Page:Rilla of Ingleside (1921).djvu/152

 the garden, and mother and she are housecleaning, and we Junior Reds are getting up a concert in aid of the Belgians. We have been practising for a month and having no end of trouble and bother with cranky people. Miranda Pryor promised to help with a dialogue and when she had her part all learned her father put his foot down and refused to allow her to help at all. I am not blaming Miranda exactly, but I do think she might have a little more spunk sometimes. If she put her foot down once in a while she might bring her father to terms, for she is all the housekeeper he has and what would he do if she ‘struck’? If I were in Miranda’s shoes I’d find some way of managing Whiskers-on-the-moon—yea, verily, I would horse-whip him—or bite him, if nothing else would serve. But Miranda is a meek and obedient daughter whose days should be long in the land.

“I couldn’t get any one else to take the part, because nobody liked it, so I finally had to take it myself. Olive Keith is on the concert committee and goes against me in every single thing. But I got my way in asking Mrs. Channing to come out from town and sing for us, anyhow. She is a beautiful singer and will draw such a crowd that we will make more than we will have to pay her. Olive Keith thought our ‘local talent’ good enough and Minnie Clow won't sing at all now in the choruses because she would be ‘so nervous’ before’ Mrs. Channing. And Minnie is the only good alto we have! There are times when I am so exasperated that I feel tempted to wash my hands of the whole affair; but after I dance around my room a few times in sheer rage I cool down and have another whack at it. Just at present I am racked with worry