CHAPTER XIII
BEHIND THE CLOUD
Poor little Miss Manners! Hers had been a brave struggle, and as Nancyand her mother listened to the brokenly told story, they were easilyready to pardon the little lady's show of emotion.
"So you were worried about your rent, principally?" Mrs. Brandonprompted her, kindly.
"Yes. You see when I had to give up teaching on account of my health, Inaturally turned to sewing," she explained. "If I had only been ateacher in a public school, instead of a private school, I shouldn'thave been left without some means," she complained, sorrowfully.
Nancy was watching her in silent contemplation. What a "sweet" littlewoman she was. The type always called little and sometimes referred toas "sweet" because of that indefinable quality usually associated withflowers.
"You should not have worried so," Mrs. Brandon assured her. "You havedone a great deal for us--I never could have left the children herealone without feeling sure of your watchful kindness, you know."
"Now Mrs. Brandon," said Miss Manners, in a rather dictatorial tone, "Ihave done nothing at all for you, and I want to assure you that Nancyand Ted require very--little--watching."
"And I want to say," spoke up Nancy, "that Miss Manners is the verynicest kind of a watch--a watch-woman," she laughed. "We never hear orsee her when, perhaps, we are noisy and--and rackety."
"I was afraid," continued Miss Manners, without apparently heedingNancy's intended compliment, "that you might have been alarmed about thesilly stories current around here. I mean, that especially about Mr.Sanders."
"Yes," said Mrs. Brandon encouragingly. "We have heard queer tales ofhis remarkable powers, but I can't say they have alarmed us, MissManners."
"You have too much sense, I'm sure, for that," she conceded. "But whenone comes into a strange place and hears such stories, especially, whenthey have something to do with this little place--"
"What could they have to do with _this_ place?" Nancy questionedsharply. "Surely, he doesn't do any disappearing around here."
Both the older folks laughed at that.
"No, not exactly," replied Miss Manners, "but you see, they say heinfluenced old Mr. Townsend until he spent his own and his sister'smoney. But for my part," she hurried to add, "I could never believe thatMr. Sanders is anything but a perfectly upright gentleman, and in no wayresponsible for the sad state of the Townsends' business affairs."
"Then _you_ don't believe any of the stories about him, do you?" pressedNancy. "Even Ted insists he saw him--fade away."
The little woman, who seemed for the moment to have forgotten hertroubles, looked from mother to daughter. It was so easy to interprether thoughts. She was measuring Nancy's courage.
"Oh, you don't need to be afraid of frightening me, Miss Manners," Nancyassured her, "I'm only waiting for a chance to investigate thedisappearing story. I've been so sure _I_ could solve the mystery, thatthe girls will soon be calling me a boaster if I don't start out to dosomething. What do you think, really, Miss Manners?" she pressedfurther.
"Well, I hate to say so, but I can't deny there is something curiousabout Mr. Sanders. I have often watched him around this house, when heand Mr. Townsend were such friends, and really," she paused as if theadmission were most distasteful to her, "I must say, the way those twomen ran around the house--"
"Ran around! Those two old men!" cried Nancy, sitting up very straightin sudden interest.
"Yes, actually. I mean out of doors, of course," Miss Manners explained."But they would first fuss around the outside chimney--you know themason work runs to the ground on my side of this house, I mean the sidenext to my bungalow," she emphasized, "and there is an old-fashionedopening there. I suppose they used to take ashes out that way when theyused the old grate fires."
"Oh, I know!" cried Nancy excitedly. "That's why Miss Townsend's dogmade such a fuss over the fireplace in the store!"
"Yes. They always had Tiny with them and the dog seemed as--crazy as themen," Miss Manners remarked.
"Don't you suppose they were working at something?" Mrs. Brandonsuggested, sensibly.
"I did think so, of course; but Miss Townsend seemed to fear all sortsof things; yet she never would put her fears into sensible words," MissManners told them curiously.
"But how could that be connected with the foolish story of Mr. Sander'sdisappearing trick?" Mrs. Brandon wanted to know.
"You see, it was all so unusual--I mean Mr. Sanders coming in here astranger, and not living any place that folks could find out. Then, whenhe came down to Mr. Townsend here, got him all excited over some secret,got him to draw his money from the bank, and finally worked poor MissTownsend into a state of nervous breakdown, why, naturally the peoplearound suspected almost everything--even to calling him a magician,"Miss Manners said, with a timid little smile.
"I couldn't give credence to any of it," replied Mrs. Brandon decidedly."I have met Mr. Sanders and share your opinion; that he is a perfectgentleman."
"Well, I've talked a long way from my own story haven't I?" Miss Mannerssighed again, as she blinked against impelling thoughts. "You see, Ihave no friends at hand, and when I did so large an order of hand-madehandkerchiefs--it took me months to do them--I depended upon that moneyfor the summer. But the lady I made them for was called hurriedlyabroad, on account of the sudden illness of her husband, and she nevergave a thought to my precious twenty-five dollars," the little ladysighed ruefully.
"She went away and owed you all that money!" Nancy exclaimed. "Howevercould she have forgotten?"
"My dear child, we are all selfish when in trouble I suppose," said MissManners charitably. "But I did fully expect to hear from her beforethis, and my next rent will be due in three days. I just came in toconsult with you, not to borrow. I wondered if you knew of anything Icould do--"
"Certainly I do," Nancy almost shouted. "You can start a little privateschool, a class in domestic science right in my--in our store," sheexclaimed. "I know at least a half dozen girls who will be glad to takea month's course, and we'll all pay you in advance. They always do inprivate schools!"
The women both appeared speechless as Nancy rattled on. The idea wasplainly fascinating. A domestic science class for the girls who hatedhousework, as Nancy did! How much better than idling an entire vacation!
"Why, I just wonder--"
"You needn't wonder, Mother," Nancy interrupted, "I tell you, it's justperfectly wonderful, the idea, I mean. I'll learn, I'll learn, I'lllearn," she chanted, "and then maybe I'll find out a pleasant way--"
"You are right, daughter," spoke up Mrs. Brandon. "When you learn to dothings as they should be done, you will find the work interesting. Ihave been sorry, Miss Manners, that my home has had to get along withouta great deal of my time," she turned to her visitor, "as you know I havehad to attend business and leave things to my maid. For, after all," shesaid evenly, "only a mother can teach a daughter, and I have not beenwith Nancy long enough--"
"You have too, Mumsey, and it's all my very own fault," Nancy confessed."You often showed me how to do things, and you always told me I wouldhave to pick things up when I threw them down, but I just didn't care. Ididn't think it made any difference." Nancy was actually joyous in herconfession, showing the positive relief one is apt to experience whenthe mind is suddenly freed from a heavy weight.
"I really think Nancy's idea is a good one," said Mrs. Brandon. "Thereis no real reason why you should be tucked away next door to us when weneed you in here, and we've got more room than we know what to do with."
"Oh, joy!" Nancy was positively dancing now. "We can have Manny in herewith us all the time? May I call you Manny?" she asked. "It's the cutestname."
"That's queer," replied the little lady, a soft color showing throughher pale skin. "My girls at Raleigh always called me--Manny--"
Then the plans were unfolded, and such plans as they were!
"I feel like a fairy with a magic wand" declared Nancy.
"My little storeis just like--a magic carpet or something."
"But I don't want to impose--" Miss Manners began.
"You're a positive blessing," Nancy insisted. "The only trouble is--wecan't learn sleuthing in your class and I've just got to find out Mr.Sanders' secret before I'm many days older. I honestly think, Mother,the idea of that foolish story going around without anyone--running itdown, as Ted would say, is getting on my nerves."
And every one enjoyed a good laugh at the idea of Nancy Brandon havingnerves.