Betsy and the Boys (11 page)

Ha, ha!
thought Betsy.
I know who gave him that. It was Ellen, 'cause I saw it in Ellens bag.

Betsy was sure that Billy was on the way to her house to leave the box of candy, so she walked very slowly. She didn't want to catch him leaving the package on the step. She must let him think she was surprised. Betsy stopped to play with a dog so that Billy would have plenty of time to get away.

Finally she decided that it was safe to go home. As she turned the last corner, she ran
plump into Ellen. Ellen laughed and said, "Oh, Betsy! You scared me!"

Betsy laughed and said, "Oh, hello, Ellen!" And Betsy knew, and Ellen knew that Betsy knew, that she had been leaving a valentine at Betsy's house. But, of course, they both made believe that they didn't know.

"Well, good-bye," said Ellen.

"Good-bye," said Betsy. "I hope you get a lot of valentines."

"Oh, yes," said Ellen. "I hope you do too."

Just as the little girls parted, Betsy saw Rudy dart out from behind some bushes.
Now what has he been up to?
thought Betsy.

Billy was nowhere in sight, so Betsy ran down the street as fast as she could go. Sure enough, there on the step sat a white box that Betsy was sure was candy, and a little package wrapped in red paper.

Betsy picked them up and opened the door. Inside the floor was strewn with white envelopes. Most of them were for Betsy, although some were for Star.

She gathered them up and ran upstairs to her bedroom. She dropped the envelopes on her desk and sat down in her chair. She opened the red
package first. She was sure that Ellen had left it for her. Inside there was a beautiful, little, fat, pink satin heart. It was a pincushion. Betsy placed it on her bureau. She stood back and admired it. She thought it looked beautiful.

Then she unwrapped the candy box. She lifted the lid while her mouth watered. What she saw made her scream. The candy box, instead of being filled with luscious chocolates, was filled with fish heads.

"Oh!" cried Betsy. "Oh!" She began to cry very hard. With tears streaming down her face she ran downstairs. She found Mrs. Beckett in the kitchen and she ran to her, holding out the dreadful box.

"'Laws a mercy!" cried Mrs. Beckett. "What's that?"

Betsy was choking with sobs so that she couldn't speak. She put the box on the table, and with her arms across her eyes she cried as though her heart would break.

Mrs. Beckett put her arms around Betsy. "Oh, don't cry like that, darling," said Mrs. Beckett. "Tell me what it's all about. Tell me, dear."

Betsy just clung to Mrs. Beckett and sobbed. Mrs. Beckett patted her until the sobbing ceased.

"Now, tell me," said Mrs. Beckett.

Betsy felt exhausted but she managed to say, "It was Billy. He put that awful box of fish heads on the front step. And it was all wrapped up like a box of candy. I thought it was a box of candy."

"Billy?" cried Mrs. Beckett. "Billy Porter did that?"

"Yes," said Betsy. "I saw him carrying the box."

"Why, I never heard of anything so dreadful," said Mrs. Beckett. "He should have a good whipping. I suppose he thinks that kind of trick is funny. Well, I would like to funny him, all right. Don't you have anything more to do with that boy."

"Well, I'm glad I didn't give him that nice penwiper that I made for his valentine," said Betsy. "I'm glad I left it home this morning."

Mrs. Beckett carried the box outside and threw it into the garbage can. "If I catch sight of that Billy, I'll give him what's what," she muttered to herself.

Betsy's Valentine's Day that had started out so bright and shiny ended sadly. Even the valentines that she had picked up from inside the front door couldn't make her forget that terrible

box of fish heads. She told herself over and over that she would never, never forgive Billy.

The next morning when she woke she had a strange feeling that something was wrong. At first she didn't know what it was. Then she remembered. It was Billy. She was mad at Billy.

Instead of stopping for Billy, as she often did, Betsy went straight to school. When Billy arrived, he grinned at Betsy and said, "Hiya, Betsy! Did you get a lot of valentines? I know which one you sent me."

Betsy tossed her braids and said, "I didn't send you any valentine and don't you ever speak to me again."

Billy's face grew crimson and he said, "OK. If you feel that way about it."

At recess Betsy said to Ellen, "That was a lovely valentine you gave me. It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it," said Ellen. "How did you know which one was mine?"

Betsy giggled. "I saw it in your bag when you opened it yesterday."

Ellen looked puzzled. "But how could you tell?" she said.

"By the color," replied Betsy.

Ellen looked very blank.

"I have my pins in it," said Betsy.

"Your pins?" said Ellen.

Just then the bell rang and the children scampered back to their classrooms.

All of the rest of the month of February Betsy never spoke to Billy unless it was absolutely necessary in the classroom. She didn't go near his house and he didn't come to hers.

Betsy had never mentioned the terrible valentine box to anyone because Mrs. Beckett had told her not to speak of it. Several times Mrs. Porter had asked Billy why Betsy never came to the house, and Billy said, "I dunno."

Billy's birthday was the first of March and Mrs. Porter planned a birthday party for him. When he made out the list of friends he wanted to invite, Betsy's name was not on the list.

"Now, Billy," said his mother, "you must invite Betsy."

"I won't have her," said Billy.

"Billy," said Mrs. Porter, "this is all very silly. Betsy was one of your very best friends. She gave you that lovely football and now you don't want to invite her to your party. What is the matter with you?"

"Well, she didn't send me any valentine, and
she said she didn't want me to speak to her again," said Billy.

"Betsy said that!" exclaimed Mrs. Porter. "Why, that isn't like Betsy."

"Well, she did," said Billy.

"Then you must have done something to hurt her," said his mother.

"I didn't do a thing," said Billy. "I just gave her a valentine just like the one I gave Ellen."

"Then there has been some misunderstanding," said his mother.

"What do you mean, 'misunderstanding'?" asked Billy.

"Why, Betsy evidently feels that you have done something to hurt her," said Mrs. Porter. "The best way to show her that you wouldn't be unkind to her is to invite her to your party."

"Oh, all right," said Billy.

When Betsy received the invitation to the party, she threw it on her desk and said, "Humph! Billy Porter has invited me to his birthday party."

"Well, you'll not go there," said Mrs. Beckett.

"I should say not," said Betsy.

The following day Billy said, "Betsy, are you coming to my birthday party?"

And Betsy said, "I am not coming to your party."

Then Billy said, "Say, Betsy! What's the matter with you?"

"You know what you did," replied Betsy as she ran off to join a group of girls.

The very day of Billy's party Betsy's father and mother returned home. Betsy and Star were overjoyed to see them again. They both sat on Mother's bed, and Betsy chattered like a little magpie while Mother unpacked.

Finally Betsy said, "Billy Porter is having a birthday party this afternoon."

"He is?" said Mother. "Has Mrs. Beckett pressed your pink dress and did you buy a present for Billy?"

"I'm not going," said Betsy.

Mother turned away from the suitcase and looked at Betsy. "You're not going!" she exclaimed. "Why not?"

Then Betsy told Mother what had happened on Valentine's Day. Mother sat down on a chair and listened to every word. When Betsy finished, Mother said, "Why, darling, I don't believe it."

"But it's true, Mother," said Betsy.

"I don't believe Billy did it," said Mother. "It isn't like Billy to do a thing like that."

"Well, I know he did," said Betsy.

"No, Betsy, you don't know that he did it.
You just think he did it," said Mother. "What you know about Billy is that he has always been kind and loving and generous, and you have to judge people by what you know about them, not by what you think about them."

"Well, Mrs. Beckett said that I shouldn't have anything to do with him," said Betsy.

"But Mrs. Beckett doesn't know Billy," said Mother. "You and I do. Now take your pink dress down to Mrs. Beckett and ask her to press it."

Without a word Betsy went to her closet and took out her pink party dress. She carried it downstairs.

Betsy had just given the dress to Mrs. Beckett when the doorbell rang. Betsy opened the door and there stood little Eddie. He was carrying a bundle, wrapped in newspaper.

"Hello, Eddie!" said Betsy.

"Hello, Betsy!" said Eddie. "I came over to see if you have an empty candy box."

"I don't know, but I'll see," said Betsy.

"I'll tell you what I want it for," said Eddie. "But it's a secret. You mustn't tell."

Eddie began to giggle. "I'm going to play a joke on Billy," he said. "I've got some fish heads here and I'm going to put them in a candy box
and wrap it all up to look like a present and give it to Billy. He'll think it's a birthday present. Rudy did it on Valentine's Day, only Rudy said his box was for a girl." Eddie laughed. "I'll bet she was surprised when she opened that box."

Betsy could hardly believe her ears. She stood as though glued to the spot. At last she found her voice and cried, "Eddie! Did Rudy do that?"

"Yes," said Eddie. "I saw him. And they were my cats' fish heads and I had to go ask the fish man for some more."

"Eddie," said Betsy, "that was a terrible thing for Rudy to do and you mustn't do it to Billy. That isn't at all funny. It's mean and cruel. You don't want to be mean and cruel, do you, Eddie?"

Eddie looked very solemn and his eyes were big and round. "Oh, no," he said.

"Well then, you take those awful fish heads home to the cats. Then come right back and we'll go out and buy Billy two nice birthday presents," said Betsy.

Eddie dashed off like a jackrabbit and Betsy went upstairs to tell Mother the surprising thing that she had learned from Eddie.

He was back in what seemed to be no time
at all, and the two children started for the shopping center of the town. When they returned, Eddie had bought a jigsaw puzzle and Betsy had bought an animal book for Billy's birthday present.

Betsy put on her pink dress and Mother drove the two children to Billy's house.

When Mrs. Porter opened the door, she said, "Why, Betsy! I'm so glad you came." Billy was right behind his mother and Mrs. Porter turned to him and said, "Billy, here are Betsy and Eddie."

Billy said, "Hello!" and took the two packages the children held out to him. He said, "Thanks a lot."

"Oh, Billy," said Betsy, "I'm so sorry I was mad at you. I thought you did something that you didn't do at all. I hope you will forgive me for being so horrid to you. Here's your valentine too."

Billy's face grew red and he scuffed his toe on the rug and said, "Oh, sure, sure. Thanks." Then he yelled, "Come on, everybody, we're going to play consequences."

Betsy's mother came for her when it was time to go home. When Betsy got into the car, Mother said, "Did you have a nice time, dear?"

"Oh, yes," replied Betsy. "I had a lovely time. You know, Mother, I felt just like me again and I haven't felt like me since Valentine's Day."

"I'm so glad," said Mother.

"It was silly of me to forget, all that time, what I really know about Billy, wasn't it?" said Betsy.

"Very silly, darling," replied Mother.

"Well, I'll try never to forget again," said Betsy.

C
AROLYN
H
AYWOOD
(1898-1990) was born in Philadelphia and began her career as an artist. She hoped to become a children's book illustrator, but at an editor's suggestion, she began writing stories about the everyday lives of children. The first of those, "
B" Is for Betsy,
was published in 1939, and more than fifty other books followed. One of America's most popular authors for children, Ms. Haywood used many of her own childhood experiences in her novels. "
I
write for children," she once explained, "because
I
feel that they need to know what is going on in their world and they can best understand it through stories."