ADDING TO THE QUEST
"Aunt Janice--Dad--we're off for the forest again!"
Don stood in the doorway, watching the two deeply engrossed in
conversation, as he came up to announce their intentions.
"Don't forget the lunch basket--and remember the wild ferns and greenery
for the decorations." Aunt Janice reminded.
"We surely will bring back some beautiful decorations this time; for
tomorrow will be the party day!"
Aunt Janice was as happy in her preparations as any of the younger
Merediths, and had been busy already giving orders for the bountiful
feast, for the whole day and evening was to be one of an entire
"gala" occasion.
Gwendolyn and her son, were as merry as two children, helping Aunt
Janice with the plans wherever they could.
"How very merciful God has been!" the old lady said softly, her gaze
resting lovingly on the group waiting outside, in the sunlight of another
beautiful day.
"Oh, Donald--" she continued, "it seems almost too good to think of you
and the dear children, coming to live here always, to gladden the years."
"We should be truly grateful," Mr. Meredith replied, "and it shall be the
greatest pleasure to take care of you and your affairs."
Don had waited, not wanting to interrupt, and Aunt Janice seeing him,
motioned that he come up to her side. In the happiness that had come to
them all, she had not forgotten a plan that she had made for Marty and
Jerry's grandfather and themselves.
"I want you to take a message to Mr. Greyson for me, Don--tell him that
the manager is returning to his home in the city, and that I shall be
glad if he will consider the vacancy, and accept at once if he will. The
house of course goes with the position."
Don fairly exploded with the good news, as he rushed on out to catch up
with the others, who had gone ahead. Nor did it take them long to find
their new friends.
Marty and Jerry with their grandfather, were coming down the trail that
led out from the cabin. They saw the Meredith's approaching and hurried
forward to greet them.
Nora, Janey, Don, Harry, Beth and Alice, needed no introduction to Mr.
Greyson, for much to their joy, they found him one and the same as the
friend who had piloted them from the station, on the evening of their
arrival at Land's End.
After the warm greetings were over, Don couldn't wait another moment to
break the news.
"The mystery of the castle is over, for our cousin Harry has returned;
he wasn't drowned at all, but kidnapped somewhere off the coast of
Africa, in the most uncivilized region."
"And--" Janey interrupted, "his mother, who shut herself up in the tower
room, is perfectly well again."
"We left them gathering flowers for the party!" Alice began, quickly
joining in to have a part in the affair.
"Wait--" Don spoke up again--"I want to give Aunt Janice's message
first."
Then, in a rush, it all came out--the words fairly running over one
another for utterance, and ending with a glowing picture of the pretty
house, nestled at the foot of the blue misty hills, "Please say you'll
accept and move right in, Mr. Greyson; Aunt Janice really needs your
help at once."
Marty and Jerry stood waiting, their faces pictures of eager expectancy.
The house that Jerry described and of which they had only seen the
outside, seemed like a real palace to them.
When their grandfather, without losing time, accepted the offer, their
cup of joy seemed to overflow!
He laid a kindly hand on Don's shoulder.
"You may tell your aunt that I gladly accept, and will come to her for
instructions at once."
The whole group who had been perfectly quiet as they waited, now broke
into a jubilee of merriment.
"We're going to live with Aunt Janice--always," Beth said,--"isn't that
delightful?"
"Quite delightful," Peter Greyson replied, as he looked round on the
group. "We have these young visitors to the castle to thank for our part
of the good times, because they found you, Marty and Jerry, away out here
in the forest."
"We were out on an adventure--" Nora's eyes were shining, "a happiness
quest, to find someone to whom we might bring happiness. I read a story
once like that, and we decided to go on this same quest."
Marty clapped her hands gleefully--
"You've brought happiness to three of us today, and in a way to 'Gem' and
the kitten and the cat, too! Can we move today, grandfather?"
Mr. Greyson, smiled down on his enthusiastic young granddaughter, with a
shake of his head.
"I must go up to the castle first, and make all arrangements with Miss
Meredith. I think that it will be best for me to see her, Don, and so I
shall give her the answer before you get there--then, you may start to
pack up things and get ready for the move, Marty. I'll leave you young
folks to gather the greens for the party tomorrow, and have your picnic
together afterwards."
"We will start to hunt them right away," Harry began, taking out his
trowel, "because there's so much to do and we must make a beginning on
our part, so all will be ready on time."
"Aunt Janice says the cake will be the biggest the old kitchen has ever
had baked."
"With the whitest, loveliest icing," Alice supplemented.
Everyone joined in the general laughter that followed Alice's speech.
With a smile, then, Mr. Greyson was off down the trail that led out of
the forest and on toward the castle beyond.
Marty accompanied him for a short way along the path, her hand clasping
his tightly, and Jerry remembering that he had forgotten to ask his
grandfather something of importance, followed, to speak a word and return
with Marty.
The Merediths waited in a group, until they returned to start to gather
decorations.
"The chain of happiness for others, as well as for ourselves, is
really growing," she began, her eyes following the three figures in
the distance.
"Oh, Nora--" Janey said, "let's always try to keep on finding hearts that
need happiness."
"Let's--" Beth agreed, and all of the others joined in accord in the
lovely plan, that they had made theirs.
"Dear Aunt Janice started it all by inviting us on a visit to the castle;
now it's growing beautifully."
"Because, you see, we are on a quest of happiness for others; our dear
heavenly Father undoubtedly blessed such a quest, for He wants happy
hearts. Only let us not forget that hearts must know our dear Lord Jesus
to be crowned with happiness."
"Crowned with happiness!" Janey repeated softly. "Remember our motto,
Nora?--_I would look up--and laugh--and love--and--lift_--.'"
End of Project Gutenberg's The Quest of Happy Hearts, by Kathleen Hay