CHAPTER XXI
THE FALLING TREE
How the wind did blow! How the snow swirled and drifted about the oldfarmhouse! But within it all were warm and comfortable. The fire on theopen hearth was kept roaring up the chimney, Sam piling on log afterlog. In the cozy kitchen Dinah kept at her work over the range, singingold plantation melodies.
The blowing wind and the drifting snow kept up all day. Flossie andFreddie begged to be allowed to go out for a little while, but theirmother would not think of it. Bert and Harry tried to go a little waybeyond the barn but were driven back by the cold, wintry blasts. Dorothyand Nan managed to have a good time in the attic of the old house,dressing up in some clothes of a by-gone age, which they found in sometrunks.
"My! I hope the chimneys don't blow off!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey, as aparticularly fierce blast shook the old house. "A fire now would bedreadful."
"I don't imagine there is much danger," said Mr. Bobbsey, with a laugh."The way they built houses and chimneys when Snow Lodge was put up wasdifferent from nowadays. They were built to stay."
"Oh, but this is a terrible storm!"
"Yes, and it seems to be getting worse," agreed Mr. Bobbsey. "I hope noone is out in it. But, as I said, we have plenty to eat, and wood tokeep us warm, and that is all we can ask."
The day slowly passed, but toward afternoon Flossie and Freddie grewfretful from having been kept in. They were used to going out of doorsin almost any kind of weather.
"Come on up in the attic with us," suggested Nan, "and we'll have a sortof circus."
"And Snap can do tricks," cried Freddie, "and I'll give an exhibitionwith my fire engine."
"Of course!" exclaimed Dorothy, and the little Bobbsey twins forgottheir fretfulness in a new series of games.
Harder blew the wind, and fiercer fell the snow. The path Mr. Bobbseyhad shoveled was soon filled up again. Out at the back door was a driftthat covered the rear stoop.
"If this keeps up we will be snowed in," said Mr. Bobbsey to his wife,as they prepared to lock up for the night.
They were gathered around the big open fire, popping corn and roastingapples, when a louder blast of wind than ever shook the house.
"Oh, what a night!" said Mrs. Bobbsey, with a shudder. "I wish we werein our home again!"
Hardly had she spoken than there came a fearful crash, and the wholehouse trembled. At the same time a blast of cold wind swept through it,scattering the fire on the hearth.
"Oh, what was that?" cried Mrs. Bobbsey.
"That old apple tree, at the corner of the house," said Mr. Bobbsey."The storm has blown it over, and it has smashed a corner of the Lodge.Don't be afraid. We'll be all right," and he ran to close the door, tokeep out the cold wind.
CHAPTER XXII
THE MISSING MONEY
"What happened?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey, when her husband had come backafter going out to take a look around. "Is the house safe?"
"As safe as ever," he answered. "Just as I told you, the old apple treeblew over, and smashed the corner of the house near this living room.That's why we felt the crash so. But there is no great harm done. We cankeep this door closed and not use that other part of the house at all.We have room enough without it. The wind and storm can't get at ushere."
"I suah 'nuff thought de house was comin' down," said Dinah, who had runin from the kitchen at the sound of the crash.
"It was a hard blow," said Bert "Look, all the ashes are scattered," andhe pointed to where the wind had blown them about the hearth.
Dinah soon swept them up, however, and more wood was put on the fire,and the Bobbseys were as comfortable as before. The part of the housewhich had been smashed by the tree was closed off from the rest.
Soon it was time to go to bed, but all night long the storm raged,making Snow Lodge tremble in the blast. Everyone was up early in themorning to see by daylight what damage had been done.
The sun rose clear, for the storm had passed. But oh? what a lot of snowthere was! In big drifts it was scattered all over the place, and oneside door was snowed in completely; and could not be opened. Sam had toshovel a lot of snow away from the kitchen steps before Dinah could goout.
"Let's go see where the tree fell," suggested Bert to Harry, when theywere dressed, Nan and Dorothy joined them. They went to the corner ofthe house and there saw a strange sight. The old apple tree lay partlyin the room into which it had crashed through the side of the house. Andmuch snow had blown in also.
This room, however, was little used, except for storage, and there wasnothing in it to be damaged save some old furniture. Bert and Harry madetheir way into the apartment, and the girls followed.
They were looking about at the odd sight, when something in a corner ofthe room, along the wall that was next to the living room, where theBobbseys had spent the evening, caught Bert's eyes. He went toward it.He picked up a roll of what seemed to be green paper. It had been in acrack of the wall that had been made wider by the falling tree.
"Oh, look?" he cried. "What is this? Why, it's money!"
"A roll of bills!" added Harry, looking over his cousin's shoulder.
Slowly Bert unrolled them. There seemed to be considerable money there.One bill was for a hundred dollars.
"Where did it come from?" asked Nan.
"From a crack in the wall," spoke her brother. "It must have slippeddown, and the falling tree made the crack wider, so I could see it."
"I wonder who could have put it there?" said Dorothy.
Bert and Nan looked at each other. The same thought came into theirminds.
"The missing money!" cried Bert, "The roll of bills that Mr. Carfordthought his nephew took! Can this be it?"
"Oh, if it only is!" murmured Nan. "Let's tell papa right away!"
Carrying the money so strangely found, the young folks went into thehouse where Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey were. The roll of bills was shown, andMr. Bobbsey was much surprised.
"Do you think this can be the money Mr. Carford lost?" asked Bert.
"I shouldn't be surprised," said Mr. Bobbsey, quickly. "I'll take alook. Mr. Carford said he left it on the mantel in the living room, andyou found it in the room back of that. I'll look."
Quickly he examined the mantel. Then he said:
"Yes, that's how it happened. There is a crack up here, and the moneymust have slipped down into it. All these years it has been in betweenthe walls, until the falling tree made a break and showed where it was.Mr. Carford was mistaken. His nephew did not take the money. I alwayssaid so. It fell into the crack, and remained hidden until the stormshowed where it was."
"Oh, how glad I am!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey. "Now Henry's name can becleared! Oh, if he were only here to know the good news!"
There seemed to be no doubt of it. Years before Mr. Carford had placedthe money on the shelf of the living room. He probably did not know ofthe crack into which it slipped. The roll of bills had gone down betweenthe walls, and only the breaking of them when the tree fell on the housebrought the money to light.
"It is a strange thing," said Mr. Bobbsey. "The missing money is foundafter all these years, and in such a queer way! We must tell Henry assoon as possible, and Mr. Carford also."
Suddenly there came a knock on the door. Bert went to it and gave a cryof surprise. There stood the young hunter--Henry Burdock.
"I came over to see if you were all right," he said. "We have had afearful storm. Part of my cabin was blown away, and I wondered how youfared at Snow Lodge. Are you all right?"
"Yes, Henry, we are," said Mr. Bobbsey, "And the storm was a good thingfor you."
"I don't see how. My cabin is spoiled. I'll have to build it overagain."
"You won't have to, Henry. You can come to live at Snow Lodge now."
"Never. Not until my name is cleared. I will never come to Snow Lodgeuntil the missing money is found, and my uncle says I did not take it."
"Then you can come now, Henry," cried Mr. Bobbsey, holding out the rollof bills. "For the money is found and
we can clear your name!"
"Is it possible!" exclaimed the young hunter, in great and joyfulsurprise. "Oh, how I have prayed for this! The money found! Where wasit? How did you find it?"
Then the story was told, the children having their share in it.
"I can't tell you how thankful I am," said the young hunter. "This meansa lot to me. Now my uncle will know I am not a thief. I must go and tellhim at once."
"No, I'll go," said Mr. Bobbsey. "I want to prove to him that I wasright, after all, in saying you were innocent. You stay here until Ibring him."
Mr. Bobbsey went off in the big sled with Sam to drive the horses. Itwas a hard trip, on account of the drifts, but finally Newton wasreached and Mr. Carford found. At first he could hardly believe that themoney was found, but when he saw and counted it, finding it exactly thesame as when he had put it on the shelf years before, he knew that hehad done wrong in accusing Henry.
"And I'll tell him so, too," he said. "I'll beg his pardon, and he and Iwill live together again. Oh, how happy I am! Now I can go to Snow Lodgewith a light heart."
Uncle and nephew met, and clasped hands while tears stood in their eyes.After years of suffering they were friends again. It was a happy, lovingtime for all.
"And I'll never be so hasty again," said Mr. Carford. "Oh, what a happyday this is, after the big storm! We must have a big celebration. I knowwhat I'll do. I'll get up a party, and invite all the people in thispart of the country. They all know that I accused Henry of taking thatmoney. Now they must know that he did not. I will admit my mistake."
And that is what Mr. Carford did. He sent out many invitations to anold-fashioned party at Snow Lodge. The place where the tree had crashedthrough, to show the missing money, was boarded up, and the house madecozy again.
Then came the party, and the Bobbseys were the guests ofhonor--particularly the twins and their cousins, for it was due to them,in a great measure, that the money had been found.
Mr. Carford stood up before everyone and admitted how wrong he had beenin saying his nephew had taken the money.
"But all our troubles are ended now," he said, "and Henry and I willlive in Snow Lodge together. And we will always be glad to see youhere--all of you--and most especially--the Bobbseys."
"Three cheers for the Bobbsey twins!" someone called.
The children were pleased at this praise. They did not know that soonthey would be helping some other people. You may read about this in "TheBobbsey Twins on a Houseboat."
Then followed a fine feast--a happy time for all, while Henry and hisuncle received the good wishes of their friends and neighbors.
Snap raced about, barking and wagging his tail. Bert, Nan, Dorothy,Harry and Freddie and Flossie were here, there, everywhere, telling howthe tree had blown down, and how they had found the money.
"Dear old Snow Lodge!" said Nan, when the party was over, and the guestsgone. "We will have to leave it soon!"
"But perhaps we can come back some time," said Nan.
"I'd like to," agreed Bert. "Next winter I am going to build a biggerice-boat, and sail all over the lake."
"And we'll make regular snowshoes, and go hunting in the woods," saidHarry.
"But it will be summer before it is winter again," said Freddie. "I'mgoing to have a motor boat and ride in it. And I'll take my fire enginealong, and pump water."
"Can I come, with my doll?" asked Flossie.
"Yes, you may all come!" exclaimed Mamma Bobbsey, as she hugged the twolittle twins.
"And don't forget," said Mr. Carford, "that Snow Lodge is open in thesummer as well as in the winter. I expect you Bobbsey twins to visit meonce in a while. I never can thank you enough for finding that missingmoney."
"Neither can I," said Henry.
And now that the story is all told, we will say good-bye to the Bobbseytwins and their friends.
THE END
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