CHAPTER V
THE LITTLE BUNGALOW
Immediately after breakfast the next morning Mrs. Ramsey bore off MissNewman in the automobile, and the two were gone most of the morning."And there is the porch party this afternoon," said Jennie. "It must besomething very important or mother wouldn't stay so long."
"What do you think it could be?" asked Edna. Louis had not yet madehis appearance and the little girls had resumed their old harmoniousattitude toward one another.
"I'm sure I don't know, but I think it must be something about MissNewman."
"Let's ask Miss Eloise if she knows," suggested Dorothy.
But Miss Eloise could give them no satisfaction. "Sister said they weregoing off on a little matter of business and that she would tell mewhen they came back," she informed the children.
"Well, lunch is on the table," said Edna, "so we won't have to waitvery long."
She was quite right for at this moment the two ladies arrived. "Whatdid keep you so forever, Mother?" asked Jennie as her mother joined theothers who were already at table.
"Well, my dear, it is quite a story. We have had a great morning ofit, and as soon as we get something to eat we will tell you all aboutit. I am sure Miss Newman is half starved, for we have been from Dan toBeersheba this morning."
"Those sound like Bible places," spoke up Edna.
"So they are," said Mrs. Ramsey laughing, and though Edna was puzzledshe did not stop to inquire further because just here Miss Newman said,"And what do you think we have been doing?" And then before anyonecould guess, "We've been house-hunting," she said.
"House-hunting," repeated Miss Eloise. "Sister, what do you mean?"
Then Mrs. Ramsey broke in with, "And the best of it is we have nothunted in vain."
This all sounded so very mysterious that everyone began askingquestions until Mrs. Ramsey cried, "Do be quiet all of you and we'lltry to tell you." So everyone subsided into expectancy and she began."The house is for Miss Newman and Miss Eloise, and it is the Duncan'sbungalow."
"Oh, Mother," Jennie broke in, "that dear cunning little place at theedge of the woods? You don't mean that."
"That is just what I do mean and it has all come about in the loveliestway, but I am not going to tell anything more till after lunch. Youhave had sauce enough for your curiosity and you can wait."
"It all sounds so bewildering that I am not sure whether I am awakeor not," said Miss Eloise. "Either I am dreaming or I shall have tobelieve in fairies. I think I would rather believe in fairies, for I amsure a very good one has been at work."
Luncheon was disposed of in such short order that Mrs. Ramsey declaredthat everyone would have an attack of indigestion on account of suchhasty eating, but she agreed to gratify the curiosity so very apparentand led the way to the porch where they all usually settled for alittle talk after meals.
"Shall I tell or will you, Miss Newman?" she asked.
"You, please, for you can begin further back of the facts than I canwho did not come into them till this morning."
"Well, then," began Mrs. Ramsey, "it all began with Jennie."
"With me?" came in a surprised voice from Jennie.
"Yes, you," Mrs. Ramsey nodded. "It was when we were out in theautomobile yesterday afternoon and were talking of how soon MissNewman and Miss Eloise must end their visit, and you said you wishedthey could stay and wasn't there some little cottage they couldtake. Then you further set the ball rolling by adding that you wishedthere were a school that kept open all summer so Miss Newman could beoccupied there. That was the very beginning, for it set me thinking.I remembered that Mrs. Duncan had said to me the last time I saw her,that she was afraid Rudolph wouldn't be able to enter college thisfall as he had lost so much time on account of his illness last spring,but that she did not want to send him away anywhere to prepare for hisexaminations as he needed the sea air and the attention he would get athome. Moreover, her husband objected to his having a resident tutor forvarious reasons, and they thought Rudolph would overtax his strengthif he went into Boston every day. All this suddenly came up to me andI said to myself, Why shouldn't Miss Newman be as capable of coachinghim as a tutor? That was the first thought, and then I remembered thelittle bungalow. I knew the Duncans had met with some losses this year,that their two eldest sons, for whom the bungalow was built, had goneabroad, and that maybe they would let Miss Newman have it in exchangefor coaching Rudolph. That is what took me over there last evening."
Miss Eloise's face was lit up as with a flame and her lovely eyes werelike stars. "Oh," she breathed, "didn't I say I had to believe in agood fairy?"
"So," Mrs. Ramsey went on, "I had a most satisfactory interview withMrs. Duncan who promised to talk over the matter with her husbandwhen he should come home last evening, and I went away promising to goover this morning with Miss Newman. Mr. Duncan stayed at home to seeher and we talked and talked, first with Mrs. Duncan, then with Mr.Duncan and last of all with Rudolph, and before we came away it was allsettled. Miss Newman is to have the bungalow and Rudolph is to have thecoaching."
"Good! Good!" cried Jennie clapping her hands. "Did Miss Newman see thebungalow?"
"Yes, we went all through it."
"Isn't it a dear little place? I went all through it, too. Oh, MissEloise, it is so cunning. There are just four rooms: a living roomwith a big fireplace, two bedrooms and a cunning kitchen. The boys usedto have spreads there, and would cook all sorts of messes. There is abath-room, too. You can have either salt water, or fresh water, just aswe have."
Miss Eloise put out her hand to clasp her sister's. "It sounds too goodto be true," she whispered.
"But, Mamma," cried Jennie suddenly, "have you forgotten the porchparty? It is almost time for the children to come."
"Dear me!" exclaimed Mrs. Ramsey, "I very nearly forgot, though I toldEmma what preparations to make, and I am sure it will be all right.Still, you little girls had best go change your frocks so as to beready."
The three flew upstairs chattering like magpies, and when up they flewaround excitedly so as to get down again to ask more questions, thoughthis they were not able to do as the very first relay of guests arrivedbefore they were quite dressed. These happened to be the Potters. Theywere followed by Louis and two other boys from the hotel, and then thearrivals did not cease till twenty children were established aroundMiss Eloise. For an hour they were delighted listeners, for it seemedas if this teller of tales had never been in better spirits nor had sheever told a more entrancing story, and when at last it came to an endthere were many long drawn "Ahs" which showed that no one was ready tohave her stop.
Then the carriages and automobiles began coming up and the childrenwere whirled away, though in several cases the mothers who had comefor them remained to speak to Miss Eloise, and one or two remained inearnest conversation with Mrs. Ramsey long after the others had gone.
It had been such an exciting day for Miss Eloise that she retiredvery early, and the little girls sat by themselves in a corner of theliving-room while Mrs. Ramsey and Miss Newman talked in a low tonebefore the open fire. The evening was cool and it was not only toochilly to sit on the porch, but none too warm for the fire. The littlegirls themselves, though animated enough at first, soon began to growdrowsy and presently Edna's head was in Jennie's lap while Jennie'shead was on Dorothy's shoulder, and Dorothy herself was propped upagainst the wall trying in vain to keep her eyes open. The murmur ofvoices went on and in a few minutes Jennie, finding that her prop wasbeginning to sway over toward a chair, roused up to hear her mothersay:
"Are you sure she will not find it too much of a task, Miss Newman?"
"I am quite sure she will not, for she has her Children's Hour everyday in the city, and she will be so rejoiced at the idea of earningsomething that she will be more than ever eager to do it. Then,consider, Mrs. Ramsey, how much stronger she is."
Of course this must be about Miss Eloise, but what could she be goingto do to enable her to earn money? Jennie was w
ide awake at once. Shehad more than once heard Miss Eloise long to be earning something,and now she was going to do it. Rather unceremoniously Edna's head wastransferred to Dorothy's lap and Jennie got up to go to the two by thefire.
"Oh, Mamma," she said, "I do so want to know what you are talkingabout. Is it Miss Eloise and what is she going to do?"
"Dear me," said Mrs. Ramsey, "I thought you children had gone into theother room, you were all so quiet."
"I think we were all half asleep. I know Edna is in Dreamland, and Ithink Dorothy is, too."
"Well, my dear," spoke up Miss Newman, "I am sure Eloise will notobject to your knowing that when we get into our little bungalow she isto have a porch party of her own every day. Several of the ladies whowere here this afternoon, said they would be so pleased if she wouldagree to give an hour each day to the telling of tales to a certainnumber of children, and offered to pay very liberally for it. Many ofthe ladies are boarding, and would like a quiet hour when they could besure their restless little children were not annoying anyone by theirnoise, and when this plan was proposed they were more than pleased."
"And what did Miss Eloise say?" asked Jennie. "Does she know?"
"Oh, yes, for she had to be consulted, of course. I have seldom seenher so pleased."
"Then I am very glad," said Jennie. "May I tell the other girls?"
"Certainly you may."
"And since you are all tired out I think you'd better run up to bed,"said her mother. "It has been a very full day and we shall all turn inearly."
Thus charged Jennie went over to rouse the others who, though stillsleepy, were ready to show interest in what Jennie had to tell them,and were heard talking of it all the way up the stairs.
A more careful examination of the little bungalow showed that therewould be some things wanted for the entire comfort of the Newmansisters, but these Mrs. Ramsey insisted upon furnishing, or at leastlending from her own home, so the next week saw the inmates happy astwo birds in a nest. Cap'n Si's grand-daughter was engaged to come overevery morning to do up the dishes and help get dinner and the rest waseasy enough, Miss Newman declared. Everyone missed Miss Eloise fromher place on the porch, but she was so happy in her new surroundings,that all rejoiced for her. The little girls found amusement enoughand managed to get along very well indeed when only the three weretogether, but when Louis appeared there was nearly always sure to bediscord.
Therefore one morning when Louis was seen coming in the gate, Dorothygave an impatient "Oh, pshaw! I thought we were going to have a nicepleasant time to-day, and here comes Louis."
"I wish you wouldn't talk that way about my cousin," said Edna, herloyal spirit rising within her.
"I can't help it if he is your cousin, he is always doing or sayingsomething to stir up a fuss. I don't see why he likes to play withgirls, anyhow. I should think he would much rather play with boys."
"There aren't any but very big boys or very little ones at the hotel,"explained Edna.
"Then why doesn't he go play with Billy Potter?"
"Billy Potter, that stick?" Edna spoke in great contempt. "Why he issuch a lump that he couldn't play with anyone."
"Well, at least he wouldn't fuss with them. We were going to playdolls, this morning, and Louis will never do that."
"I'm going to play dolls, whatever Louis does or says," spoke up Jennie.
"So am I then," declared Dorothy. "What are you going to do, Edna?"
"I don't know," said Edna doubtfully. She dearly loved dolls, but shedid not intend to desert Louis.
"Well, if you want to play with Louis you can," continued Dorothy; "butunless he will play with dolls he cannot come with us."
Edna turned slowly and went forward to meet Louis who had crossed thelawn and was nearly up to them. "Hallo," said he.
"Hallo," returned Edna rather dejectedly. "The girls say they are goingto play with the dolls out in the summer house; I don't suppose youwant to play with them."
"With dolls? Not I. If that's what they are going to do you and Ican go down to the beach and build a sandcastle or go fishing orsomething."
"Oh, not fishing," replied Edna quickly. Her tender heart could neverstand that. "I'd just as lief build castles though." She followed Louisdown to the beach and for a while they played quite contentedly.
After a while Louis tired of castles and proposed that they go furtheralong. "I know where there is a cave," he said. "We can play at beingrobbers, or smugglers."
"How far is it?" asked Edna.
"Oh, not very far." Louis waved his hand toward the point which curvedbeyond them. "It's just down that way."
They set off together along the beach, but though they climbed overgreat boulders and scrambled around scraggy roots of trees the placewas ever beyond them.
"I think it is awfully far," said Edna at last.
"Oh, it can't be far now; the boys told me it was this side of thepoint."
"Oh, but I thought you knew just where it was."
"So I do. Didn't the boys tell me?" Louis spoke with such assurancethat Edna followed on and was presently relieved to hear him say:
"Look there. What did I tell you?"
Sure enough just ahead of them was a hollowed place in the bank whichmight easily be called a cave. The bank was quite high just here andstretched down almost to the sea so there was but a small stretch ofsand in front of the cave. The children clambered into the shelter torest, but Louis was not content to sit still for long.
"I'm going out to explore," he said. "You sit here till I come back. Iwon't stay long."
He was as good as his word for in a few minutes he returned. "Guesswhat," he began. "There's a boat out there. I'm going to borrow it andthen we can pretend you are a female smuggler or you can be a robbermaid and will rescue me to rob me. No, I'd rather have it the otherway. I'll be the robber and will find you in this sea cave with a hoardof jewels that were left with you after a shipwreck. I'll go get theboat and row in."
"Oh, Louis, indeed you'd better not," said Edna in fear lest he be toofoolhardy.
"But I'm not going out to sea really. The boat is just round the littlebend the other side of us. I don't mean to steal it. I'll take it backwhen we get through playing."
"Please don't, Louis. I'm so afraid you will upset or something,besides I don't think you ought to take the boat even for a littlewhile. Suppose the owner should come and want it."
"Oh, no, he won't." Louis was always very ready to believe things weregoing to happen just to suit him. "Isn't that just like a girl to getall worked up over a little thing like that? Why, I rowed ever so farthe other day, and this is only a few yards."
"But suppose, just suppose the boat should leak. It may be an old one."
"I'll examine it first. You don't have to come, you know. All you haveto do is to be the robber maid, no, I mean the ship-wrecked one. Youmight be gathering some pebbles for make-believe jewels. You can hidethem in that corner and I will discover them. You must be asleep when Icome."
Seeing no persuasion was of any avail, Edna watched Louis go off andthen set herself to work to gather pebbles. This was rather a pleasantamusement, and she soon had a nice little pile of those which wereeither milky white, which showed some faint color, or which shone withspots of mica or quartz. Her jewels in order, she began to think ithigh time to be expecting the robber, so she lay down on the sand tocompose herself in pretended slumber.
She lay there for some time, and being tired could almost have droppedoff into a real sleep, only that she felt anxious about her cousin.Why didn't he come? "Perhaps he is fishing, or maybe he is talking tothe man that owns the boat. The man might have come up and he might beangry with Louis for meddling. I think I'll go and peep."
She crawled out of the cave surprised to find the strip of beach muchnarrower than she remembered it. Really there was no beach to speakof now, for just as she was venturing out a wave came curling up toher very feet. She retreated, a good deal alarmed. The cave was highenough for her to stand u
pright, but was not very deep. She stood for amoment watching the water at the entrance. It didn't come so far in thenext time, but still it was quite far enough to cause alarm. Supposethe tide were rising and it should come up, up into the very furthestcorner of the cave. The thought filled her with terror, and gave suddenpurpose to her movements. She would flee while there was yet time. Shedashed out, unheeding the water through which she splashed, and whichcame over her ankles. Her main thought was to climb up the bank andget beyond any possibility of the tide's over-taking her. Scrambling,falling, clutching at the bayberry bushes which fastened themselvessecurely into the soil, she managed at last to reach the top. From hereshe believed she could see up and down the coast. But all at once itwas made evident to her that she could not see, for a chill grey foghad crept in, and was enveloping land and sea. Strain her eyes as shewould there was no house visible, neither was there sign of Louis northe boat.