Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family (2 page)

“Yes you have to,” Mama insisted, and marshaled him out.

Alone at last! Jules relaxed against the couch. Ella nestled beside him. He reached for her hand and their fingers intertwined.

Jules’s voice broke into the stillness. “I’m lucky. I got a job today.”

“A job? You’re not going back to school?”

“I can’t now. It’s the middle of the term. Besides, I’m not going back—not in the daytime that is. I’m twenty years old! It’s time I began working. Since my father died, my mother has had to work doubly hard to raise the family. Of course my oldest sister is married, but remember there are two younger sisters still at home. I can’t go on expecting my mother to support me. So …”

Brr-rrr-ring! The peal of the telephone tore through his words. Brr-rrr-ring! The parlor door flew open and Henny burst in.

“I think it’s for me.”

“So did you have to come through here to answer it?” demanded Ella.

Henny grinned. “Hi, Jules!” She tossed her head saucily and disappeared through the portieres.

Ella threw up her hands. “That Henny! The phone’s in the dining room. There was absolutely no need for her to come barging in here. Well, never mind. You were telling me about a job.”

“It’s with an import and export firm.”

“Oh.”

There was no time for further explanations, for the
sound of approaching steps could plainly be heard. Again the portieres parted and in sidled Charlotte and Gertie.

“Hello, Jules,” Charlotte and Gertie chorused.

Their gaze slid sidewise to each other, lips twitching with the effort to suppress the giggles. They tried covering their mouths but it was no use. They exploded in a cascade of titters.

After a few more sputterings, Charlotte raised her hand and waved a small fluttering good-bye. Gertie followed suit and both backed up through the portieres.

Jules chuckled. “They’re cute.”

“Couple of sillies,” Ella said. “They’re at that age, I guess. Tell me, what sort of work will you be doing?”

“Bookkeeping.”

“Will you like that?”

“It’s a job, and they seem like nice people. Anyway, it’s not going to be forever. I’ve thought a lot about the future. The future’s terribly important to me—to us.”

He put a hand under her chin, lifted her face and kissed her. And Ella knew then that no matter how long their separation, Jules had not changed. He loved her!

“Er—hello,” a voice spoke up timidly.

They sprang apart. Middle sister Sarah had slipped in so quietly, they had not heard her. There she stood with a book clutched tightly to her chest.

“Oh! Excuse me, please!” she implored. “You look so different without your uniform, Jules.” She flushed with confusion. “Oh, I didn’t mean that you don’t look good. It’s just that, it’s different, that’s all,” she finished lamely.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” Jules assured her. “What’s that book you’re hugging?”

“My algebra. I’m in the middle of my homework. There’s
one problem I’m really stuck with. I asked Henny but she says she’s forgotten everything she ever learned about algebra. Do you think maybe—you could help me with it?”

Jules’s shoulders lifted resignedly. “All right. Let’s have a look.”

What a time to pick for an algebra lesson, Ella fumed. She and Sarah had always been very close despite the difference of four years in their ages. But right now she was really annoyed with her. Her patience was at an end.

She stalked out of the parlor, past Mama’s and Papa’s bedroom, through the small alcove where Charlie, already in bed, popped up curiously as she sped by, into Charlotte’s and Gertie’s room, then Henny’s quarters, and finally into the dining room where the family was assembled.

Arms akimbo, her small frame bristling with anger, she lashed out, “How in heaven’s name can a person get any privacy in this house? Honestly, sometimes I wish I were an only child. At least then I’d have a chance. Jules came to see me—
me
! Not you! We haven’t been able to exchange two words without some member of the family butting in!”

“All right, Ella, don’t get so excited,” Mama soothed. “Charlie!” she yelled suddenly. “What are you doing in here? Back to your bed! And be quick about it! Do you hear?”

Mama turned back to Ella. “Compose yourself. Now that everyone has got a look at your boyfriend, they won’t bother you anymore.”

But Ella was still riled up. “It’s rotten being the oldest!” She thrust a finger sharply at Charlotte and Gertie. “By the
time these two start going out with boys, they’ll have it easy. Nobody’ll even be interested.”

“Who’s interested?” Henny interrupted. “We were just being polite.”

“Thanks! So you were all polite. Now please—everybody—stay out! For the next half hour at least!”

She spun around and flounced out.

Back in the parlor, she heard Sarah say, “Thanks so much, Jules. You’d make an awfully good teacher.” Flitting past Ella, she flashed her a bright smile. “He explains things so well.”

“I see she’s got your future mapped out for you,” Ella remarked.

Jules grinned. He drew Ella to the couch and put his arm around her.

“No, Ella. No teaching for me. I used to dream about being a doctor, but that would take too long and too much money. Still, I want to be some kind of professional rather than just a businessman. My uncle, the optometrist, says it’s an interesting career with a future, and he would help me. I could go to school at night. What do you think, Ella?”

“It sounds like a …”

Were the portieres moving? Or was it just her imagination? Was someone hiding behind them? Who would dare? There was someone! Two little pink feet were plainly visible below.

Sliding out of Jules’s arm, Ella crept stealthily toward the feet. She yanked the portieres apart. A startled Charlie, in his nightshirt, stood blinking up at her!

“Charlie, is this a way to behave?” Ella scolded.

Chuckling, Jules put his hand into his pocket. “Don’t
you dare, Jules!” Ella cried. “Don’t you dare give him anything! I’m going right in to tell Mama!”

“Oh, don’t be too hard on him, Ella,” Jules replied, putting a nickel into Charlie’s hand. “It’s a time-honored custom, you know.”

“Ooh, thanks!” Charlie whooped joyfully. “I’m going right into my bed, I promise.” As he scooted off, he turned and whispered back. “And don’t tell Mama.”

Jules looked at Ella. “Well, who’s next? I feel as if I were courting the whole family. Now, before anyone else comes in—” His strong arms lifted her off the floor as he planted a resounding kiss on her cheek. Swinging her around the room, he sang into her ear: “There’s no place like home sweet home, there’s no place like home.”

By the time he set her down, they were both helpless with laughter. “Come on,” Jules cried, “let’s get out of here. We’ll walk and talk. I want to hear about everything that went on this past year. You’ll tell me about your singing lessons, and your job—everything! And when we get too cold, we can drop into Ziggy’s Ice-cream Parlor for some hot chocolate and cookies.”

“Charlotte,” Mama said, “Aunt Fanny would like you to mind Ruthie tonight. She and Uncle Joe have to go somewhere.”

Lost in the enchanted world of a storybook, Charlotte heard nothing.

Mama raised her voice. “Charlotte! I’m talking to you!”

Charlotte’s blue eyes fluttered upward. “Huh?”

“Aunt Fanny wants you to mind Ruthie tonight.”

Charlotte came to life. “Ooh yes!”

“You’re lucky,” Sarah commented. “Aunt Fanny always asks you.”

“It’s really Ruthie who wants her,” Mama explained. “She says Charlotte thinks up such interesting things to do and tells such good stories.”

“I wouldn’t mind earning the money myself once in a while,” Sarah said.

“What for?” scoffed Henny. “You’d only put the dime in your savings account. Now if it were me …”

“If it were you,” interrupted Mama, “the dime would be spent even before you earned it.”

“Want to come along?” Charlotte asked Gertie.

Gertie hesitated.

“Aunt Fanny’s very generous,” Charlotte urged. “She
always leaves such good things around for me, like candy and cookies. I’ll give you half the money.”

Gertie brightened. “Okay.”

So that evening, the two sisters walked arm in arm to Aunt Fanny’s house.

“Oh, the two of you! How nice!” Aunt Fanny cried as she opened the door. “Ruthie, look who’s here,” she called out to her daughter, who came running. “Your two cousins. They’re going to stay with you while Daddy and I go out. Isn’t that nice?”

Little Ruthie hopped up and down gleefully. “Gertie, you going to play with Charlotte and me?”

“Uh-huh.”

After instructing Charlotte what to do and when, Aunt Fanny donned her hat and coat. “Good night, Ruthie darling,” she said, embracing her. “Be a good girl and listen to what Charlotte and Gertie tell you and maybe Mommy and Daddy will bring you back something special.”

“What’ll you bring?”

“You’ll see. Good night, girls.” And Aunt Fanny shepherded her husband out the door.

“Have a good time,” the children yelled after them.

No sooner had the door closed, when Ruthie asked, “What’ll we do first, Charlotte?”

Charlotte’s brow wrinkled. “Well now, let’s see.… I know! We’ll make paper patterns.”

“What’s that?”

“Come on. We’ll get the scissors and some paper napkins and I’ll show you.”

Soon all three were seated around the kitchen table. Charlotte picked up a napkin, folded it in half, and then again in quarters. “Now watch,” she said.

Carefully spiraling the folded paper, she snipped this way and that. The cut-off pieces fell away, the paper unfolded, and there, spread out before Ruthie’s astonished eyes, was a lovely lace doily.

“It’s beautiful!” Ruthie exclaimed. “Now you make one, Gertie.”

Gertie cut away cautiously and turned out a pretty pattern of her own.

“Now lemme try,” Ruthie said.

“All right, but you’ll have to be careful with the scissors,” warned Charlotte.

“Oh I will! I’ll be very careful,” Ruthie promised.

Charlotte tried to guide her little hand, but Ruthie would have none of it. “No!” she yelled, shaking her head vehemently. “I wanna do it all by myself.”

She worked away stubbornly, her lower lip sucked in, her straight brown hair straggling across her face. Repeatedly she pushed the locks back only to have them tumble forward again.

“How can she see anything with that hair in her eyes all the time?” Gertie cried. “Couldn’t we pin it back?”

“It wouldn’t stay. Her hair’s too soft. Say!” Charlotte’s face lit up with sudden inspiration. “Why don’t we cut bangs for her?”

Gertie looked dubious. “Gee, do you think we ought to? Aunt Fanny might not like it.”

“Nonsense,” pooh-poohed Charlotte. “She’d love it! Why with Ruthie’s little round face, she’d look cute as a bug with bangs. Ruthie, wouldn’t you rather have pretty bangs on your forehead instead of that long messy hair?”

“You mean like Buster Brown in the funnies?”

“Uh-huh. It’ll be so much more comfortable. Prettier too.”

“Ooh yes,” Ruthie agreed, charmed by the idea of a new hairdo.

Gertie still had her doubts. “But will you be able to do it all right, Charlotte?”

“There’s nothing to it. It’s simple.” Charlotte exuded supreme confidence. “You just take the scissors and cut across the forehead. Miss Ruth,” she bowed ceremoniously, “when you have finished what you’re doing, will you kindly step into our barbershop?”

Ruthie was quite ready to abandon the napkins for this new game. “I’m finished already,” she chirped.

Charlotte pulled a chair into the center of the room.

“Upsa daisy!” she cried, sweeping Ruthie off her feet and onto the seat.

“Now with your permission, madam.” Briskly she flip-flapped a towel and with a grand flourish tied it under Ruthie’s chin. Picking up the scissors, she held them aloft, clicking them open and shut.

The click, click sound seemed a bit menacing to Ruthie. Warily her big brown eyes followed Charlotte’s every move.

Now Charlotte was bending over her, scissors poised. Ruthie’s shoulders hunched. The metal felt cold against her temple. She squeezed her eyes shut so tight her face screwed up like a small monkey’s.

Snip—scrunch—snip! Wisps of hair started floating down into Ruthie’s lap. Scrunch-snip-scrunch! It wasn’t scary anymore. Ruthie relaxed.

“There you are!” Charlotte announced with satisfaction, stepping back to survey the effect.

“Do I look nice?” Ruthie asked.

“Very nice,” admitted Gertie. “Only … Charlotte, don’t
you think it ought to be straightened out a bit? The bangs look sort of uneven.”

“Hold up your head, Ruthie,” directed Charlotte.

“Hmm. You’re right, Gertie. It is a little bit shorter on the right. Well, we can fix that easily enough. Just a bit here—a tiny snip there—a little more—just a bit.…”

Another look and both sisters agreed that now the bangs were shorter on the left. Charlotte frowned. “I can’t understand why it doesn’t come out even.”

“I think you ought to put something with a straight edge up against her forehead and follow the line,” advised Gertie. “Like a ruler. That way you’d be sure to come out straight.”

Charlotte’s face lit up. “I have a much better idea.” She opened the door of the dish closet.

“What are you looking for?”

“This!” Charlotte held up a mixing bowl. “Turn it upside down and presto! You have a beautiful china hat with a perfect edge for cutting bangs.”

Ruthie sat very still as Charlotte put the mixing bowl on her head.

“Oh madam,” Charlotte gushed, “such a becoming hat! You look just gorgeous—simply gorgeous!”

“Lemme see. I wanna see,” Ruthie cried.

Gertie held up a shiny tin cookie jar. Ruthie giggled at her reflection. “I look so funny.”

The bowl slipped down over her eyes.

“Oops!” yelled Charlotte, rushing to the rescue. “Hey, where are you?” she asked laughingly as she maneuvered the bowl back into place. It slipped again, this time over one eye, giving Ruthie a rakish look.

“You hang on to it, Gertie,” Charlotte commanded, “or
we’ll never get this done. Hold the bowl so that only the tip ends of the bangs show. There—that’s fine! Close your eyes, Ruthie. I don’t want to get any hairs in them.”