The Distaff Quartet was now having monthly slumber parties. The December sleepover was at Marlene Hurst's. Marlene had never talked much about her family so the girls were awed when they entered the Hurst home. On the outside, it looked like a well-maintained hundred-year-old farmhouse. Inside, however, it was a palace. It was obvious that the Hursts were wealthy. Even Millie thought that if she lived in a house like this, she'd at least talk about it some. But Marlene had never said a thing. When the other three girls raved about the house, Marlene offhandedly said, "I didn't have anything to do with it. My dad made the money. Anyway, a house doesn't make a good life or make you somebody. Your family's love does that and you have as much of that as I do."
It turned out that the Hursts moved to Huron County from New York City where Marlene's dad had written for the Times. He'd tried his hand at a novel and it had made the top ten list. "So," said Marlene, "that's what he does now. He's had one get to number two but he's just a regular dad so don't try to make him out a big shot."
The other girls were not really impressed by wealth or status but it was obvious that Marlene had both and was just a regular kid. All three came away liking her a lot better, if that was possible.
It was a fun weekend. They never saw Marlene's dad. He had changed the old smokehouse into an office. It was probably as nice as the house but they never saw it. Marlene said her dad was in a groove and nobody better bother him.
The most fun thing they did was riding in a horse drawn sleigh. Other than the relative quiet of the country, the main reason the Hursts lived in the country was because Marlene's dad loved horses. There were ten. They were smaller than the other horses the girls had seen. The girls had heard of Belgians, and Percherons and Henry Edinburgh had Suffolks. Most Huron County farmers just had horses, a mixture of everything. Dick, Bess, Bill and Prince were just horses. Dick was black and Millie's dad said Dick may have some Percheron in him but he was too small to be all Percheron. Jack had no idea what breeds made up his other horses.
But Marlene knew the breed of all their horses. Two were Morgans. Two were Standardbred and the other six were Tennessee Walkers. Marlene said her dad loved Tennessee Walkers. He'd planned to sell his foals but he loved them so much he couldn't part with them. He did sell the stallion before he filled up his barn with Tennessee Walkers. Even for Marlene's dad, stallions were hard to love. The one they'd had would kick and bite but he was what Marlene's dad called, "blooded."
Marlene's sixteen-year-old brother used one of the Standardbreds to take the girls on the sleigh ride. Was that ever fun! Everything was fun. Millie saw where Marlene got her wit. Everybody there was funny. Millie couldn't wait to meet Marlene's dad. Marlene said that he was the funniest one in the family.
Millie now often babysat for Em. At first, she wondered about that. She was the same age as Rick. Why couldn't Rick watch Em? Then she realized. Rick was a boy. Boys were such children, except Freddy, of course, and besides, Dotty had told her, "They are brother and sister. They fight. Don't you and Freddy fight?"
"Well, no," Millie said, but then had a thought. "We argue some but you can't call that a fight."
It took a month for Millie to realize that every time Dotty was gone, Larry was also gone. They were going on dates. She couldn't wait to tell her mom.
Millie was a little disappointed when Irene answered, "I know, dear. They are going to be married. Just don't you say anything to anyone else before Dotty and Larry make the announcement. Millie had thought she knew something before her mother.
Rick liked Millie but he wasn't about to have a babysitter, especially one two weeks younger than he was. Larry solved his problem. Larry's dog, Herb, didn't like being alone. Rick had to be at Larry's or Herb would tear up the house. At least that's what he told Millie.