CHAPTER XXVI.
THE FIRST MORNING IN GRANTLEY, AND ANOTHER EXCELLENT JOKE.
Ford Foster was the only one of those six boys who had ever seen thegreat railway-building, and he confessed that it looked a little large,even to him. Frank Harley freely declared that he had seen nothing likeit in India; and Dick Lee's eyes showed all the white they had to show,before he had seen the whole of it.
Their first errand was to the baggage-room; and they were on their waywhen Dab Kinzer thoughtfully remarked,--
"Now, Joe, here we've dragged you and Fuz away up here, miles and milesout of your way."
"That's so," said Ford, "but they can take a street-car down. They'vegot hours of time to spare."
"No hurry," said Joe: "we'll see you off." But Fuz whispered to him,--
"Time's up, Joe. Joke's got to come out now."
It came out at the baggage-room; for there were the trunks of the Hartboys, and they had to go with the others to the ticket-office for theirtickets, before they could get their checks.
"Do you mean you're to go right on now, with us?" said Ford in someastonishment. "I thought you were going home first."
"No. We got a letter three days ago, telling us what to do. Our otherthings'll be sent on by express."
The "joke" was out, and the two jokers were laughing as though it were aremarkably good one in their estimation; but Ford nodded his headapprovingly.
"Uncle Joseph is a wise and careful man about his children," he saidslowly. "He didn't mean you should make the trip alone. I'm much obligedto him for such an expression of his confidence in me."
The laugh somehow died away, as if a sudden fit of sickness had carriedit off, while a broad smile widened on the faces of the other boys,notably including Dick Lee; but the baggage-checks were to be lookedafter, and there were seats in the sleeping-car to be secured. The lostjoke could hide itself easily in all that hurry and excitement.
"The sleeper'll carry us the best part of the way," said Ford, when atlast they took their seats; "but we'll have a doleful little ride on asmall railway, early in the morning."
"But that'll take us right up north to Grantley," added Dab, with along-drawn breath of expectation. The remaining hours of that Fridaywere largely spent by all six of them in looking out of the windows.When they were not doing that, it was mostly because Joe or Fuz wastelling some yarn or other about Grantley and its academy.
They agreed perfectly in their somewhat extravagant praise of Mrs. Myersand her daughter Almira. "She's such a good, kind-hearted, liberal,motherly woman," said Joe.
"And Almira's a sweet young lady," added Fuz, "only she's a little timidabout boys."
"Needn't be afraid of us, I guess," said Ford Foster, with a benevolentand protecting expression on his face; while Dab drew a mental pictureof the fair Almira as a sort of up-country copy of Annie Foster. Afterthe darkness came, and the "sleeper" was turned into a greattravelling-box full of little shaky bedrooms, there was no more talkingto be done, and all the boys were tired enough to go to sleep.
One consequence of their beginning their slumbers so early, however,was, that they felt bright and fresh when the porter aroused them beforedaylight next morning; and they hurriedly dressed themselves for theirride on what Ford Foster called "the switch."
It was quite a respectable railway, however, and it carried them throughscenery so different from any that Dabney or Dick was accustomed to,that they lost a good deal of what Joe and Fuz were saying about Dr.Abiram Brandegee, the learned principal of Grantley Academy. It was ofless importance, perhaps, because they had heard it all before, and hadgathered a curious collection of ideas concerning the man under whosedirection they were to get their new stocks of learning.
"Dab," said Dick, "if it was any fellers but them said it, I'd want togo home."
"Well, yes," said Dab quietly; "but then, that's just it. You can'tguess when they're telling the truth, and when they ain't."
"Is dar really any fun in lyin', do you s'pose, Dab?"
"Can't say, Dick. Guess there wouldn't be much for you or me."
"Dar's lots ob fun in Ford; an' he tells de truth mos' all de time,stiddy. So does Frank, jes' a little bit stiddier."
"Ford never lies, Dick."
"No, sir, he don't. But w'en anoder feller's lyin', he kin make believehe don't know it bes' of any feller I ebber seen."
"Dick," exclaimed Dabney, "what if Dr. Brandegee had heard you saythat!"
"I would tell him I was imitating somebody I had heard," solemnlyresponded Dick, with fair correctness.
The ride began in the dark hour that comes before the dawn, and thetrain ran fast. The sun was above the horizon, but had not yet peeredover the high hills around Grantley, when the excited schoolboys werelanded at the little station in the outskirts of the village. It was ona hillside; and they could almost look down upon a large part of thescene of their "good time coming,"--or their "bad time," a good deal asthey themselves might make it.
Dab and his friends saw that valley and village often enough afterwards;but never again did it wear to them precisely the same look it put onthat morning, in the growing light of that noble September day. As forJoe and Fuz, it was all an old story to them; and, what was more, theyhad another first-rate joke on hand.
"There's the academy," said Joe: "that big white concern in the middleof the green, and with so short a steeple."
"Steeple enough," said Ford. "Are the rest churches?"
"Yes; and, if you don't go to church reg'lar, Old By'll be sure to hearof it."
"Old By" was the irreverent nickname they had selected for Dr. AbiramBrandegee; and Fuz added,--
"Never mind him, boys. He's a raspy old fellow; but he's such a little,old, withered wisp of a chap, you'll soon get used to him."
Dab was bewildered enough, just then, to wonder how such a weak-minded,malicious old dwarf as had been painted to him, could have managed toget and keep so high a position in so remarkably beautiful a place asGrantley. He said something about the village being so pretty; but DickLee had been staring eagerly in all directions, and replied with,--
"Jes' one little mite of a patch ob water! Is dar any fish to ketch?"
"Fish? In that pond?" said Fuz. "Why, it's alive with 'em. The people ofGrantley just live on fish."
"Guess I knows 'bout how many dey is now," said Dick soberly; and he wasnot far from right, for there were no fish to speak of in thatwillow-bordered mill-pond.
"Mrs. Myers will hardly be up so early as this," said Dab. "We can getour trunks over by and by. Let's have a look at the village. Joe, it'syour turn to steer now. You and Fuz know how the land lies."
They were ready enough to tell all they knew, and a good deal more; butthe listeners they had that morning were not without eyes of their own,and it was not a very fatiguing task to walk all over the village ofGrantley.
The first house to be studied with special care was the neat whiteresidence of Dr. Brandegee, with its shady trees and its garden; for Joesaid,--
"That's where you fellows'll have to come right after breakfast, to beexamined. Oh, but won't Old By put you through!"
Dick Lee's mouth came open as he stared at the knob on the doctor'sfront door, and Dabney caught himself doubting if he knew themultiplication-table. Even Ford Foster wondered if there was really anything he could teach Dr. Brandegee, and remarked to Frank Harley,--
"I s'pose you're about the only man among us that he can't corner."
"How's that?"
"Why, if he's too hard on you, you can answer him in Hindustanee. He'snever been a heathen in all his life: you'd have him"--
"Shuah!" chuckled Dick.
The "green" was large and well-kept, and looked like the best kind of aball-ground; but there was nothing wonderful about the academy building,except that it evidently had in it room enough for a great many boys.
"You'll see enough of it before you get through," said Fuz. "Butthere'll have to be lots of whittling done this fall."
&
nbsp; "Whittling? what for?"
"Why, don't you see? They've gone and painted the old thing all overnew. Every boy cut his name somewhere before we left last term. They'reall painted over now: maybe they're puttied up level. They did that oncebefore, and we had to cut 'em all out again."
"Oh!" said Ford, "I see: you were afraid they'd forget you. I don'tbelieve they would."
"You haven't pointed out Mrs. Myers's," said Dabney. "It must be prettynear breakfast-time. Where is it?"
The Hart boys broke out into a joint giggle of enjoyment as Joeresponded,--
"There it is,--right across there, beyond the harness-shop, opposite theother end of the green. Handy in bad weather."
"It's a pretty decent-looking house too," said Ford. "Come on: let's goover, and let her know we've arrived in port."
"Well, no," said Joe: "you fellows go over, soon as you please. Fuz andI won't take our breakfast there this morning."
"Going somewhere else, eh? Well, we'll have an eye to your trunks whenthey come."
The giggle grew rapidly into a laugh, as Fuz exclaimed,--
"Trunks! why, our baggage'll go to our boarding-house. We don't put upwith Mother Myers this time: got a new place. Oh, but won't you fellowsjust love her and Almira!"
It was all out, that deep secret about their change of boarding-house;and the Hart boys had something to enjoy this time, for Dab and hisfriends looked at each other for a moment in blank amazement.
"All right, boys," shouted Ford, at the end of it: "here's for somebreakfast. Good-morning, Joe. Day-day, Fuz. See you again by and by."
They all followed him, but they could see that there was something morehidden under the mirth of Joe and Fuz as they walked away; and they werehardly out of hearing before Dab Kinzer remarked,--
"Look a' here, boys, I move we don't give those two any fun at ourexpense."
"How?" asked Ford.
"If there's any thing at Mrs. Myers's that we don't like, we mustn't letthem know it."
"I's keep my mouf shet if I foun' de house was an ole eel-pot," saidDick emphatically; and Frank and Ford came out even more strongly. Theyall seemed to feel as if some kind of a trick had been played upon them,to begin with.
However, it served to put them on their guard, and prevented any changeof countenance among them when their knock at the front door of thathouse was answered, and the freckled face of Mrs. Myers beamed out uponthem from under its thin, smooth, glistening thatch of carroty hair. Shewas not a handsome woman, and she had a thin nose, and a narrow mouth,and very pale blue eyes; but she was all one smile of welcome as shestood in that doorway.
"Mrs. Myers?" said Ford, with an extraordinary bow. "We arrived on themorning train. I am Mr. Foster." And then, with a half turn to theright, he continued, "Mrs. Myers--Mr. Richard Lee, Mr. Dabney Kinzer,Mr. Francis Harley. Our baggage will come over pretty soon."
"Walk in, young gentlemen, walk in. I'm happy to see you.--Almira? Herethey are: put breakfast on the table right away."
"That isn't a bad beginning," thought Dab. "That sounds a good deal likewhat Ham said of her. She knew we must be hungry."
"Walk into the parlor, please. Breakfast'll be ready in one minute. I'llshow you your rooms afterwards."
That, too, was considerate; and, when Almira herself came to the doorbetween the parlor and the dining-room, she, too, looked as if it werequite her habit to smile, when she said,--
"Breakfast's ready."
Almira smiled, but she was too much like her mother. There was nothingat all about her to put Dabney in mind of Annie Foster, or of either ofhis own sisters. Samantha, or Keziah, or Pamela could have been "madeover" into two Almiras, in every thing but height; and Dab made up hismind at once that either of them could beat her at smiling,--not somuch, perhaps, as to mere quantity, but as to quality.
That was a breakfast which would have fully justified Ham Morris'sreport, for it was well cooked and plentiful. The "johnnycake," inparticular, was abundant; and all the boys took to it kindly.
"Glad you like it," said Mrs. Myers. "Almira, that's one thing wemustn't forget. I was always proud of my johnny cake. There's very fewknow what to do with their corn-meal, after they've got it."
She did evidently, and the boys all said so except Dick Lee. He could dofull justice to his breakfast, indeed; but he was saying to himself allthe while,--
"I won'er 'f I'll ebber git used to dis yer. It's jes' awful, dis goin'to de 'cad'my."