CHAPTER X
STILL THEY CAME
Before the girls could pull their faces straight a young man dashed upthe steps and was in the store.
"Well, this is great!" he declared heartily. "I see by your window cardyou carry Mackinaw's goods and I haven't been able to get them nearerthan the city." He was addressing all three who stood together back ofthe counter like a trio in a comedy. The young man looked critically atthe show goods in the show counter--the supply left by the travellingsalesman.
"Here they are, sure enough!" he exclaimed. "Just give me a half dozenof those plugs, and of those dry flies, and a dozen of those bobbers--"
Nancy set out the boxes and the customer helped himself. He knew exactlywhat he wanted, and the girls marvelled at his quick selection of thefancy colored artificial minnows, the little feather flies, used todecoy the poor fish, and the bobbers, of which article Nancy had aspretty a selection as might have been in a really large shop.
"You don't know what an accommodation this is," went on the young man,putting down a twenty dollar bill to pay for his purchases. "No, don'tbother to put paper on the boxes," he objected, as all three attemptedto wrap the goods. "I'll put them right in the car. You see, I'm at thefishing club over on the lake, and when we want supplies there we _want_them instantly," he concluded.
And he was gone before the surprised clerks had time to realize that thesale had almost cleared out all the fancy tackle, and there were comingin at the door two elderly gentlemen, who looked exactly as if theywould want fancy flies.
One of the gentlemen poked his head in the door so comically, the girlsall giggled.
"Well!" he exclaimed. "So it _is_ a shop. Thought it might be a SundaySchool fair and I'd get roped in," he chuckled, stepping insidecautiously. "Sorry, but I didn't come to buy. Can you direct me toProfessor Sanders' office?" he asked, while politely removing his hat.
"His office? Why, he hasn't any office that I know of," faltered Nancy,surprised at the question.
"He has messages sent to the ticket office at the station," volunteeredRuth.
"Oh, I see," replied the man, seeming to "see" more than the girls did."Then, we'll go over to the station--"
So saying the man backed out of the door smiling pleasantly as hedeparted.
"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Nancy. "Our Disappearing Dick is going tohave callers. I wonder if he'll perform for them?"
"Those are important looking men," Isabel commented. "Did you see theircar?"
"Wasn't it fancy?" agreed Ruth. "Perhaps Sibyl will get a ride home."
"I don't think you folks can be very good detectives around here," Nancycriticized, "or you would have found out what so many people mean bysaying that Mr. Sanders disappears."
"Now, listen," quoth Ruth, in a most confidential tone, "I don't callmyself sensational, and in fact, people at Long Leigh generally have thename of minding their own business; but there is something mighty queerabout Mr. Sanders." She paused while Nancy waited for furtherexplanation. "He does _not_ live in the old gray house, for father's menwent through the entire place the other day, he's in real-estate youknow," she explained, "and there wasn't a thing to show that the oldhouse had been opened since they inspected it last."
"Couldn't he camp in the barn or somewhere outside the house?" queriedNancy.
"No; the barn was locked up tight as tuppence," insisted Ruth. "But heseems to hang out somewhere on that hill, just the same," she added.
"I know!" exclaimed Nancy. "He goes up in a tree with the wires andsprings," and she sprang up and down without either. "Some day I'm goingup there and I bet _I'll_ solve the mystery," she promised gaily.
"Let us know when you're going, Nan," suggested Ruth. "We wouldn't wantto have you swallowed up by--the fairies."
"Say," whispered Isabel, her eyes set in what looked like alarm, "do youknow, I saw a little woman come up and down our side steps a half dozentimes this morning--"
"Oh!" and Nancy laughed merrily. "That would be little Miss Manners, thedressmaker who lives in the tiny bungalow under our window. You see,Mother wouldn't really let us keep store without some supervision. She'spretty particular, and declares there is no telling who might pop in--"
"And hold us up for our cash box--!" Ruth added so mirthfully as tosuggest a good time in the danger.
"Well, any how," continued Nancy, "Mother insists that Miss Manners lookin quite often to see that everything is all right. She's as quiet as amouse--"
"I should say she is," Isabel confirmed. "In fact, I didn't want tofrighten you or I should have told you someone was sneaking in," sheadded, folding up a tape line as she spoke.
"Oh, Miss Manners is so quaint, as Vera would say," Ruth contributed,"that I think she ought to be a partner, if a silent partner, in theWhatnot Shop."
"Yes," agreed Nancy, "it does seem as if this shop should belong tolittle old people like Miss Townsend, and I guess that's why MissManners is so interested. You see, girls, I'm still a very poorhousekeeper, and our maid, Anna, won't be back until fall. After I gettired playing store, I suppose," and she sighed heavily, "I'll beexpected to start in playing house."
"But if you run the shop as you have done this morning," Isabelinterposed, "don't you suppose your mother will think you're a realgenius at business?" she inquired.
"You can't fool my mother on geniuses," replied Nancy, who like hercompanions was putting away the odds and ends of things that had beenscattered in the morning's adventure. "Mother is an expert, and she sortof knows--me." This last was said in a way implying a very doubtfulcompliment for Nancy. "I've been almost a genius at art, for instance.When I was five years old I could draw a goose with my eyes shut."
"How about it when your eyes were open?" asked Ruth, quizzically.
"It was usually a little fat pig, then," Nancy admitted, amid anoutburst of girlish laughter.
"Nancy," interrupted Isabel, "here's the ice cream man."
"Ours," declared Nancy. "Now we'll whistle for Ted and his boys and shutup shop for lunch. Isabel, will you please open the side door? We'lltake a tray over to Miss Manners and then sit down and enjoy ourselves."
"Here's Ted and his friends now," announced Ruth. "They seem to know itis ice cream time."
"That will save trouble," Nancy remarked. And presently the big sale wasall but forgotten in preparations for the feast of ice cream, with othersuitable summer lunch supplies.
Isabel took an attractive tray over to solicitous and attentive Miss AdaManners, while Nancy and Ruth attempted to satisfy the demands of Tedand his ice cream loving friends. The noon day was much warmer than themorning had indicated, and this coupled with the sale excitement, wentfar to make the little party a tremendous success, just as Mrs. Brandonhad planned it to be.