CHAPTER VI
TWO WELCOME GUESTS
It was Saturday afternoon. The Maynard children had been told thatguests were expected to dinner, and they must put on festival array.
And so when King and Marjorie, in white serge and white piquerespectively, wandered out on to the front veranda, they found theirparents and a very dressy-looking Rosamond there before them.
"Who are coming to dinner, Mother?" asked Midget.
"Ask your father, my dear."
"Why, don't _you_ know, Mother? Well, who are they, Daddy?"
"Somebody and somebody else," replied Mr. Maynard, smiling.
"Oho, a secret!" exclaimed Midget. "Then it must be somebody nice! Let'sguess, King."
"All right. Are they kids or grown-ups, Father?"
"Grown-ups, my son."
"Oh!" and Marjorie looked disappointed. "Do we know them?"
"You have met them, yes."
"Do they live at Seacote?"
"They are here for the summer."
"Where do they live winters?" asked King.
"Under the Stars and Stripes."
"Huh! that may mean the Philippines or Alaska!"
"It may. Have you met many people who reside in those somewhat removedspots?"
"Not many," said King, "and that's a fact. Well, are they a lady andgentleman?"
"They are."
"Oh, I know!" cried Marjorie. "It's Kitty and Uncle Steve! He saidthey'd come down here some time while we're here! Am I right, Father?"
"Not quite, Mopsy. You see, I said they are grown-ups."
"Both of them?"
"Both of them."
"Well, I don't care much who they are, then," declared King. "I don'tsee anything in it for us, Mops."
"No, but we ought to guess them if they're spending the summer here andwe've met them. Of course, it couldn't be Kitty! She isn't spending thesummer here. Is it the Coreys or Craigs, Father?"
"No, neither of those names fit our expected guests."
"Then it must be some of those people the other side of the pier. Idon't know any more on this side except the fishermen. Is it any ofthem?"
"Well, no. I doubt if they'd care to visit us. But never mind our guestsfor the moment; I want you two children to go on an errand for me."
"Right-o!" said King. "Where?"
"Walk along the shore road three blocks, then turn inland and walk ablock and a half. Do you know that place with lots of vines all over thefront of the house?"
"Yes, I do," said Marjorie, "but nobody lives there."
"All right. I want you to take a message to Mr. Nobody."
"Oh, Father, what do you mean?"
"Just what I say. You say nobody lives there, and that's the very man Imean."
"All right," said King. "We'll go, if you tell us to. Hey, Mops?"
"'Course we will! What shall we say to Mr. Nobody, Father?"
"First you must ring the doorbell, and if Nobody opens the door, walkin."
"Ho! If Nobody opens the door, how _can_ we walk in?"
"Walk in. And then if Nobody speaks to you, answer him politely, and sayyour father, one Mr. Maynard, desires his advice and assistance."
"Oh, Father, I do believe you're crazy!" exclaimed Marjorie.
"Never mind," said King, "if Father's crazy, we'll be crazy too! Whatnext, for orders?"
"After that, be guided by your own common sense and good judgment.And,--you wouldn't be frightened at Nobody, would you?"
"No!" declared King. "Nobody could frighten me!"
"Oh, he could, could he? Well, you are a foolish boy if Nobody couldfrighten you!"
King looked a little confused, and then he laughed and said, "Well, I'djust as lieve fight Nobody, if he attacks me."
"There'll be no cause to fight, my boy. Now, skip along, and rememberyour message."
"Yes, Mr. Edward Maynard wants advice and assistance from Nobody! Well,I guess that's right, Father, but it all sounds to me like an April Fooljoke. Come on, Midget."
As the two children skipped away, King said, thoughtfully, "What does itall mean, Mops?"
"I dunno, King. But it means _something_. It isn't a wild-goose chase,or an April-fool sort of joke. I know Father has some nice surprise forus the way his eyes twinkled."
"Well, but this empty house business seems so silly! I know nobody livesthere, for I passed there a few days ago, and it was all shut up."
"Well, we'll soon find out," and the children turned the corner towardthe house in question. Sure enough, the blinds were closed and there wasno sign of habitation.
"Mr. Nobody lives here, all right!" said King as they entered the gate.
"And such a pretty place, too," commented Marjorie, looking at theluxuriant vines that ran riot over the front veranda.
King rang the bell, feeling half-angry and half-silly at theperformance. In a moment the door swung open, but no person was seen.
"Well!" exclaimed King. "Nobody opened that door!"
"We must walk in," said Midget. "Father said so."
"Oh, I hate to! We really haven't any right to go into a strange houselike this!"
"But Father said to! Come on!" And grasping King's hand, Midget urgedhim inside. They stood in the middle of a pretty and attractivelyfurnished hall, but saw or heard no people.
"Hello, Mr. Nobody!" said Marjorie, still clasping King's hand tightly,for the situation was a little weird.
"Hello, yourself!" responded a cheery voice, but they couldn't see anyone.
The voice reassured King, and he said, humorously, "I see Nobody! How doyou do, sir?"
"Quite well," answered the same voice, but it was a bit muffled, andthey couldn't judge where it came from. Also it sounded very gay andlaughing, and Marjorie thought it seemed a bit familiar, though shecouldn't place it.
"My father sent a message," went on King, sturdily. "He says he wantsNobody's advice and assistance."
"What a self-reliant man!" said the voice, and then from behind aportiere a laughing face appeared, followed by a man's active body. Atthe same time, from an opposite portiere, a lady sprang out and tookMarjorie in her arms.
"Cousin Ethel!"
"Cousin Jack!"
And the children laughed in glee as they recognized Mr. and Mrs. Bryant.
"You dear things!" the lady exclaimed. "I think it's awful to startleyou so, but it's the joke of your father and your Cousin Jack. I wasafraid it would scare you. Did it?"
"Not exactly," said Marjorie, cuddling in Cousin Ethel's arms, but Kingprotested:
"No, indeed!" he declared. "I wasn't scared, but I felt a little queer."
"You're two Ducky Daddles!" Cousin Ethel cried, and Cousin Jack slappedKing on the shoulder and said, "You're a trump, old man!" and King feltvery grown-up and manly.
"What's it all about?" he inquired, and Mr. Bryant replied:
"Well, you see, if you've room for us here in Seacote, we're going tostay here for a while. In fact, we've taken this shack with such anintention."
"Oh!" cried Marjorie. "You've taken this house for the summer, andFather knew it, and sent us over here to be surprised!"
"You've sized up the situation exactly, Mehitabel," said Cousin Jack,who loved to call Midget by this old-fashioned name. "And now, if wewere properly invited, and very strongly urged, we _might_ be persuadedto go home to dinner with you."
"Oh," cried Marjorie, a light breaking in upon her, "you're the dinnerguests they're expecting!"
"We sure are!" said Cousin Jack. "And as this is the first time we'vebeen invited out to dinner in Seacote, we're impatient to go."
So they set off for the Maynard house, and Midget led the way withCousin Ethel.
"When did you come?" she inquired.
"Only this morning, dear. We're not quite set to rights yet, though Ibrought my own servants, and they'll soon have us all comfy."
"And how did you and Father fix up this plan?"
"He was over here this afternoon, and he and Cousin Jack planned it.
Then, as soon as you left your house, your father telephoned over here,and we prepared to receive you in that crazy fashion. Of course, Jackopened the door and stayed behind it. You weren't frightened, were you?"
"No, not really. But it seemed a little,--a little creepy, you know."
"Of course it did!" cried Cousin Jack from behind them. "But that houseis so overhung with creepers it makes you feel creepy anyway. I'm goingto call it Creeper Castle."
"Oh, don't!" said Marjorie. "It sounds horrid! Makes you think ofcaterpillars and things like that!"
"So it does! Well, Mehitabel, you name it for us. I can't live in ahouse without a name."
"I'd call it Bryant Bower. That sounds flowery and pretty."
"Just the ticket! You're a genius for names! Bryant Bower it is. What'sthe name of your house,--Maynard Mansion?"
"Maynard Manor is prettier," suggested Cousin Ethel.
"So it is! Maynard Manor goes! I don't know anybody with prettiermanners than the Maynards, especially the younger generation of them,"and though Cousin Jack spoke laughingly, there was an earnest undertonein his voice that greatly pleased King and Marjorie.
"Hooray!" cried that hilarious gentleman, as they reached the Maynards'veranda. "Hello, Ed. How d'ye do, Helen? Here we are! We're returningyour youngsters right side up with care. Why, look who's here!" andcatching up Rosy Posy, he tossed her high in the air, to the littlegirl's great delight.
Dinner was a festive occasion indeed, and afterward they all sat on thewide veranda and listened to the roar of the waves.
"This is a restful place," said Cousin Ethel, as she leaned backcomfortably in her wicker rocker.
"So it is," agreed her husband, "but, if you ask _me_, I think it's_too_ restful. I like a place with some racket to it, don't you,Hezekiah?"
This was his pet name for King, and the boy replied:
"There's fun enough here, Cousin Jack, if you make it yourself."
"That's so, is it? Well, I guess I'll try to make some. Let's see, isn'tFourth of July next week?"
"Yes, it is," said Marjorie. "Next week, Wednesday."
"Well, that's a good day to have fun; and an especially good day for aracket. What shall we do, kiddies?"
"Do you mean for us to choose?" asked Marjorie.
"No, Mehitabel; you suggest, and I'll choose. You think of the verynicest sort of celebrations you know, and I'll select the nicest of themall."
"Well," said Midget, thoughtfully, "there's a party or a picnic. Howmany people do you mean, Cousin Jack? And do you mean children orgrown-ups?"
"Now I feel aggrieved, and insulted, and chagrined, and many other awfulthings!" Cousin Jack looked so woe-begone that they almost thought himin earnest. "You _know_, Mehitabel, that I'm but a child myself! I'm nota grown-up, and I never will be!"
"That's so!" laughed his wife.
"And so, us children will have a celebration of the children, for thechildren, and by the children! How many perfectly good children do youknow down here?"
"Not many," said King; "hardly any, in fact, except the Sand Club."
"The Sand Club! That sounds interesting. Tell me about it."
So King and Marjorie told all about the Sand Club and its six members,and Cousin Jack declared that was just enough for his idea of a Fourthof July celebration.
"Now for the plan," he went on. "How about a picnic in the woods, whichI see sticking up over there, and then come back to Bryant Bower forsome fireworks later?"
"I think that sounds beautiful!" said Marjorie, and King entirelyagreed.
"Why not have the fireworks here?" said Mr. Maynard. "You're too good tothese children, Jack."
"Not a bit of it. We can have a celebration here some other night. ButI've picked out the glorious Fourth for my own little racketty-packettyparty. You see, on that day we can make all the noise we like and notget arrested."
"Can we dress up, Cousin Jack?" asked Marjorie.
"Sure, child; wear your best bib and tucker, if you like, but I like youbetter in your play-clothes."
"I don't mean that. I mean costumes."
"Midget is great for dressing up," explained King. "She always wantssome cheesecloth wobbed around her, and veils and feathers on her head."
"Oh, I see! Why, yes, I rather guess we _can_ dress up."
"I'll wear a red, white, and blue sash, and a liberty cap," said Midget,her eyes dancing.
"Oh, we can do better than that," responded Cousin Jack. "Let's see;we'll make it a sort of reception affair, and you, Mehitabel, can be theGoddess of Liberty, or Miss Columbia, whichever you like. Hezekiah, youcan be Uncle Sam! Your respected Cousin Ethel and I will guarantee yourcostume."
"I want to be a somefin'," spoke up Rosamond, who had been allowed tostay up later than usual, in honor of the guests.
"So you shall, Babykins. I guess we'll let Sister be Miss Columbia, andyou shall be a dear little Goddess of Liberty all your own self! How'sthat?" and Cousin Jack beamed at the smiling Rosy Posy.
"Now, where shall the picnic be?" asked Cousin Ethel, ready to helpalong the plans.
"There's a lovely grove over beyond the pier," said Midget; "we might gothere."
"The very place!" said Cousin Jack; "and we'll have a sand-pail picnic.Didn't you say your coat-of-arms was a sand-pail?"
"Yes, that's the Emblem of the Club."
"And a fine emblem for a picnic. We'll have pails of sandwiches andcakes, and a pail of lemonade, and a pail of ice cream. How's that foremblems?"
"Fine!" said King. "Shall I invite the guests?"
"Yes, my boy. Tell them to assemble here at three o'clock, and we'lldepart at once. Tell them all to wear red, white, and blue in honor ofthe day."
"And do we catch firecrackers?"
"Little ones,--and torpedoes. But no cannon crackers or cap-pistols orbombs or any firearms. I'm not going to have a hospitalful of gunpowdervictims on my hands the next day."
"And now," said Mrs. Maynard, "as these wonderful affairs of the nationseem to be all settled, I think you young patriots must skip to bed.Your father and I would like a few words ourselves with these guests ofours."
"Guests of _ours_," corrected Midget, gayly. "Cousin Jack says he'snever going to grow up!"'
But after lingering good-nights, the brother and sister, arm in arm,went into the house.
"Aren't they dandies!" exclaimed King, as they went upstairs.
"Gay!" agreed Marjorie. "Won't we have fun on the Fourth! Oh, I was _so_surprised to see them, weren't you, King?"
"Yep. The Craigs will like Cousin Jack, won't they?"
"Yes, indeed, and Hester, too. Good-night, King."
"Good-night, Mopsy Midget. Here!" and as a final compliment, King pulledoff her hair-ribbon and handed it to her with a dancing-school bow.
Marjorie gave his hair an affectionate tweak, and with thesegood-natured attentions they parted.