The Kidnapping of Millicent Marshmallow

The Kidnapping of Millicent Marshmallow

By Aunt Louise

Nut Sundae sat on the steps of the Ice Cream Freezer Hotel, a charming summer resort in the Sugar Loaf Mountains, feeling very blue. All that day his cousin, Fudge Sundae, had kept the attention of Millicent Marshmallow, the belle of the younger set.

No wonder Nut Sundae was sad, for he particularly liked Millicent Marshmallow himself. “Fudge, indeed!” He muttered to himself as he sat on the step. "What can she see in him? Dark faced thing! He isn’t worth a two cent tax. She must be crazy." With which foolish remarks Nut Sundae worked himself up to such a state that he finally resolved upon a very desperate deed. With which foolish remarks Nut Sundae worked himself up to such a state that he finally resolved upon a very desperate deed.

He hurried to a little shack nearby where lived, nobody knew how, two common persons called the Ice Cream Cones, who dressed somewhat on the Mexican style, with large pointed straw hats. Nut Sundae had a long conversation with them, and money passed from hand to hand.

There was a dance at the hotel that night. The Fizz-town Jazz Band played its loudest and all was fun and frivolity. Many beautiful girls were there from Cake City and Candy Town, but not one of them was more popular than Millicent Marshmallow in her soft, white gown. To be sure, she had powdered a bit too much, but some girls will do that, you know.

Nut Sundae watched with rage at his heart until she finished a dance with Fudge Sundae, and then he went and very politely asked if he might have one.

“You may have the fifth from this,” said Millicent.

The fifth dance came. Nut Sundae started gaily dancing with Millicent but pretty soon he said, “it is very hot, it is much cooler on the beach, let’s go there and look at the moon. Now Millicent was a well brought up young Marshmallow, and she knew it was not the thing to go with a Nut Sundae whom she knew slightly. But after hesitating for a moment she consented.

Down they went to where the Chocolate Lake danced under the rays of a full moon which, as Millicent said, looked exactly like the round baby face of the youngest Peppermint Drop. And there a neat little boat made of walnut shells lay on the beach.

“Oh!, what a darling boat!” cried Millicent. “Whose is it?” “Mine!” said Nut Sundae proudly, “Won’t you come for a little row with me?” Oh!, I can’t” answered Millicent, for she knew that by this time the next dance must be beginning, and besides there was something about Nut Sundae’s expression she did not quite like. “I must go back to the hotel, I have the next dance with Fudge Sundae.”

“Ha!” cried Nut Sundae violently, “you shall never dance it with him.” And he motioned to the two Ice Cream Cones, who were near they stepped forward, seized Millicent and put her into the stern of the little boat. Nut Sundae jumped in after her, and the Cones quickly pushing out took their place at the oars. A few strong strokes and the boat was bounding over the waves of the lake.

“Stop! How dare you! Take me back,” cried Millicent. “Never!” cried Nut Sundae, laughing loudly. “You are eloping with me. We will cross the lake to my home in Soda Town. There you shall marry me, and live happily ever after, and, oh my, won’t Cousin Fudge rage!”

“I won’t marry you!” said the frightened Millicent. “You are a bad, freckled-faced thing!” “I’m not! You will!” screamed Nut Sundae, who was very sensitive about his personal appearance.

For answer, Millicent began to rock the boat "Don't do that!" cried Nut Sundae in alarm.But Mildred rocked all the harder, and then the boat turned over and they all slid into the lake. "Ha! ha!" cried Millicent Marshmallow, floating serenely on top of the Chocolate Lake for Marshmallows can easily do this, as of course you know or if you don'tjust try one on your cup of chocolate some time and see.

"Ha! ha! How do you like eloping now?"But she paused in alarm, for nothing was to be seen of the Cones or Nut Sundae, except that the lake in three places looked thick and queer. And then for justan instant she saw their three heads. "Help!" they gurgled."Help!" echoed Millicent, for she was not a hardhearted girl, and did not wish to see them drown. Twiceagain they came up, and each time they looked smaller, and Millicent realized that, as the Chocolate Lake was warm from the hot weather, they were rapidly melting.She herself felt a little bit slimpsy.

Luckily, the Life-Saver Candies had seen the accident from their station on the beach, and even now were going to the rescue. Three of them jumped overboard and rescued the drowning Cones, while Millicent swam unaided to the Life-Savers' boat. She got back to the hotel but little the worse for wear, but Nut Sundae and the Ice Cream Cones were very small and subdued, and it took them a long time to get back to their proper size. Needless to say, they never took part in another runaway