CHAPTER XXIII
THE STORY TOLD
The Whatnot Shop was quite powerless to prevent the invasion.
"We'll push all the tables back and set the chairs around in ahalf-circle," suggested the fluttered Nancy. "Then, it will be justlike--"
"A play," finished Isabel. "Too bad we can't turn on a spot light."
"I think it would be nice to let Mr. Townsend sit behind the counter onhis old high stool," Nancy further suggested. "It might make him feel athome. I wonder where we put that stool."
"Away back in the corner under the three-cornered shelf," Ruth informedher. "I rammed it in there myself."
It was dragged out--the stool, and set just where it had been found whenNancy first took possession of the shop.
"A regular par-tee!" chanted Isabel. "Glad I happened to wear a whitedress; being a deb and all that."
"You may carry the white paper fan, little deb," mocked Nancy. "Wecouldn't sell it so I'd be delighted to donate it to your coming outparty."
"Oh, it isn't mine, it's yours," chirped Isabel, "and I hope you are notgoing to wear that howling yellow gingham--"
"I am. Yellow's my color," and Nancy flipped the skirt of her dressaround gaily.
They were preparing, as might easily be guessed, for the "privateperformance" promised by Mr. Sanders. Nancy had talked with him over thephone, after his visit to the class that morning, and arrangements werethen made to invite the Townsends over, besides permission having beengranted Ted to bring in his chum, Buster Clayton. Just now Ted wasupstairs dressing; also singing and telling stories to Nero, most ofwhich racket could be heard down in the store.
Mrs. Brandon's cheeks became soft as damask when Nancy showed her thebig check for one hundred dollars, which Nancy explained was in no sensea gift, but purely part of a business transaction between her and Mr.Ashley's real-estate office. The mother did not try to hide her delight,that Nancy should have become such "a splendid little business woman,"and she predicted her own retirement from the office at an early date,if such wonderful achievements were to be kept up.
"And your bank account, my dear," she told Nancy when they were inconfidence over the developments, "aren't you proud of it?"
"A little, Mother-mine," faltered the happy girl, "but there's somethingbetter than that," she said shyly, for Nancy was not given to boasting.
"I know," and the mother arms went around her. "Besides, you know nowthat even despised housework is not so bad when it has an interestingmotive. That's why we mothers tolerate it; because we are working forour darling children."
"I know, Mums, but I really only thought 'dishes' before, now I think--"
"The joy of helping _us_," Mrs. Brandon supplied. "And I'm so proud ofyour cooking, and how much it has benefited Miss Manners, as well asyour friends. Why, my dear, I would make you vain were I to tell youone-half of what I hear--"
"Not vain, Mums. I'm not silly enough for that, for I've got to admitI've been rather selfish all the way through--it has been such a lot offun."
And Nancy meant it. She was not posing, nor was she playing at beinghumble, for her mind was of that quality that reasons and analyzes one'sown motives as well as looking for motives in others. In that way shehad acquired what is called "common sense," perhaps because every oneshould try, at least, to possess a measure of it.
Now Mrs. Brandon, as well as Ted, was dressing. To please Nancy she hadpromised to wear her geranium georgette, a soft dress that toned so wellwith her dark hair and dark eyes, for Mrs. Brandon was still young, anda handsome woman.
And the girls were fairly dancing around the store, arranging chairsbrought in from the porch, dining room and even from the kitchen.
"Let's make a little platform for Mr. Sanders," Ruth proposed. "This topstep of the back stairs will do. We don't have to open that door."
"And have a stand and a glass of water--" Isabel added.
"And flowers," insisted Nancy. "I must have flowers, they're so sillyfor a man's speech, they'll make every body laugh."
"Maybe hollyhocks would," Ruth said, "but I doubt if your audience wouldsee the joke if you put a bunch of roses there."
So they progressed, until very soon, too soon for the girls, the companybegan to arrive.
Mr. and Miss Townsend, and little, brown, woolly Tiny came first.
"I'm afraid we're early," said the lady in her best silver silk dressand her very pretty new black-satin-trimmed-with-silver grapes, hat. Shecarried a little flat cushion for Tiny, out of respect for the silversilk dress.
"Mother will be down directly," Nancy greeted Miss Townsend, in her verybest manner. "Sit over here. We've fixed this corner for you."
"Oh my!" exclaimed the lady in genuine admiration. "How lovelyeverything looks! However did you paint this old wood work white?"
"For our cooking class, you know," replied Nancy, gaily. "Doesn't itlook--hygienic?"
"I--should--say--so!" Miss Townsend was aghast. "And I suppose, thosespotless tables--"
"Are the old ones from around the porches and every place," Nancyinformed her. "We just daubed the legs white and covered the tops withoil cloth."
"And I want to see that gas range. I've heard so much about it. Oh!there's Miss Manners," exclaimed Miss Townsend, "she'll explain it tome, and you may run along, dear." This was a release, not a dismissalfor Nancy.
"She'll buy one and that will be a good big discount for Manny," Nancytold the girls who had heard most of the conversation.
"Yes. They've bought a new house--a brand spic-span new one," Ruthwhispered. "Father said Miss Townsend wanted the shiniest one he had forsale," and there was a pardonable titter in response to that.
But guests were now arriving in pairs. There were Mr. and Mrs. Ashley,Ruth's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Duryee, Isabel's parents, besides Ted,Buster and Nero, the latter three being promptly assigned by Ruth to thecorner nearest the side door.
"So you can watch for prowlers," she joked. "Some other folks mightsneak up on the porch and listen in."
"I'm all but stage struck," panted Nancy, trying to force the littlekicked-up curls around her ears back into place. "And girls, take yourplaces!" she admonished. "Here comes--the--talent! Mr. Sanders andSibyl!"
It really was taking on the look of some sort of entertainment,--for asMr. Sanders and his daughter arrived there was a general presentationall around by Mrs. Brandon, while the girls, feeling very much likeushers at a school entertainment, stood with backs to the windows, justas they always did at school affairs.
The preliminary formalities over, Mr. Sanders was rather humorouslyconducted to the "platform." This pleased Mr. Townsend "most to death"and he was heard to chuckle that "the old fire-house as town-hall hadnever held a better meeting."
"I'll not keep you in suspense, my friends," began Mr. Sanders, withoutso much as clearing his throat, "but I'll just introduce myself to thosewho don't happen to know me. I'm Edwin Sanders of Eastern College,professor of science there." There was a murmur through the room at thatannouncement.
"Professor!" was the surprised word it conveyed.
"And I came here to experiment," the gentleman continued in a pleasantlymatter of fact voice. "I found this little house had a direct air shaft,it runs from this room at that old fireplace down to the cellar, and outthrough an old-fashioned flue-door, you know the kind."
"That's a relic on this place," spoke up Mr. Elmer Townsend. "It wasbuilt in here by a Dutch man from Holland--"
"Yes, and it's a good one," agreed Mr. Sanders. "Well, you see, myfriends," he continued, "I had to experiment on an extremely delicatelittle instrument," he was all professor now, "so, when I found theexact conditions that I required here, I made an offer to the owner, Mr.Townsend."
There was much shifting around and significant scraping of chairs atthis point, but the speaker was in no way disturbed.
"I thought it only fair to tell him how important my experiment was, andwhat it would me
an if it worked out as I expected. Well, it did," hestated emphatically, "but not without the usual trouble that must beendured if we want to succeed in big things."
Miss Townsend was whispering, or she thought she was, and her brotherwas trying to restrain her.
"I could not tell the nature of this work because there was a new secretprinciple involved in it," Mr. Sanders said, having overheard, likely,what Miss Townsend was trying to tell her neighbor. "That was why Mr.Townsend and I had to keep our secret so close."
Ted and Buster were visibly squirming in their chairs, they were sointerested, but old Nero snoozed contentedly, not even suspectingapparently, the presence of another dog, Tiny, that was safely hidden inMiss Townsend's cushion. And as if Mr. Sanders remembered Tiny, he nextsaid:
"Even the little dog was so interested as we worked he would insist uponbarking a tune for us. Sometimes we were afraid he might tell," hefinished, quizzically.
"That was it," Ted privately told Buster. "Nancy said that puny, littledog barked all the time he was in here."
"After I got my point worked out in this air shaft," went on Mr.Sanders, who had actually taken a sip of water from the glass at hishand, "I was obliged to try it out in a very much more condensedatmosphere. And just there is where I was forced to excite such wildsuspicions." He was almost laughing at the recollection.
"It was funny; I'm willing to admit that myself, for like the King ofFrance in the story, I marched up the hill, but unlike him, I did notmarch down again. And I'm surprised that no one seems to have guessedwhere I was hidden."
There was a pause. Nancy's face was betraying her suspicions but sheuttered no word.
* * * * *
"Just once I was almost discovered," continued Mr. Sanders. "And thatwas the other day when my cat--cried. Just then some one was passing--"
"I was," blurted out Nancy. "And I heard you singing!"
Every one laughed.
"Was I singing, really?" asked the professor. "Well, I might have beenfor I was surely very happy. The anemometer was working beautifully downthere, in my--cistern!"
"Cistern!" Every one seemed to cry out the word.
"He was in the cistern!" Nancy gasped. "That was where I heardthe--noises coming from!"
"In the cistern!"
It took some time for the older folks to realize the significance of therevelation, but the girls and boys seemed instantly to understand.
"Yes, and you would be surprised what fine quarters I've had there. Ihave that nice, perfectly dry cistern actually furnished, even a rug onthe floor! Chairs and a table, a looking glass--oh, you are all invitedto inspect now," announced the professor cheerily, "for my preciousinstrument has been safely shipped to the manufacturers, and I've beenable--"
"He's paid me more than a thousand dollars," declared Mr. Townsend,rising from his chair and addressing the house, "and I think it's onlyfair that folks around here should know how well I've made out on myinvestment."
"Yes indeed," Miss Townsend chimed in, "if any body in Long Leigh hasheard me say I was worried about Brother Elmer's money affairs," shesort of hesitated before framing that term, "I just want them to knownow that we've made more money by Mr. Sanders investment in six months,than we would make in six years in this little store."
A burst of applause followed this. And presently every one seemed to betalking at once. The formality of the occasion was lost in a round ofenthusiastic interest; the men demanding to know more about theinvention, while the women and girls were keen to hear all about thecistern.
Sibyl was glad to tell them about the curious little work shop under theground, and she soon had a group of the young folks listening to herstory.
"I thought it was awful, at first," she explained, "but, of course, I'mused to father's peculiar experiments. He has invented some wonderfulinstruments," she said this in a properly restrained voice. "They arebeing used in the college observatories, where they make weatherpredictions, you know," she pointed out.
"And I did notice some little pipes sticking out of the sides of thatcistern box," Nancy now remembered. "I might have known, but I was toosurprised to investigate," she admitted frankly.
"Really girls," Sibyl went on, "Dad has that cistern furnished like aroom. You walk down a little ladder, and sit on a regular chair--"
"But isn't it dark?" Ruth wanted to know.
"Oh, no. One whole side of the cover is glass, a side that is back awayfrom the opening," Sibyl told them. "No one would ever notice the glassthere. And besides that, father had cut the concrete away, over on oneside of the bowl, and there he made a little skylight. You would nevernotice that either, as there are bushes all around it," she said.
By this time Ted and Buster were demanding to be heard. They had triedto get a hearing with the older folks, but according to Ted "the buzzingthere was worse than a bee fight."
"And say, Nan," he called out now, "I just want to know about--aboutwhat Nero was after down the cellar, you know."
Mr. Sanders was trying to make his way toward the girls just then, soNancy delayed answering Ted.
"And say, Ted," Mr. Sanders began. "About your dog. You needn't worrythat anyone will take him from you. That man who spoke to you used to becare-taker at the old stone house. And he was supposed to look afterNero, whose real name is Jason. That's the fellow who went after theGolden Fleece you remember."
"Jason?" repeated Ted. "Sounds like an auto fixer. I like Nero best."
"All right, son," and Mr. Sanders gave Ted a friendly slap on theshoulders. "Nero he shall be. But as I was saying, the man who wasexpected to care for your dog hadn't done so, and he's got sort ofworried lately and wanted to get him back."
"He can't have him," Ted defended stoutly.
"No, that's right; he can't. And I told him so. He knows now that thedog is in good hands, and that I'll answer any questions the Ellorsfamily care to ask about him."
Ted's face was now beaming with joy. He had been so worried about Nerothat he simply wouldn't let the animal out of his protective sight fordays past.
"And Mr. Sanders," he insisted, "night before last Nero saved us from aflood. A water pipe broke right over there and Nero--made us all getup--"
"Night before last!" exclaimed the professor.
"Yes; and Nancy turned off the water--"
"That was the night I had my precious little air-meter right under thischimney," said Mr. Sanders very slowly, "and if water had trickledthrough the floor, down onto that, it would have been ruined."
"Then, just as Ted says," Nancy spoke, "Nero really did save it, forthere was a regular flood around this hearth."
"You must have seen me leaving the grounds that afternoon," Mr. Sandersadmitted. "I was sure you did, but I wasn't ready to tell my story--justthen. But Ted, I'll have to get you a fine collar for Nero--"
The girls were begging Nancy to make an announcement.
"Go on," urged Ruth. "They're all talking together and no one willlisten unless you get up on the step."
With this and considerable more urging, Nancy finally mounted the step.She smiled shyly at her mother as she passed along, for Mrs. Brandon,like the other "principals," was having a busy time of it.
"I just want to say," Nancy began with a little quaver in her voice,"that we've prepared some little cakes and punch as samples of ourcooking class work, and we'll be glad to have you all stay and trythem."
There was real applause at this, and mentioning the cooking class--was asignal for another outburst of comment from the ladies. They allbelieved in girls doing something during summer, and they did notbelieve in girls "wasting" an entire vacation.
"I think we ought to give a cheer for the girls," Mr. Sanders proposed."They have kept things going pretty lively around here this summer, justlively enough to save me from having been discovered."
"And I'd like to say a word," ventured timid Miss Manners. But the girlswould not permit her to do so, Nancy, especially being fearful that
thelittle lady's gratitude, for the domestic science class and for Mrs.Brandon's hospitality might become embarrassing.
"Any how," said Buster to Ted, "we can have our dog."
"And a dandy new collar," appended Ted.
Nancy was waiting a chance to finish her announcements, and in a littlelull she again called out:
"Mr. Sanders and Miss Sanders are entertaining tomorrow evening at theWaterfall House. Every body is invited! And you will be treated there tosome real samples of our cakes!"
"Now I call that lov-el-lee," declared Miss Townsend, shaking her newhat at every syllable. "And these cakes," (the girls were passing them)"are de-lic-ious."
Nancy was very happy. She tugged at her mother's arm and cuddled herhead against the loving shoulder, just as she had always done in hergreat moments.
"Isn't it lov-ell-lee, Mums," she whispered.
"A complete--success!" murmured the mother.
And the next morning half, if not all, of Long Leigh trooped up the hillto inspect the wonderfully outfitted and "infitted" cistern, that had solong escaped notice, on the grounds of the old, stone house.
"I was going to look down that cistern first chance I got," Nancyconfessed. "But being successful is such a busy--business," she joked,"that I think it will be a delightful change to begin a real vacationwith mother tomorrow."
THE END
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