CHAPTER IV
"COME HOME!"
Grace's announcement caused a flutter of excitement among her chums, andMr. Ford's face showed his pleasure and surprise. But a moment later hehad steeled his features into a non-committal mask, for he was reallymuch provoked by his son's conduct, and if this was an appeal forforgiveness he wanted to be in the proper censuring attitude. At leastso he reasoned.
"We'll see you again, Grace," spoke Betty, as she led the way for theother two girls to follow. She felt that the family might like to be bythemselves while perusing the first letter from Will since his latestescapade.
"Oh, don't go!" exclaimed Grace, guessing her chums' intention. "Stayand hear what Will has to say. I'm sure papa would want you to," and shelooked at Mr. Ford, who was nervously tearing open the envelope. Hisbrother was watching him anxiously, but it was not a kindly look onUncle Isaac's face.
At first, when it seemed as if something seriously might have happenedto Will, the elderly man was rather alarmed, thinking perhaps he mightbe blamed. Now that a communication had come from the youth, seeming toindicate that all was well with him, his former employer was ready todeal harshly with him. He was even meditating what form of punishmentcould be applied, and he planned harder tasks for him, in case hisfather should send Will back to the cotton mill in Atlanta.
"Yes, stay, by all means," spoke the younger Mr. Ford, in ratherabsent-minded tones, as he flipped open the letter. "We have no secretsfrom you girls, and if you are going to Florida, and Will is in thatneighborhood, he can take a run over and see you. Let's see now; whatdoes the rascal say?"
There was a caressing note in the father's voice in spite of thesomewhat stern look on his face, and he slowly read the letter, halfaloud. The girls could catch a word here and there. Grace was leaningforward expectantly, her lips parted. The strain had told on her, andher eyes were still red from the tears she could not hold back.
"'Dear Father and All,'" read Mr. Ford. "Hum--yes--I wonder if he'sgoing to ask for money. 'I suppose this will surprise you'--yes, Willwas always good on surprises."
"Oh, father, do please get on with the letter--tell us what has happenedto Will!" begged Grace. "We're so anxious! Mother will want to know.Read faster, please, if you can; won't you, father?"
"All right, Grace. But nothing much seems to have happened to him sofar. Hello, what's this, though? 'Going to strike out for myself. Can'tstand Uncle'--um--'will write particulars later--I have a good chancefor an opening'--I wonder if it's as a waiter in some Palm Beach hotel?'There may be a good thing in this. I can learn the business, the agentsays'----"
"Oh, Daddy, please read it right!" importuned Grace. "We can't tell whatWill says and what you make up as you go along. Read it yourself, andtell us what it means. Then I'll go to mamma."
"Yes, and if he says anything against me, don't be afraid to come outwith it," interjected Uncle Isaac. "Will and I didn't get alongwell--that's no secret. He didn't like work, and he didn't hesitate tosay so. I've no doubt he had hard feelings against me, but I say hereand now that I treated him as I would my own son. I made him work harderthan I would my own son, in fact, for I felt that I had a duty to do byWill."
"And I guess you did it--too well," muttered Grace, with rather avindictive look at her uncle, which look, however, he did not see.
"Well, to be frank with you, Isaac," spoke Mr. Ford, "the boy says thathe did not like the life in the factory. But I did not suppose he would.I did not send him there to like it, but I thought the discipline woulddo him good. However, he seems to have struck out for himself."
"But, Daddy!" cried Grace, clinging to his arm. "What has happened?Where is Will? Where did he go?"
"There now," he said, soothingly. "It seems to be all right, and Will isin no danger. All your tears were wasted. To be brief, he writes that hedid not like the work in the mill, and getting a chance to go toJacksonville, Florida, he took it and went without the formality of agood-bye."
"What is he doing in Jacksonville?" asked Mollie. "If we go to Amy'sorange grove we may see him."
"He writes that he has a chance to get in with a concern that is goingto develop some of the Everglade lands," went on Mr. Ford, referring tothe letter. 'The company plans to drain the swamps, and grow pecans,oranges and other tropical fruits and nuts.' Will says he was offered asort of secretaryship to one of the developers, and took it.
"He asks my permission to stay and 'make good,' as he calls it. Hethinks it is a great chance; better even than the cotton business,Isaac."
"Oh, yes, I s'pose so. There's a lot of folks been fooled in thoseEverglade-developing concerns, though. They're fakes, to my way ofthinking. But let him live and learn. That's the only way."
"Are you going to let him stay down there?" asked Grace.
"Well, I don't know," said Mr. Ford, musingly. "I don't bank much onWill's knowledge of affairs. This company may be all right, and again itmay not. I'd rather investigate a bit."
"Will says," he went on, again referring to the letter, "that he issorry he went off in the abrupt way he did, but he felt that it was theonly method to pursue. He says he feared you would stop him, if youheard about it, Isaac."
"I'd have tried, anyhow," was the grim comment.
"And as the opportunity had to be taken up quickly, or be lost, Willwent away in a hurry," continued his father. "He says he wants to showall of us that he can make his own way in the world, if given a chance,and he doesn't want to come back until he has done so. He thinks he hashad enough of school. He sends his love to--to all of us--and hismother, and says he will write again soon, and run up for a few days'visit as soon as he can get the time."
Mr. Ford's voice faltered a little as he went on. After all, he lovedWill very much, and he knew that it was only the spirit of a proud boythat was keeping him away from home.
"Are you going to let him stay, Daddy?" asked Grace again.
"No, Grace, I think I'll write to him to come home," replied Mr. Ford."I think this has been a lesson to him. He gives his prospectiveJacksonville address in this note. I'll just send him a wire."
Going to the telephone, Mr. Ford dictated this brief telegram to hisson.
"Come home. All is forgiven."
"It's like one of those advertisements you see in the newspapers," saidGrace, with a little laugh.
She was much relieved now, and so were her chums. They could think withmore pleasure of the prospective trip to Florida.
"But if Will left you a week ago, Uncle Isaac, I don't see why thisletter has only now arrived," spoke Grace. "When is it postmarked,father?"
"It reached Deepdale to-day, but it was mailed in--let me see--why, Ican't make out the other mark, nor the date either."
"Let me try," suggested Uncle Isaac, putting on his glasses. But he hadno better luck.
"Either Will carried that letter around in his pocket after writing it,"said Mr. Ford, "or he dropped it in some obscure postoffice where theircancelling stamps are worn out and letters go only once a week or so.The letter was written on the night he left your house, evidently," hesaid to his brother, indicating the superscription. "I guess the mailsdown your way are not very certain, Isaac."
"Not always. Well, I'm glad the boy is all right. I tried to do my dutyby him, as I promised I would, Jim."
"I know you did, Isaac, and I think this will be a lesson to him. I'llbe glad to have him back, though. For I--I've missed him," and again Mr.Ford's voice faltered.
"So have I," said Grace, softly. "And this will make mamma's headachebetter. I'm going up to tell her."
"And we'll be going, now that you have good news," remarked Betty."Wasn't it odd to get good and bad news so close together?"
"But the good came last--and that makes it the best," observed Amy witha smile.
Mr. Ford gave Grace her brother's letter to take up to her mother, whilehe and his brother prepared to go down town again, to finish transactingsome business that had called the Southerner up North.
; "And I guess I'd better telegraph Will some money while I am at it," hisfather said. "He writes that he has plenty of cash, but his idea of alot of money is a few one dollar bills and a pocket full of change. I'llwire twenty-five dollars to him in Jacksonville to come home with."
"I'll be down in a minute, girls," called Grace, as she hurried upstairs to her mother's room. "Wait for me, and we'll talk about thisFlorida trip."
When Grace came down, having made her mother happy with her good news,she was eating chocolates.
"Now we know she is all right," laughed Betty.
CHAPTER V
MISSING AGAIN
"And to think that in a few more days we'll leave all this behindus--all the cold, the icicles, the snow, the biting winds--leave it all,and sail into a land of sunshine and oranges and Spanish moss andmagnolias and----"
"Alligators!" finished Betty for Grace, who was thus going into rapturesover the prospect before them, as she looked over the wintry landscapethat was in full view just outside the window of Amy's home. I say Amy'shome, for, though it had developed that she was no relative of Mr. andMrs. Stonington, still they insisted that she call their home hers aslong as she liked. So it was at Amy's home, then, that her chums hadgathered to talk over the trip to Florida.
It was the day after the somewhat startling developments regarding WillFord, and Mr. Ford, true to his determination, had telegraphed his sontwenty-five dollars.
"Well, of course Florida will be lovely!" exclaimed Mollie, "and I loveoranges----"
"To say nothing of orange blossoms," interjected Grace.
"I said oranges!" went on Mollie, putting emphasis on the word. "I likethem as well as anyone, but I love winter and skating and ice boating,too."
"Oh, I just can't bear cold weather!" said Grace, with a shiver, and alook toward the chair on which, in a fluffy pile, rested her furs--andGrace looked handsome in the sable set that her father had given to herat Christmas.
"You didn't seem so cold when we were up in the old lumber camp,"remarked Betty. "You skated and ice-boated with the rest of us, andseemed to enjoy it."
"I know, but it was a different sort of cold up there--so dry, and notso penetrating as down here. The wind seems to go right through me," andagain the tall girl shivered.
"It doesn't take long----" began Mollie, and then she stopped short andbit her lips to keep back a smile.
"Long to do what?" asked Grace, curiously.
"Never mind," spoke Mollie. "You might get angry."
"I will not. I haven't your----"
This time it was Grace who caught herself in time.
"Go on--say it. You may as well as think it!" snapped Mollie, with someasperity. "You were going to say you hadn't my temper, weren't you,now?"
"Well, yes, I was," said Grace, slowly. "And you were going to say I wasso thin that the wind didn't take long to go through me; weren't you?"challenged Grace.
"Yes, I was, and----"
"Girls--Mollie--Grace!" cried Betty, anxious not to see a quarrel. "Whatcan I do to pour oil on troubled waters? Let's talk about--Florida."
"Don't pour cod liver oil, whatever you do," said Grace, quickly. "I hadto take some of the horrid stuff the last cough I had, and I can tasteit yet. Where are my chocolates? Oh, thank you, Amy," as the latterpassed them over. "Have some. These have maraschino cherries inside."
"Leave it to Grace to discover something luxurious in the candy line,"observed Mollie.
"Well, I notice that you're only too glad to eat them," and Grace fairlysnapped out the words.
"Oh, dear! It seems hopeless to keep peace between you two to-day,"sighed Betty. "Can't you be nice? Especially after Amy has asked usover here to talk about the trip. Let's talk about----"
"What to wear!" exclaimed Amy, with a bright thought. "You see we'llhave to take two sets of clothing. One to wear until we get to Florida,and the other after we arrive at the orange grove. We'll need thinthings there. Aunt Stonington is making me up some pretty voile andwhite muslin dresses."
"I was wondering whether I ought to take my furs," said Grace.
"Furs in Florida!" cried Mollie. "Never!"
"But it will be cold going down," said Grace. "It's cold even inWashington, now. I think I'll wear them. I may not get another chancethis winter if we stay there very long."
"We can stay as long as we like," said Amy. "Uncle Stonington says he'llremain until Spring, anyhow, for the business will take until then toget going properly. Then, too, he is anxious about Aunty's health. Thedoctor says the longer she stays in a mild climate the better she willbe."
"She doesn't look very well," spoke Betty in a low voice. Mrs.Stonington had greeted the girls as they came to call on Amy, and hadthen gone to lie down. The callers had all noticed how frail and wornshe seemed. Perhaps the shock of almost losing Amy had something to dowith it. But there also appeared to be the seeds of some deep-seatedmalady present in her system. And a look at Mr. Stonington's face toldthat he, too, was worrying. But the trip to Florida might work wonders.They all hoped so, at any rate.
"If we're going to take Bet's boat we ought to wear our sailor suitspart of the time," suggested Mollie. "Are you going to take the _Gem_?"
"What about that, Amy?" questioned Betty. "Did you inquire whether thereare navigable waters near the orange grove?"
"There are. The grove is near the town of Bentonville, on the MayfairRiver, which empties into Lake Chad, so I think there will be plenty ofchance to go boating. The grove is in the Indian River section, wheresome of the finest oranges grow."
"Then the _Gem_ goes along," decided Betty. "I'm going to stop at thefreight office on my way home, and see about having it crated andshipped."
Discussing what they would take in the way of dresses, and otherfeminine accessories, talking over prospective trips in the motor boat,speculating as to whether Will or any of his boy chums would go toFlorida for a brief visit, made the winter afternoon pass quickly.
"It would be nice if Will and some of the other boys could come down,"said Mollie, reflectively.
"By 'some of the others' meaning Allen Washburn, I suppose," saidMollie, slyly, for Betty's liking for the young lawyer was no secret,nor was his for her.
"Speak for yourself, please," said the "Little Captain," a flushmounting to her already rosy cheeks. "Though of course if Will is cominghome he won't want to go back again," she concluded.
"Hardly, I fancy," agreed Grace. "That's the last chocolate. I must getsome more for to-night. Who's going downtown?"
They all were, it developed, and on the way Betty stopped at therailroad freight office and arranged to have a man sent to the boathouseto crate the _Gem_. Then it could be taken to the railroad on a truck.
"And what will we do with it when we get to Bentonville?" asked Amy. "Itdoes look so big out of the water," for, after the visit to the freightoffice they had gone to where the _Gem_ was stored in winter quarters.
"Oh, we can manage it there," said Betty.
"There must be plenty of men and trucks down there."
"Uncle Stonington says there are other motor boats on the river, sothere must be ways of getting them on and off," put in Amy.
Grace got her chocolates, and also insisted on buying hot drinks for herchums.
"For I simply can't seem to get warm," she declared, as she sipped hers.
"And with all those furs," remarked Betty. "I guess you'll have to livein the South in Winter, Grace."
"I wish I could."
As the girls walked with Grace toward her house, the Ford home being thefirst on their way, they saw a messenger boy with his littleblack-covered book and a bunch of telegrams just turning into the gate.
"There's a message!" exclaimed Grace, breaking into a run. "I want totake it from him before he rings the bell. Mamma is so nervous at thesight of a telegram. She always thinks the worst thing has happened. Isuppose this is from Will, saying he is on his way home. Poor boy! hehas had a lesson."
"I feel sorry for him, too," s
aid Betty.
"I'll take the message," spoke Grace to the boy, as she signed theextended book. "Prepaid? Yes. Here is a dime for yourself. Get a hotchocolate; you must be cold."
"T'anks!" was the reply. "I kin git two for dat!"
"I hope he won't buy cigarettes," ventured Mollie.
"Nonsense!" answered Grace, as she tore open the message, which wasaddressed to her father. She felt she had a right to do this, as, had itbeen some business communication, she argued, it would have gone to Mr.Ford's office. Grace felt sure it was from her brother.
Quickly she read the brief message in the waning light of the winterday. Then she swayed and her face paled.
"What is it--bad news?" asked Betty quickly, as she put her arms aroundher chum.
"Yes--yes. It's about--Will. Read it. Poor mother! How can I tell her?And she has been expecting him so!"
Betty glanced at the few words. They were:
"Cannot locate Will Ford at Jacksonville address given. Am holding the twenty-five dollars subject to your order. Party was at address noted, but information to our agent here is to effect that young man left in company with a labor contractor who does not bear a very good reputation. Young man's boarding mistress worried. What shall we do?"
The message was to Mr. Ford. It was from Jacksonville, and was signed bythe telegraph operator there.
"Will is missing again!" sobbed Grace. "Oh, what shall I do? What shallI do?"