Janice Day, the Young Homemaker

  CHAPTER X. OTHER PEOPLE'S TROUBLE

  Daddy, of course, laughed. If it had not been for his sanguinetemperament, and his ability to see the funny side of life,Janice often wondered what they should do.

  "They say," she thought, "that every cloud has a silver lining.But to dear daddy there is something better than silver liningsto our clouds. Something to laugh at! I wonder if, after all,being able to see the fun in things isn't the biggest blessing inthe world. I am sure Miss Peckham isn't happy, and she neversees anything funny at all! But daddy--"

  When she told him at dinner time how Delia had departed on therubbish wagon with her angry father, Broxton Day laughed so thathe could scarcely eat.

  "But what are we going to do?" cried Janice.

  "Don't be a little Martha, honey, troubled with many things. Iwould have given a good deal to have seen that departure. 'Goodriddance to bad rubbish,' is an old saying back in Vermont whereI was brought up, Janice. And Delia going in the rubbish wagonseems fitting, doesn't it?"

  "It was funny," admitted his little daughter. "But what shall wedo?"

  "Why, try the next applicant," said Broxton Day easily. "I willlook in at the agencies again."

  "I'm afraid that won't do any good, Daddy," sighed Janice."Delia came from the agency, and you see what she was like. AndOlga--"

  "No," interrupted Mr. Day, "Olga came direct from Pickletown."

  "Well, it doesn't matter. There were plenty of others from theagencies, all as bad or worse than Olga and Delia," and Janicelooked much downcast.

  "Oh, little daughter, little daughter!" admonished Mr. Day,"don't give way like that. Some time, out of the lot, we'll findthe right person."

  "Well, maybe," agreed Janice, cheerful once more. "I guess we'vealready had all the bad ones. Those that are left to come to usmust be just ordinary human beings with some good and some sensemixed in with the bad."

  It proved to be a very busy day, indeed, for Janice-- thatSaturday. But she did not overlook her promise to AmyCarringford. Yet it was mid-afternoon when she started forMullen Lane with the pink and white party dress in a neat packageover her arm.

  Janice could not overlook the poverty-stricken appearance of theCarringford cottage. It could not, indeed, be ignored by eventhe casual glance. But its cleanliness, and everybody's neatnessabout the little dwelling, portrayed the fact that here was afamily putting its best foot forward. Mrs. Carringford wasproud. Janice Day knew that she must be very cautious indeed ifshe would see Amy adorned with her own finery.

  "Dear Mrs. Carringford," she whispered to her friend's mother,"I've got a surprise for you. I want Amy to come upstairs withme, and by and by, when we call you up, please come and look intoher room."

  Amy, according to agreement, had said nothing about the dress toher mother. She was eager, but doubtful just the same.

  "I don't think it is right, Janice," she declared, over and over."I don't see how I can accept the dress from you, when I havenothing to give in return."

  "Oh, that is a very niggardly way to receive," cried Janice,shaking her head. "If we can't accept a present save when we canreturn it--why, daddy says that is the most selfish thought inthe world."

  "Selfish!"

  "For sure! We are too selfish to allow other people to enjoygiving. Don't you see? It's fun to give."

  "But it is not fun to be the object charity," complained Amy,with some sullenness.

  "Why, my dear," exclaimed Janice Day, "you are not always goingto be poor. Of course not. Some day you will be lots betteroff. Gummy will grow up and go to work, and then you will all bewell off. And, besides, this sort of giving, between friends,isn't charity."

  "Gummy wishes to go to work now," sighed Amy. "But mother wantsto keep him at school."

  "He might work after school and on Saturdays."

  "Oh, that would be fine! But who would give him such a job? Yousee, we do not trade much with the storekeepers, and mother isn'tvery well known--"

  "You wait!" exclaimed Janice. "I believe I know somebody whoneeds a boy."

  "Oh, I hope you do, Janice."

  Meanwhile Amy was getting into that lovely, dainty dress again.

  "You do look too sweet for anything in it," Janice declared. Thelatter ran out to the stairs and called to Mrs. Carringford."Oh, do come up and look! Do, Mrs. Carringford!"

  She kept Amy's bedroom door shut, and held Mrs. Carringford for amoment at the top of the stairs.

  "Oh, Mrs. Carringford," she murmured, "don't you want to make twogirls just awfully happy?"

  "Why, my dear child--"

  "You know, I have been growing just like a weed this past year.Daddy says so. I have outgrown all the pretty clothes my--mymother made me for last summer, and which of course I could notwear. Amy is just a wee bit smaller than I "

  "My dear!"

  "Wait!" gasped Janice, almost in tears she was so much inearnest. "Just wait and see her! And I want her to go to theparty. And there are stockings, and pumps, and a hat, andeverything! Look at her!"

  She flung open the bedroom door. Amy stood across the room fromthem, flushing and paling by turns, and looking reallyfrightened, but, oh! so pretty.

  "Why, Amy!" murmured Mrs. Carringford, her own cheeks flushing.

  What mother can look at her little daughter when she ischarmingly dressed without being proud of her? She turnedquestioningly to Janice.

  "Does your father know about this?"

  "Daddy quite approves," said Janice demurely. "I never could getany wear out of them. You can see that, Mrs. Carringford.

  "And if you let Amy wear them, we'll both be so happy!"

  Mrs. Carringford kissed her. "You are a sweet, good child," shesaid rather brokenly. "I don't blame Amy for loving you."

  So it was agreed that Amy should wear the party dress. Janice haderrands to do at the store, and she begged for the company ofGummy Carringford to help her carry the things she bought.

  "You know, I can't carry them all, and sometimes Harriman'sdelivery doesn't get around until midnight and we have to get upand take the things in."

  "Come on," said Gummy, who knew about the dress for his sister,"I'll carry anything you want."

  But Janice really had another reason for getting GummyCarringford to Harriman's store. She maneuvered to get Mr.Harriman himself to wait on her, and when Gummy was out ofear-shot she began to confide in the proprietor.

  "Do you see that boy who is with me, Mr. Harriman?" she asked.

  "Oh, yes. I've seen him before I guess. One of your neighbors?"

  "He goes to our school. And he is a very nice boy."

  "What's his name?"

  "His name is 'G. Carringford'," Janice told demurely.

  "Oh! 'G?'" queried Mr. Harriman. "Is that all?"

  "Well, you know, it isn't his fault if he has dreadful name," shesaid. "And it doesn't really hurt him. He can work just ashard--and he wants work."

  "I thought you said he went to school?"

  "After school and on Saturdays," she explained. "He doesn't knowyou, Mr. Harriman, so I suppose he is bashful about speaking toyou. But you know him now, because I introduced G. Carringford.Won't you try him?"

  The outcome of this attempt to help the Carringfords was one ofthe many things Janice had to confide to daddy that evening. Asshe told him, she had put little dependence upon the hope offinding another houseworker easily. And that was well, for Mr.Day had found nobody at the agencies. He would not trustengaging a girl again, unseen.

  "Perhaps next week will bring us good fortune, my dear," he said."How did you get on to-day, all alone? I see the silver has beenpolished."

  "Only some of it, Daddy. And I have been a busy bee, now I tellyou."

  "Bravo, my dear! The busy bee makes the honey."

  "And has a stinger, too," she replied roguishly. "I guess ArloJunior thinks so."

  "So Junior came over according to promise?" said her father,interested.

  "Yes, in
deed. And he did work, Daddy! You should have seenhim."

  "The vision of Arlo Weeks, Junior, working really would be worththe price of admission," chuckled Broxton Day.

  "That isn't the worst of it--for Arlo," said Janice gaily. "Yousee, his helping me clean up that back kitchen got him a badreputation."

  "Why, Janice! How was that?"

  "Oh, he did the cleaning very well. As well as it could be done.That soft coal made marks on the walls that never will come offuntil they are painted again. It's awful smutchy--that coal."

  "I know," agreed Broxton Day. "But about Arlo?"

  "I'm coming to that," she said smiling. "You see, Arlo Juniorwas just about through when his mother come over looking for him.She wanted him to go on an errand. She saw what he had been doingfor me, for he had an apron on and the broom in his hand."

  "Caught with the goods, in other words?" chuckled Mr. Day.

  "Yes. And we couldn't tell her why he was helping me. So shesaid right out:

  "'Why, Arlo Junior! If you can help Janice like this-- and youand she were fighting the other day--you can come right home andclean out the woodshed. It needs it.'

  "And--and," laughed Janice, "he had to do it. He worked prettynear all day to-day. And he scowled at me dreadfully thisafternoon."

  "He will be playing other tricks on you," warned her father.

  "Well, there will be no Olga to make them worse," she sighed."That is one sure thing. Oh, dear, Daddy, I wonder where sheis--and the treasure-box! It is too, too hateful for anything!"

  "I called up the pickle factory where Willie Sangreen works.They had heard nothing from him. It looks as though Olga and hemust have gone away together. Stole a march on all their friendsand got married, maybe."

  "But why should she take my treasure-box?" cried Janice. "Oh,Daddy! I can never forgive myself for my carelessness."

  "Don't worry, child. You could not really be blamed," herejoined sadly.

  "But that doesn't bring back mother's picture and the otherthings," murmured the anxious Janice, watching his clouding face.

  As always when they were alone, daddy washed the supper dishesand Janice dried them. Daddy with an apron on and his sleevesrolled up, and a paper cap on his head (she made him wear thatlike a regular "chef"), made a picture that always pleased hisdaughter.

  "I think you would make a very nice cook, Daddy dear? she oftentold him. "In fact, you seem to fit in almost anywhere. I guessit's because you are always ready to do something."

  "Flattery! Flattery!" he returned, pinching her cheek.

  "But it is so, you know, Daddy. You always know what to do--andyou do it."

  "That is what they tell me at the bank," said Mr. Day, withrather a rueful smile. "This Mexican mine business is developingsome troubles, and they want me to go down there and straightenthem out."

  "Oh, Daddy!" she cried breathlessly.

  "No," he said, shaking his head. "That is what I tell them. Icannot leave you alone."

  "But take me!" she cried, almost dancing up and down.

  "Can't be thought of, Janice. That is a rough country--and you've got to stick to school, besides. You know, my dear,we had already decided on that."

  "Yes, I know," she sighed. "But of course you won't go away andleave me? We--we've never been separated since--since dear mammadied."

  "True, my dear. And we will not contemplate such separation. Ihave told them at the bank it would be impossible." It was notof their own troubles that they talked mostly on this evening,however, but of some other people's troubles. After they wereout of the kitchen and settled in the living-room, Janice beganto tell him about the Carringfords. "They are just the nicestpeople you ever saw Daddy. Amy and Gummy are coming over heretomorrow after Sunday School so that you can meet them."

  "'Gummy'!" ejaculated Mr. Day.

  Janice told him all about that boy's unfortunate name.

  "You see," she explained, "Mrs. Carringford told me herself thisafternoon that his Uncle John Gumswith was a very nice man."

  "Seems to me," said daddy, quite amused, "that doesn't make theboy's name any less unfortunate. And have they never even heardof the uncle since he went to Australia?"

  "No, sir."

  "Well," chuckled Mr. Day, "Gummy had better go to the Legislatureand get his name changed. That's a handicap that no boy shouldhave to shoulder."

  "It is awful. And it makes Gummy shy, I think. He wanted towork after school hours and on Saturday. But he didn't seem toknow how to get a job. So I," Janice proceeded quite in amatter-of-fact way, "got him one."

  "You did!"

  "Yes, Daddy. I went to Mr. Harriman, the grocer. You know wetrade there. And I know that he can use a boy just as well asnot. So I told him about Gummy--"

  "Did you tell Harriman his name?" chuckled her father.

  "I said he was 'G. Carringford,'" Janice replied, her eyestwinkling. "But you needn't laugh. Mr. Harriman did."

  "Did what?"

  "Laugh; I really wanted Gummy to take a nom de plume, or whateverit is they call 'em."

  "An alias, I guess it would be, in Gummy's case," said herfather. "And wouldn't he?"

  "No," said Janice, shaking her head. "Gummy seems to think thathe's in honor bound to stick up for his name. That is what hesays."

  "Amen! Some boy, that!"

  "He's a nice boy," declared Janice. "You'll see. And he got thejob."

  "Oh, he did! So I see that my Janice is a real 'do something'girl."

  "Why, yes, I hadn't thought of that," she agreed, all smiles athis praise. "I did do something, didn't I? Gummy is going towork for Mr. Harriman, and that'll help them. But it was aboutAmy and Stella Latham's party I wanted to tell you"

  "Oh, was it, indeed?" her father murmured.

  She related the circumstances attached to the coming party andAmy Carringford's reason for not being able to go.

  "And you ought to see Amy in that pink and white dress. She'sjust too sweet for anything!"

  "All right, daughter. I agree to give your little friend thefrock if her mother is willing."

  "I just made Mrs. Carringford agree," said Janice, bobbing herhead earnestly. "They are awfully proud folks."

  "With a proper pride, perhaps."

  "I guess so. They are real nice anyway--even if Gummy does wearpatched pants."

  "And does he?" asked daddy, seriously. "Perhaps we had betterlook through my Wardrobe in his behest."

  "But, Daddy! he can't wear your clothes. He'd be lost in them,"Janice giggled.

  "True. But his mother may know how to cut the garments down andmake them over for the boy? You ask her, Janice. I will lay outa couple of suits that I will never be able to wear again."

  And so they forgot their own troubles, for the time being, inseeking to relieve those of some other people.