CHAPTER XXVII JACK'S JOBS
The summer days which followed were delightful ones. Priscilla remindedJack of his promise to help her make a garden; so he worked hard,clearing the ground back of the cabin, and spading up beds under herdirections. She planted very carefully the seeds given her by MadamLovemore, and waited impatiently for the first bits of green to appear.
"Guess while I'm at it, I'll make a vegetable garden too," announcedJack, after he had finished the flower beds. "A bit late, perhaps, butwe'll get something out of it."
"A good idea," approved Desire. "I'll help you."
She caught up the rake and followed him to the end of the property.
"I love to work out-of-doors," she said, "and after you get a job I canattend to the vegetables while Prissy takes care of her flowers."
"An' I ain't got nuthin' to take care of," sighed Rene, feeling that hehad been left out of all these new plans.
"Should you like a garden, darling?" asked Desire, her sympathyimmediately aroused by his mournful tones.
"No, no old garden. Want a dog to take care of; 'n' Jack promised me one,too."
Desire glanced up at her older brother who was leaning on his spadefiguring out just where he would begin to dig.
"You did promise him, Jack, or practically so," she said.
"No chance of being allowed to forget anything in this family," hesmiled. "I'll see what I can do for you, Rene."
The next day Jack went up alone to see Judge Herbine. "Don't worry if Idon't show up for dinner," he said to Desire before leaving. "The judgetold me yesterday that he had heard of two or three places where I mightget a job, and to come up and see him today. I'll keep going until I'veinvestigated all the possibilities."
"All right, dear; and the best of luck."
They had had many talks on the drive to Yarmouth, and on the beach infront of the hut, as to the advisability of remaining in the Godet house.
"It's simply living from hand to month," Jack had said gravely; "butthere seems to be nothing else in sight just now."
"Even so, we're certainly some better off than we should have been inSissiboo," Desire said consolingly.
"But what would you do," suggested Jack, "if somebody came along andwanted the cabin some day?"
"Let them have it, if they could prove they owned it; but Judge Herbineseems to think such a thing most unlikely. He said, you know, that theycouldn't get a clear title when that American wanted to buy it. But why,Jack, does somebody want it now?"
"No, not that I know of; but one can never tell what might happen. Thebus line will run along the main road past our lane this summer, Iunderstand; and some tourist might take a fancy to the little cabin andwant to buy it. I suppose if enough money were spent on a search, itmight be possible to establish the title; or someone who wanted it badlyenough might be willing to take a chance. I don't mean to worry youunduly, Desire, but we mustn't get so attached to the place that havingto give it up sometime will come as a great shock."
Her brother's words came back to her mind many times that day as she wentabout her household tasks. Of course they mightn't want to live righthere always. Jack must finish college, as they planned; but she wanted togo through high school; and after that, the magical trip to the States,where Jack might find his life-work. How many times they had gone over itall! At the rate money had come in so far, however, it would take manyyears to realize any of these day dreams, to say nothing of all of them.It seemed, no matter how careful she tried to be, to take _so_ much moneyto feed and clothe them; and if somebody _should_ claim the cabin--well,she'd better not think about that any more just now.
Late in the afternoon, when the lane was getting shadowy, the girls andRene were sitting on the broad stone step watching for Jack. The sound ofan approaching automobile broke the country stillness, and JudgeHerbine's Ford presently stopped. Jack got out, followed by a big,awkward-looking brown dog. With one wild shriek, Rene dashed down thelane and threw his arms around the animal's neck. The judge waved to thegirls, and drove away laughing.
"I've got a dog! I've got a dog!" chanted Rene, dragging the big beasttoward the house.
"He's perfectly gentle, for all his size," said Jack in reply to Desire'squestioning look. "But Rene, you must be kind to the dog, and never hurthim."
"Where in the world did you get him?" demanded Priscilla, who did notlike any dog very well, and especially a big one.
"The judge found him somewhere off in the country," replied Jack, sittingdown on the step which was much too low for his long legs.
"He is hardly a beauty," observed Desire, watching Rene mauling his newfriend.
"No, but he's always been used to children, and the judge thought that agood recommendation. Of course he's awkward, and probably mischievous;for he's not yet full grown--"
"_Don't_ tell me he will get bigger!" groaned Desire. "Where shall weever put him?"
"I'll fix a place; don't worry about that part of it," Jack promised,getting up to go into the cabin.
The evening was a riot of small boy and dog. With much difficulty theywere separated at bedtime; for Rene insisted upon his new pal sleeping onthe foot of the bed, and wept copiously when the dog was banished. Theysaid _he_ mustn't ever hurt the dog, he moaned, and here they werehurting him by taking him away!
"If you're going to be unruly over the dog," said Jack, "I shall take himright back, and you will never have another."
"Jack will fix Rover up all nice somewhere," promised Desire, "and you'llsee him again in the morning."
Quiet was restored, and after she had gotten Rene to bed, Desire went outbehind the cabin where Jack was preparing a place for the new member ofthe family. He had turned on an end the box which had held theirbelongings while they were on the road, and placed a bit of old carpet inthe bottom.
"Behold the kennel!" he said proudly, with a wave of the hand.
"But will he stay in it?" asked Desire, somewhat doubtfully.
"Not without being tied, for a few nights," replied Jack, running a ropefrom the dog's collar through a stout staple on the side of the box."Then he'll be used to the place."
"You haven't told me anything yet about your job prospects," said Desirerather reproachfully, as they walked around to the front door.
"How could I, in all the noise and excitement?" laughed Jack. "Let's sitout here for a while. Wait a minute; I'll get a couple of chairs."
He brought out the rocker for his sister, and a straight chair forhimself, tilting it back against the side of the house to make it morecomfortable.
"It's a great night," he commented, with a sigh of content. "Just seethat moon! Doesn't it look as if it were stuck in the top of the trees?"
"Nights like this ought to make our gardens grow fast," replied Desire."Now what about the job?"
"Well, I have a temporary one; will last about a week or two; and apromise of a steady one for the rest of the summer. Isn't that great?"
"Certainly is. Where, and what doing?"
"You know we heard that there was to be a bus line through this part ofthe country?"
"Yes, but you can't drive a bus, Jack."
"Hardly; but it seems that the company that is to run it is sending menhere from Boston who, though they know how to run busses, know nothingabout the country. So I'm to ride around with them, show them the bestroads, and tell them local history until they've learned the ropes. Ofcourse that won't take very long, but it's fair pay while it lasts.They'll pick me up at the end of the lane here every day."
"Priscilla and Rene will be desperately envious of you, I'm afraid."
"Very likely. Maybe before the season is over I'll be able to take all ofyou on a little trip, over part of the route at least."
"That would be lovely, but don't mention it before the children. I feelthat if we have any extra money it ought to be put away."
"I suppose you're right; but I'd like to be able to give you a littlepleasure sometim
es."
"I know, and I do have pleasure, Jack; and we'll just look forward tomore chance for such things in the future. And about the other job?"
"Jim Rutland is going to open a kind of lunch stand in one end of hisgeneral store; for tourists, you know. He wants me to run it."
"But why does Jim need anyone? I should think he could attend to bothhimself."
"He has to be out of the store quite a lot. He sells everything fromchickens to farm machinery, has a gas station, and I don't know whatelse. He thought his son would stay home and help him out this summer, ashe did last; but he had a chance to go to the States, and he's going."
"Is it much of a job, Jack?" asked Desire, rather doubtfully.
"Not so much, but there's pretty good money in it. He is going to let mehave a small commission on the tourist business, aside from a fairsalary. Makes it more interesting, and it will do very well indeed untilI have an opportunity at something better. It will keep us going untilfall--when I can have the mail again--and I hope will give us somethingto add to the 'nest egg.'"
They fell silent, Jack wondering how he could get something really worthwhile to do, and Desire racking her brains to think of some way in whichshe could contribute to their income.
"Who's going to do the baking for the lunch room?" she asked suddenly,"Jim hasn't a wife or mother, has he?"
"No; but why do you want to know?"
"I thought I might do it."
"You! You have plenty to do now."
"Not really, dear. The work here is very easy, and Prissy is getting tobe quite a help. It wouldn't be at all hard to bake some cookies andtarts, make sandwiches, and things like that. I could make pies, usingwild berries which the children could gather. Oh, if Jim Rutland iswilling, say you'll let me try, Jack. I'll bet you'd have the mostpopular lunch room in Nova Scotia! And think what it would mean, withyour commission!"
"I've no doubt of its popularity after people had once tasted the goodthings you can make."
"I could spread my biscuits with jam, or serve them hot with honey; and,oh, there would be no end to the nice little things, all ready to eat,that you could sell or serve."
Desire's imagination, fired by her enthusiasm, supplied her with numerousideas to be put into practice if only Jack wouldn't object.
"Do let me try it, Jack."
"I'm afraid that you would overwork."
"Nonsense. Of course I won't. I promise to give it up if I feel that it'stoo much. But I just _love_ to cook."
"Well, I'll speak to Jim tomorrow, if I get a chance, and see what hisplans are. Meanwhile, I've got to be ready to meet the bus atseven-thirty in the morning; so let's go in."
The big bus stopped at the end of the lane promptly at seven-thirty eachmorning for a week; then Jack announced one night that tomorrow would behis last day.