Head of the House

  They hurried around and got a few other things—hats, coats—and then stealthily shoved the suitcases into their closets.

  “Now,” they said, “what shall we do next?”

  “Come in and help me get Robin’s and Karen’s things packed. I got some of them together a little while ago, but I think perhaps you will know better whether I have forgotten anything. You have been around with them more every day and know what they need.”

  Another hasty session followed, getting Robin and Karen packed, and into the midst of it came the soft notes of the dinner gong.

  “Now, I wonder where Jerry is,” said Jennifer. “And the children. Hazel, you run out and bring them in. Wash their hands and faces in the hall lavatory. No, don’t bother to comb their hair now. Or—here’s my little pocket comb—just smooth them up a bit. You never can be sure that some relative won’t drop in while we’re eating, and everything must look perfectly all right or they will think I can’t take care of you children. Smooth your own hair, Hazel, before you go down, and try to act as ladylike as if you were all dressed up. Don’t let Maggie see any excitement about you. Now, hurry and get the children! Heather, you see if you can find Jerry. He’s in his room, perhaps.”

  Heather paused on the top step of the stairs.

  “Jerry is just coming in the front door,” she said. “Jerry, dinner is ready!”

  “Okay!” said Jerry. “I thought I heard the gong.”

  They came quietly into the dining room and took their seats. Even Robin and Karen were not far behind the rest. They were tired and restless in spite of their naps, and filled with excitement besides. The curtain of shock and sudden death was always hovering just behind whatever occupied their minds, reminding them that there was such a thing as death, though it had never entered their consciousness before. It made a somber background to everything.

  “I fink,” said Robin gravely, speaking out of an uncomfortable silence that had seemed to envelope them as they sat down, “I fink my nuss must av died. I¾hope¾her has!”

  “Why, Robin! What an awful thing to say!” reproved Hazel with a grown-up air. “That’s wicked, isn’t it, Jennifer? You mustn’t ever wish anybody to be dead.”

  “Oh, no, Robin,” said Jennifer quickly, “your nurse isn’t dead. She’s merely gone away. She’s not going to be your nurse anymore.”

  “Well, then I is glad,” said the baby, still gravely. “I don’t wike her! ’Sides, I’se a big boy now. I don’t need a nurse.”

  “That’s it, Robin,” smiled Jennifer, with a warning look at the others who were inclined to laught at Robin. “You know, Robin, it’s sort of up to you now, whether you have to have another nurse or not. If you keep on being as good as you were this afternoon, perhaps we won’t have to hunt up another nurse for you.”

  “Awight!” said Robin thoughtfully. “I will be good. It’s up to me!” And then he bowed his golden curls into his chubby hands and laughed. “It’s¾upta¾me! See?”

  They all grinned at that, and then Jennifer cleverly changed the subject.

  “Did you succeed in getting all your work done, Jerry?” she asked, in quite a commonplace tone, as if she were talking about some college arrangements.”

  “Well yes, pretty much,” said Jerry, as if the affairs of the universe were upon his shoulders. “I arranged about the stable boy and the farm, you know.”

  “Yes, that’s good,” said the sister.

  “Any more aunts telephone?”

  “No, I think that is finished, for tonight anyway.”

  “Here’s hoping,” said the boy. “I just met Jim Delaney downtown. He was running for his train, and he waved at me and called out that we’d be hearing from him soon but he had something important on tonight. He said Uncle Blake would be around soon, too, but he had to run up tomorrow. He tried to see some of us when the morning affair was over, but he couldn’t find any of us around and he didn’t have much time.”

  “Well, that’s nice!” said Jennifer with satisfaction. “That helps a lot. And those two always were good sports. When I ask advice, it will be of them, but not when the aunts are within hearing.”

  “Here, too!” said Jerry with emphasis. “There goes that telephone again! I’ll bet that’s Aunt Petra! No, you sit still! I’ll answer it.”

  Jerry came back after a brief interval, laughing.

  “It was Aunt Petunia all right. She was in high feather. She said she was bringing over the cousins from upstate this evening for a little while to cheer us up. But I told her nothing doing. I told her you were just worn to a frazzle and I was crosser than two bears with a sore head, and we didn’t feel like talking to anybody, and we didn’t care to be cheered up tonight. I said that after we ate our supper we’d more than likely sign off, and if they came here they’d find we had faded out of the picture for the night.”

  “Jerry! Really? What did she say?’

  “She said, ‘Sign off? What do you mean? Don’t you think of signing anything, either of you, till you get some uncle’s advice. But of course, I forgot; neither of you are of age, so it really wouldn’t matter. But that’s what you always have to be careful about, signing things, to be sure you thoroughly understand them. Any man would tell you that. What is it they want you to sign? Who wants you to sign it? Don’t do it, Jeremy! I’d better come right over and see it. I’ll come at once!’ My word but I had a hard time explaining. I told her I wasn’t going to sign anything and nobody wanted us to sign it, anyway, and it was just a slang phrase for hitting the hay. Then she began on that and pranced out a hole farmyard to discourse on, till I headed her off by saying in plain English I mean we are going to get rested, and then she just said, ‘Oh!’ very coldly. I thought she was going to quit then, but after a pause she began to discourse on slang. She said she wouldn’t think I would dishonor the memory of my father and mother by using slang so soon after they were gone, and she guessed she had better come over and talk to me, anyway. But I told her if she did I wouldn’t be here, that I didn’t want to talk to anybody tonight. So at last she hung up, after saying she’d be over the first thing in the morning, and I was to be sure to tell you to wait here till she comes.”

  The brother and sister had a good laugh over that.

  “I scarcely think she’ll find me here,” said Jennifer, with a grimace. “I wish there was some way we could keep her from coming for another day at least.”

  “Well, I hope I did,” said Jeremy, dropping into his seat and attacking his chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy with a vigor. He had worked hard and was hungry. “I told her to make it the next day instead, if she didn’t mind. I knew you had a lot of letters to write and you wouldn’t have the time to talk to her yet. So she said perhaps she would. She wanted to go over to Aunt Majesta’s tomorrow, and since you had your day planned and didn’t need her, she guessed she would go there. So! That’s that!”

  “Nobly done, brother dear!” said Jennifer. “You certainly are clever. I’ll always send you to the phone and the door when people call that I want to get rid of.”

  “Okay with me, Jen. Does that hold for Pete, too? I certainly would like to give him the go-by sometime. He’s patronized me insufferably for the last two years, and I’d like to get it back on him. But I suppose you’ll draw the line at him.”

  “Hop to it, brother, so long as you are polite and don’t get into a fight. But I hope Pete understands he’s not to come tonight. I told him I couldn’t see him.”

  “Oh yeah?” said Jerry. “Well, if I know my Pete, that won’t discourage him the least little bit. But you say the word and I’ll just be ready to hand him something that will clear him out of the running for the night. Say, Jen, how about you going up to your room and lying down with your light out, for half an hour, after you are ready? Couldn’t you manage that? He couldn’t do anything about it if I told him you had retired, could he? It wouldn’t be a bad idea for all the rest, either. It’s not going to be so good having anybody come to find no servant to
open the door, you know. That will start people wondering too soon.”

  “Of course.” said Jennifer thoughtfully. “I see what you mean.”

  But Robin’s lip began to pucker. “I don’t vanta take anozzer nap! I did take a nap—!”

  “Look out, Robin, I’ll have to send Jerry to hunt up your nurse again, if that’s the way you’re going to talk!”

  Robin stopped weeping, aghast, and straightened his face out in short order.

  Jennifer smiled. “That’s the talk. Robin is growing up, Jerry. See?”

  Jerry grinned at him, and he trembled out a weak little smile.

  Then there occurred an interruption. Letty’s young man had come for her. She came apologetically. It was the only time he could get a car. And could she go now?

  They bade her good-bye and drew a breath of relief. Another anxiety out of the way.

  Soon dinner was finished, and Maggie whisked the last dishes out of the way and came down with her hat on.

  “Seems as if I hadn’t oughtta leave you this way.”

  “Oh, that’s all right, Maggie. We’ll be fine.”

  “Well, I guess you’ll find everything in order, Miss Jennifer. The things for the gardener are out on the table. And I disconnected the refrigerator. I put a note out in the bottle for the milkman, and one for the bread man. I guess there’s nothing else. And here’s the address where you can reach me if you need me. I put down a telephone number, too, in case you want me in a hurry. But I’m glad to get this little rest. And thank you kindly. You’re like your blessed mamma, Miss Jennifer.”

  Maggie wiped a furtive tear away, kissed the children, and was gone at last, Jerry taking her away in his little car.

  Then Jennifer flew into action. She took one glimpse of the kitchen table, full of food that Maggie set aside for the gardener, and then was back among the children.

  “Tryon, will you go up to the trunk room and get the camping gear? The basket with dishes and knives and forks and spoons, you know, that we used to take on picnics in the car? Get the little portable stove, too, and the coffeepot and saucepan.”

  “Sure,” said Tryon and went at a bound.

  “Oh, are we going to have a picnic?” asked Karen, with eyes alight.

  “I shouldn’t wonder, if you’re all good,” said Jennifer. “Now, Hazel and Heather, can you spread some bread for the sandwiches? When Tryon comes down, get him to cut nice thin slices of meat. There is a roast and an end of ham. And there is quite a lot of chicken left, too. Get wax paper and wrap them neatly. Can I trust you with that?”

  “Of course!” said the young sisters. “We know how.”

  “And, Karen, here are two paper bags. You fill one of them with oranges from the storeroom shelf and the other with apples. And when you have that done you come upstairs with Robin and me to get the baggage ready for Jerry to put in the car.”

  By the time Jerry was back the packing was finished, the suitcases counted and stacked at the head of the stairs, and the lunch was well under way. The material for the gardener was reduced to a basket of vegetables and what was left of the fruit after Karen had filled the bags.

  “Well, Maggie’s off and that rids us of all encumbrances at last. Now, what’s next?” asked Jeremy, standing in the doorway and looking at the eager youngsters who were enjoying their unusual privilege of working in the kitchen.

  “What on earth are you kids doing?” He glared down at the children just as Jennifer arrived.

  And then suddenly the doorbell pealed through the quiet house. They stopped and looked at each other aghast. What had come now?

  “Scram!” said Jeremy in a low tone, and with one accord the little company flew silently up the back stairs, turned out their lights, and crept to their beds, lying motionless while the big brother went to the door!

  Chapter 7

  And then after all it was only a great box of flowers, lavender and white orchids, for Jennifer from Peter Willis!

  “How unspeakable!” said Jennifer, when Jeremy brought them up to her dark room, turned on her light, and showed them to her. She rose up from her bed, where she had been only too glad to lay her weary self for even that brief rest, and scowled at them.

  Poor Peter Willis! Only he wasn’t in the least poor. He was very rich. And the orchids were really lovely.

  “What can I possibly do with them?” she asked in perplexity.

  “Toss ’em!” said Jeremy in disgust.

  “But we can’t do that!” said Jennifer. “Beautiful flowers like that!”

  “Well, wear ’em, then!” said Jeremy, vexed, slamming down the top of the box in a rage. “Wear ’em pinned all over you and be a marked woman! Let old Peter come running to marry you when they’ve traced you by his flowers!”

  “Jerry, don’t be a fool!”

  “Well, but what can you do with them? We can’t carry along the right kind of vases to hold them. I tell you, you’ll have to chop them up and make coleslaw out of them and send it to the gardener.”

  “Jerry, be sensible. I can’t leave them here. Somebody would be sure to find it out and tell Peter!”

  “What’s the difference? But, of course, if you care so much about Peter’s feelings!”

  “Jerry, don’t you remember what Mother used to say? Even if a person has what you feel are bad manners, you mustn’t do the same thing yourself, or you prove yourself just as bad as he is. It’s not that I care about Peter, but I care about my own rudeness if I let him know that I do not prize his flowers. He meant to honor me, of course, by sending them. I’ve got to manage this somehow so he will never know that the flowers came at an inconvenient time for me.”

  “Okay! Take ’em along if you must, but some of us will have to ride on the running board if you do, for everything’s absolutely full!”

  “If we could only send them to some poor sick person who never gets flowers and would enjoy them,” said Jennifer, troubled.

  “I know!” said Tryon. “Drive to the charity hospital and leave them at the door. Tell them to give them to the poorest, sickest one there!”

  “That’s a good idea, Try,” said his big sister. “We’ll do that, and you can take them to the door.”

  “Somebody’ll be sure to recognize us,” grumbled Jeremy. “I knew somebody would throw a monkey wrench into this trip somehow.”

  “Don’t worry, Jerry. We won’t run any risks, even if we have to throw them in the river as we cross the bridge. Now, our first concern is to get out of here quickly, before some pestilential relative catches us and spoils the whole scheme. The baggage is all out there in the hall at the head of the stairs, counted and numbered, and there’s a list of the bags so we can’t forget any. You and Tryon carry it out and stow it in the car. Heather, you and Hazel get those sandwiches in the box I gave in short order! Everybody skitter, quick! Robin, come here and I’ll wash that jam off your face. It’s good to start clean, anyway.”

  They were all packed into the car at last, and just about to start, when Jennifer remembered the blankets she had left on a chair in the back hall.

  “Yes, and there’s someone coming up the drive on a bike!” announced Tryon. “Better lie low! Besides, you’ve left a light on in the front hall, Jerry.”

  “Okay!” sighed Jerry wearily. “You scout around, Try, and see who it is. I’ll go get the blankets and turn out the light.”

  “Be sure to lock the cellar door,” warned Jennifer.

  Tryon came back with a telegram. It was from Abigail Storm, addressed to Jennifer.

  Am coming to you at once. Starting first train in the morning. Please have Stanton meet my train tomorrow night.

  Cousin Abby

  “Holy Mackerel!” said Jerry as he returned with the blankets. “Now what shall we do? She’ll stir up all the relatives. “We’ve got to stop her coming! You can’t tell but she’ll manage to get the house sold or something, and appropriate all the furniture, if we don’t stop her. Wait! I’ll go back to the telephone and telegraph
in your name, Jen. I’ll say: “Your suggestion very kind but not convenient at present. We shall all be away for a little while. Just starting. Will write you later when we get back.’ How’s that, Jen?”

  “Fine!” said Jennifer. “I couldn’t have done it better if I had thought all day!”

  They waited in a quiver while he went into the house again to telephone the message, and when at last they saw him snap the house light out and heard the door close, they drew a breath of relief.

  “Get in quick, Jerry! Let’s get off before anything else happens,” said Jennifer. “I feel it in my bones that Aunt Petra will be coming around with a hot water bottle or something to coddle us.”

  Amid suppressed laughter Jerry climbed in and started the car. Stealthily it rolled down the incline of the back drive and out the gate by the garage. Then Jerry got out and fastened the gate, and they slid silently down the little back street that skirted the hedge.

  Three blocks down they sailed around a corner and slipped into what Jeremy called “backer street,” and so threading a way he had carefully worked out that morning, a way that the Graeme cars did not usually travel and people would not be likely to recognize them. As they went they spoke no word, for Jennifer warned them that they might spoil the whole thing if their voices were heard. So even Robin, with his head snuggled against Jennifer’s arm in the front seat, was absolutely speechless, though his eyes were bright and alert and he kept watch of everything they passed. The naps during the day had done their work, and Robin was having the time of his life.

  They had traveled thus in silence for perhaps an hour when Jeremy drew up in the shadow of a group of trees by the roadside and pointed up to a big rambling building on the top of a slope. “There’s your hospital, Try. Hop to it! Slide up to the door on the grass, and keep in the shadow. Don’t make a sound. Lay those darned flowers on the floor in the vestibule in front of the big door, then ring the bell and scoot! Sure you took the card out, Jen?”

  “Oh yes!” gasped Jennifer.