CHAPTER XXII--STAGING A THUNDERSTORM
Somewhere Laura Belding had read of this very thing!
But the idea that Dr. Agnew approved of Mrs. Kerrick sleeping where shecould hear the patter of rain drops gave incentive to Laura's thoughtand set her about following out the idea that had first flashed acrossher mind.
She found Chet and Lance hard at work cleaning the automobile. That wasas much fun for them as it would have been for Laura and Jess to go to aparty. Laura took her brother and Lance into her confidence instantly.
At first Chet was inclined to pooh-pooh the idea; but Lance, loyal toLaura, fell in with her plan instantly. And by and by Chet came around,and said he would aid his sister in carrying through what he termed "acrazy idea."
They had to take Mr. and Mrs. Belding into their confidence at thesupper table, for they had to get permission to use the car thatevening. Mrs. Belding was somewhat doubtful of Laura's scheme, andcalled it "an escapade." But her father was always an easy captive tohis oldest daughter's whimsies, and he cheered her ideaenthusiastically.
"And besides," said Chet, slily, "Laura is trying to rope in the oldColonel and make him cough up for the girls' athletic field. I knowher!"
"Chetwood!" ejaculated his mother. "Is it proper to speak of your sisteras a 'roper in'--as though she were a female cowboy? And why should theColonel contract a bronchial affection for the sake of the girls'athletics?"
The family assembled had to laugh at this; but Chet was somewhatabashed, too.
"Don't be so hard on a fellow, Mother," he begged. "I can't remember toshift languages when I come into your presence--it is just impossible. Totalk Americanese outside the house and stilted English within--well, it'sjust impossible. I'm sure to get my wires crossed--there I go again!"
"I really do not see why you send this boy to high school, James,"sighed Mrs. Belding. "It seems to be a waste of time. 'Stilted English,'indeed!"
But Mr. Belding was inclined to laugh at her. And he was very muchinterested in Laura's plan for helping Mrs. Kerrick get a good night'ssleep.
"I think," said the father, "that the principal trouble with MabelKerrick--and always has been--is she has never had any real object in lifeworth living for. If Fred Kerrick had been a different sort of a manwhile he lived--or if he _had_ lived more than three months after theywere married--Mabel might have amounted to something."
"But she really is ill, Father," said Laura.
"So she is ill--now. But it is nothing, I believe, that a vital interestin life wouldn't cure. The Colonel has 'babied' her all her life. Whenshe was a girl she could dance all night, and sleep most of the day, andnever took any healthful exercise. And now she is one of these nervouswomen whom every little thing fusses. She leads the old Colonel a prettydance, I guess."
"Nevertheless, if she cannot sleep she is in a very uncomfortablestate," said Mrs. Belding.
"Let Laura try her magic, then," laughed Chet. "Lance and I will help.I'll go down to the opera house and borrow that stuff all right. I knowMr. Pence, and he'll let us have it."
"It seems to be carried by the majority," said his mother. "I will notobject. But get back as early as possible, children. Late hours arebecoming prevalent in this family, and it must not continue."
So after supper Lance came over and the three young people went off inthe automobile, first stopping at the stage entrance of the opera houseon Market Street. It was not quite dark when the car rolled into ColonelSwayne's grounds. The old gentleman was on the lawn waiting for them.
"Now, what sort of a play are you going to act, Miss Belding?" he askedquizzically.
"You'll see," laughed Laura. "Is Mrs. Kerrick up yet?"
"She is just about to retire."
"Then you will have to play a deceitful part, sir," said Laura. "Go andtell her that you think there will be a thunder storm. Put down theshades at her windows so that the lightning will not frighten her."
"You _must_ have a better hold on the weather department than anybodyelse," declared Colonel Swayne, looking up into the perfectly clear sky."There isn't a sign of a storm."
"That's all right," said Laura. "Is your gardener about?"
"You will find him at the back of the house. I told him you would needhim."
"Then we will go right ahead with our plan," said the girl, confidently."See that Mrs. Kerrick gets to bed with the idea firmly fixed in hermind that a shower is approaching. That will help a whole lot."
The car was run around to the rear of the big house. There the two boysand Laura found the gardener, with a long ladder and the garden hosealready attached to one of the lawn hydrants. They raised the ladderquietly to the roof of the ell, and when the light in Mrs. Kerrick'swindows was dimmed by the shades, the boys and Laura climbed up theladder, dragging the hose and carrying some paraphernalia with them.
Chet put on a pair of rubber gloves and disconnected the telephone wirewhich here was fastened to the side of the house. Chet knew a good dealabout electricity and was careful about putting the telephone out ofcommission.
Meanwhile Lance began to work the sheet-iron "thunder machine" whichthey had borrowed from the manager of the opera house.
"Bring the thunder on gradually, Lance," whispered Laura, with a lowlaugh. "Not too often. Chet has to rig his lightning machine. There!"
Chet had rigged his little box-like instrument quickly. He brought thetwo ends of the charged wire into close contact and there was astartling flash.
"Now the thunder--louder!" exclaimed Laura, in a whisper.
The thunder rolled convincingly. It sounded nearer and nearer. Afterevery flash of the stage lightning the explosion of sound became morefurious. Then Laura waved her hand to the gardener below. The man turnedon the water.
Laura turned the spray-nozzle of the hosepipe upon the tin roof andagainst the side of the house. The water began pattering gently. Anotherflash of lightning, and the thunder rolled as though the tempest hadreally burst over the house.
It really was a convincing exhibition of stage mechanism. Colonel Swayneclimbed the ladder himself and stepped upon the roof.
"This is great," he whispered. "I never saw a girl like this one. She'sas full of novel ideas as an egg is of meat. Great!" he added as Chetflashed the lightning again and Lance followed it up with a roar ofthunder that shook the house.
Laura gave the "rain storm" more force and the drops pattered harder andharder upon the roof and against the windows. Soon a very convincingshower was clashing against the panes, while the lightning becameintermittent, and the thunder rolled away "into the distance."
But the gardener came up and relieved Laura at the hosepipe, and theyfinally left the man alone on the roof to continue the shower for sometime longer while the young folks removed their paraphernalia, and Chetconnected up the telephone wires again.
When they were on the ground Colonel Swayne came back from a trip to hisdaughter's room. Her maid reported to him that her mistress was fastasleep. The old fellow was really quite worked up over the affair.
"You young people have done me an inestimable service," he declared,shaking hands with them all around. But he clung to Laura's hand alittle longer, and added: "As for you, young lady, you certainly are awonderfully smart girl! Perhaps it pays to make our girls more vigorousphysically--it seems to stimulate their mentality as well.
"I haven't really thought much about your athletics; but the schoolboard has been at me, and I shall consider seriously their request thatI become one of a number of patrons who will give a foundation fund fora really up-to-the-minute athletic field for your Girls' Branch. We willsee."
"Oh, that will be just scrumptious!" gasped Laura, "If you only knew howmuch good the sports did us--and how we all enjoy them!"
"I can believe it," agreed the old gentleman, as Lance helped Laura intothe car and Chet started the engine. "And I shall give it seriousthought. Good-night!"