught her foot’ in the bear-skin rug and upset the center table. A’ big, glass’ vase fell to the floor with a erash and grandma, hearing’ the ‘noise, rushed into the: parlor.) She didn’t ‘say a word but: we

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THE PORCUPINE 5 Tinally, the folks began to come, a merry crowd of cousins and aunts and uncles, and everything else was forgotten in the pleasant excitement of meeting and greeting one another. Grandma managed to steal away to the kitchen to give a last touch to the turkey, but after a few moments they were upon her there. “Ma,” said Aunt Jean, “the cake is a beauty. It reminds me of old times. You’re just as good a cook as ever.” The smile faded from grandma’s face and for the first time I saw her lips quiver, but just for a moment, for one after another, the girls came in remarking about that lovely cake, while grandma, Nell and J, stood looking at one another in speechless amazement. “The cake isn’t there,” I gasped at last, and then, I don’t know what impelled me but I just rushed past everybody into the dinning room and there, in the center of the table stood that wonderful cake, all unharmed ex- cept for a tiny piece of icing broken off from one side. I could hardly believe my eyes, but Nell and grandma had followed me and they saw it, too. Really, we showed remarkable presence of mind, for we all just laughed and no one in the crowd has ever found out, to this day, that our cake was gone for a day and a night. although Aunt Jean did say that we acted awfully queer about it. Well, the disappearance of the cake is still a mystery to Nell and grandma and they don’t care to know about it as long as it came back in time so as not to spoil the dinner; but I had my suspicions, so the next time I saw Tommy alone, I got the truth out of him by means of promises and threats, and after a great deal of coaxing on my part, he confessed, sobbing as though his heart was broken, “Nell said-—she said that—that the witches would dance around the cake at night, and—and I hid it in my room and stayed awake all night to see them, and J never saw a single one.”