The Carter Girls' Mysterious Neighbors

  CHAPTER VIII

  SATURDAY

  "Isn't it glorious to be living and for it to be Saturday?" yawned Lucy.

  "Yes, and not to have to catch that old train," and Nan snuggled downluxuriously under the bedclothes. "I used to think Saturday was a prettygood institution when we lived in town, but now--Oh, ye gods! Now!"

  "Did you know that Saturday was decreed a half-holiday in the days ofthe Saxon King Edgar 958 A. D.?" asked Lucy, who had a way of springinghistorical facts on people.

  "No, but I know it's going to be a whole holiday for Nan Carter in theyear of grace 1916. I intend to do nothing but laze the whole day long,laze and read."

  "I bet you won't. I bet you go nutting with Mag and me, because if we goit means Billy goes along, and if he goes along he'll be in a terriblegrouch unless you go, too."

  October had delightfully spread over into November. The weather hadobligingly stayed good, and although our Carters had been at Valhallamore than a month, they had experienced no real bad days.

  Nippy, frosty nights had put Mr. Carter wise to the many cracks that hemust stop up. Weather strips must be put on windows and doors, panes ofglass must be puttied in. Suspicious stains on walls and ceilings warnedhim of leaks, but he had to wait for a rain to locate them. He foundhimself almost as busy as he had been before his breakdown, but busy insuch a different way.

  "I'm glad it's Saturday! I think I won't work today," he had remarked tohis wife at about the same time Nan and Lucy were having their talk."Come and walk in the woods with me."

  That lady had graciously consented, if he promised not to go far and tolift her over fences.

  "I think I'll wash my hair today; and darn the stockings; and go overthe accounts; and write some letters; and read the _Saturday EveningPost_," said Douglas as she and Helen dressed hurriedly. Their littleattic room was hot in summer and cold in winter.

  Douglas had been thinking a great deal about her ride with the count.Had he only meant to tease her? Was he trying to flirt with her? Did shelike him at all or did she in a way distrust him? She asked herself allof these questions. Of course she liked him! Why should she distrust aman because of the way his moustache grew? Of course he was teasingher, and who could help teasing a silly goose of a girl who sat on theroadside and bawled until her nose was disgracefully red, and theninsisted it was all because her little brother had aided and abetted inthe crime of putting fleas down a little girl's neck? He had made a goodguess about Lewis Somerville, because no doubt her father had told himthat she and Lewis had been chums from the time they were babies.

  "I only hope I will be able to make up to him for my discourtesy bybeing very polite to him the next time I see him," she thought.

  "Count de Lestis is coming to lunch with us today," said Helen, almostas though she had been reading her sister's mind. "Father asked him."

  "That's good! Isn't it nice for Father to have such a congenial friend?"

  "And Mumsy! She enjoys his visits so much. I am going to try and have ascrumptious luncheon, but I tell you I am going to leave mighty littleof it to Chloe."

  "I think she is improving, Helen."

  "Of course she is improving. She is trying so hard to do what I want herto and I am trying so hard to be patient. I think I am improving somemyself."

  "Oh, honey, you are simply splendid. I think you have the hardest job ofall and I think you are doing better than any of us."

  "Nonsense!" But Helen looked very happy over her sister's praise. "I'drather do general housework for six dollars a month than go every dayand teach thirty little nincompoops a-b, ab."

  "But the thing is you are doing general housework for nothing a month."

  "I am doing a little teaching of a-b, ab, too, only my methods aredifferent. I have evolved a very advanced style of teaching and Chloe,too, is learning to spell. My method is somewhat that of Dotheboys'Hall--you remember: 'W-i-n-d-o-w, window--Go wash them.' I make herspell and write all the kitchen utensils. She learns while she isworking and it makes her take an interest in becoming educated."

  "Oh, Helen, you are so clever! You must let me help about the luncheon."

  "How about washing your head; and writing your letters; and casting upthe household accounts; and the _Saturday Evening Post_?"

  "Well, the letters and _Post_ will keep!"

  On Saturday the rule was that the dead warriors must make up their ownbeds and clean their own rooms, so shortly after breakfast therewas a general scramble in process. Helen turned Chloe loose in thedining-room to have it swept and garnished for their distinguishedvisitor.

  What a pretty room it was, much the most attractive in the house, withthe exception of the sitting-room, perhaps! Low, rough-hewn rafters werefrankly exposed to view. The walls were sealed with pine boards. Wallsand ceiling were both painted a very soft, pleasing grey-green. On thehigh mantel was an old-fashioned wooden clock with painted door, andthis was flanked on both sides by funny old vases with large raisedroses and gilt ears. Two high windows and a glass door, opening on acovered passage leading to the kitchen, gave a soft and insufficientlight.

  Douglas had just put the finishing touch to the table: a bunch of cosmossent down by the Misses Grant. Nan had made the mayonnaise; and Lucy hadfound a great basket of mushrooms and peeled them for Helen to cream.Truly they were to have a scrumptious luncheon. The count had arrivedand was playing lady-come-to-see, so Lucy said, with Mrs. Carter.

  The whir of a motor drew the attention of all.

  "Who on earth!" exclaimed Helen. "Surely not callers at this hour, justwhen my popovers are almost ready to eat!"

  "Mo' comply!" declared Chloe. "Dat ol' red rooster what yo' paw set somuch sto' by is been a-crowing halleluja all mornin'. I been a-tryin'ter make him hesh, 'cause we ain't got no mo' cheers fer comply."

  "That's so, there aren't but eight dining-room chairs," laughed Helen.

  "My 'ployer done come and a soger is in with him!" cried Bobby, tearingexcitedly by the dining-room in his race to open the gate for hisbeloved Dr. Wright.

  Helen ran out in her pink bungalow apron, first peeping into the oven,not trusting Chloe yet to keep things from burning.

  "Douglas!" she called excitedly, but Douglas, with flushed cheeks, bentover the bowl of cosmos.

  "A soldier with him! What soldier? Could it be Lewis?" she askedherself.

  It was Lewis Somerville, looking very handsome and upstanding indeed inhis khaki uniform, with his face burned a deep bronze so that his eyeslooked very blue and his teeth very white. He clambered out over thegreat basket of fruit Dr. Wright was bringing to Mrs. Carter, droppedthe boxes and parcels piled in around him and hugged and kissed all thefemale cousins in sight, Helen, Nan and Lucy. He shook Bobby by thehand, knowing full well that that youngster would sooner die than behugged and kissed.

  "Douglas, where is Douglas?" he whispered to Helen.

  "In the dining-room! You can get there around at the back of thehouse--in the basement. We thought you were still in Mexico."

  Lewis did not wait to tell her that he wasn't, but doing double quicktime he streaked around the house, and finding the basement stairswithout any trouble, he was down them in one stride.

  "Douglas!"

  "Oh, Lewis!"

  Douglas forgot that not so very many months before this time she hadinformed her cousin that she was too big to be kissed and that he wasnot close enough kin to warrant indiscriminate hugging. Certainly shewas no younger than she had been eight months before and Lewis was nocloser kin, but now she submitted to his embraces and even clung to himfor a moment.

  It was so wonderful to have him back safe and sound. She could hardlybelieve it was only yesterday that she had sat on the roadside and wept.He was her same Lewis, too. She felt instinctively that the count'ssuggestion in regard to Mexican beauties was ridiculous.

  "And Lewis, sergeant stripes on your sleeve, too! Why didn't you tellme?"

  "I did! Didn't you get my letter?"

  "No, not for weeks and
weeks!"

  "Strange! I must say I am not crazy about that letter's being lost."

  "Can't you tell me what was in it?"

  "Sure! I'm telling you now," and the young man caught her to him oncemore, but Douglas suddenly remembered she was too old to be kissed by asecond cousin, once removed. "I'm not crazy about having anyone but youread that letter, though, not only because of my telling you this," andhe took another for luck, "but," as Douglas recovered her maidenlyreserve and pushed him from her laughing, "I said some other things inthat letter that I wouldn't like anyone and everyone to see."

  "State secrets?"

  "Well, a newly-made sergeant would hardly have such things intrusted tohim! It was only my opinion concerning the state of affairs down thereon the border. I may be wrong about things, but a soldier has no rightto blab his conclusions about conditions in belligerent countries,especially when the press is wary in its comments."

  "I wouldn't worry a moment about it. If you could see the road that ourR. F. D. has to come over you would not wonder that some of our lettersjolt out. There is one creek to cross that is like going down the GrandCanyon."

  "If it only jolted out there and found watery oblivion, I shan't mind.But what a bully little shack this is! Wright was afraid we would notget here in time for luncheon, and he and I were determined to lie andsay we had eaten, but gee, I'm glad not to have to perjure my soul!"