ERRANDS IN TOWN
Well, accidents will happen, and after all no one scolded very
much. To be sure, the dust and dirt and screws and rusty bolts and
little pieces of paper were pretty thoroughly scattered about the
hall and on the stairs, but Twaddles and Dot worked like beavers
to pick them up. And Norah was so glad that Twaddles had not
tumbled with the basket that she did not grumble at having to
brush the stairs down for the second time that day. Father Blossom
understood that Twaddles was trying to surprise him, so he did not
scold when he came in from the garage and heard what had happened.
And, really, Annabel Lee was the most injured. Not only were her
nerves startled by the racket (she had been curled up asleep on
the newel post, a favorite resting place of hers) but a long nail
had rapped her smartly on the sensitive tip of her cat nose.
Annabel Lee found it hard to forgive Twaddles for that
performance.
When Meg and Bobby came in from school they were eager to help,
too, and Mother Blossom was glad to have a list of errands to be
done in town ready for them. Somehow, the four little Blossoms
filled a house very full at times.
"We're going a week from Monday," said Meg, skipping along beside
Bobby, while the twins, "counting stones," followed.
Counting stones was a favorite game of Dot and Twaddles. Every
third one they had to walk around and sometimes it took them a
long time to get to the town because there were so many stones to
count.
"An' after Friday we won't have to go to school," said Bobby.
"A week from Friday," corrected Meg. "I wish we could stay at home
all the time like Dot and Twaddles. Have you Mother's list,
Bobby?"
Bobby had the list in his pocket and there were really a number of
things to be done.
"You hold the bag," Meg directed, "and I'll buy the things."
So Bobby held the bag and Meg did the shopping and the twins poked
their short, freckled noses into all the boxes and baskets they
came to.
The last errand was at the grocery store, and there were three or
four people ahead of the four little Blossoms. Meg waited quietly,
and Bobby was interested in watching the big machine that ground
coffee, but the irrepressible twins wandered off to investigate
the long row of bins with sliding covers that filled one side of
the store.
"Now Meg," said the good-natured young clerk, when he had finished
weighing out three pounds of prunes and two and a half pounds of
rice for a fussy customer who changed her mind three times before
she finally gave her order, "what can I do for you?"
"Mother wants a box of oatmeal, half a pound of mixed tea, and a
pound of lump sugar," announced Meg importantly.
"Right-o!" declared the clerk, taking a long hook pole from the
counter and starting for the other side of the store where the
package goods were kept on the upper shelves.
Just as he reached the shelves, Meg called to him.
"Oh, Mr. Carroll," she began, meaning to ask him to bring a box of
cornstarch, something Mother had written across the bottom of the
list and which Bobby had overlooked when he read the list to Meg.
The clerk turned, his pole upraised, and Dot, who had been hanging
over a flour bin nearly empty, slipped. Her feet flew up, her head
went down, and she tripped the grocery clerk. His long pole
crashed into the neat pile of boxes arranged on the shelves and a
shower of oatmeal, cornstarch, macaroni and other cereals fell in
an avalanche.
"I knew you'd do it," scolded Bobby, rushing forward, though of
course he couldn't have known that Dot meditated such a
catastrophe. In fact, that small girl was more surprised than any
one else.
"I was just a-looking," she wept, when they pulled her out by her
feet and she stood revealed with flour on her face and well rubbed
into her dark hair and eyebrows, to say nothing of the hair-ribbon.
"I was just a-looking in."
"There, there, I guess we're all right," stout Mr. Eustice, who
owned the store, consoled her. "See, Dot, you're not hurt and
Carroll here fell on a sack of grain which didn't break his bones.
Not even one box is smashed, so why shed tears? 'Tisn't every
little girl comes to see us who can say she's been in the flour
bin."
Dot continued to sob while Mr. Carroll did up the oatmeal and the
cornstarch and the other things and put them in Bobby's bag. She
was still crying when the four little Blossoms went down the
grocery store steps and turned toward the road that led home.
"I should think you would cry," said Meg severely. "I was so
mortified! Can't you go anywhere, Dot, without falling into
something?"
"Don't rub it in," whispered Bobby, feeling sorry for his little
sister. Then he happened to get a good look at Twaddles, who had
been suspiciously quiet ever since Dot's unfortunate accident.
"Twaddles Blossom!" ejaculated Bobby. "What have you sat in?"
Twaddles twisted anxiously, trying to get a look at the back of
his tunic blouse and bloomers.
"Does it show?" he asked uncomfortably. "I thought perhaps it
didn't. I don't know what it is, Bobby--I only sat on that little
box by the pump-thing in the back of the store."
"That's where they fill the kerosene oil cans," Bobby informed
him. "I guess you've gone and soaked up some of the oil. Don't go
near a match or you'll burn up."
This awful prospect alarmed Twaddles beyond words.
"I'll stay out here," he quavered nervously, for by this time the
four little Blossoms had reached their own front lawn. "Mother
might have the fireplace lighted."
Meg and Dot and Bobby were relieved at Twaddles' decision. They
had no wish to see their little brother catch fire, and fire they
always associated with kerosene oil, thanks to Norah's repeated
and solemn warnings.
No one missed Twaddles until they were seated at the table.
"Where's Twaddles?" asked Mother Blossom in some alarm as she
noted his empty chair. "Didn't he go to the store with you,
Bobby?"
"Yes, Mother, he went with us," answered Bobby composedly,
beginning to taste his soup.
"I wonder if he's upstairs washing his hands," went on Mother
Blossom. "Dot, will you run and call him?"
"He isn't upstairs," said Dot quickly.
Mother Blossom stared, bewildered.
"Didn't he come back with you?" she asked.
"Oh, yes, he came back," admitted Bobby. "Didn't he, Meg?"
Meg nodded, but said nothing. All three of the children had a
vague idea that they were doing Twaddles a great kindness. Of
course Mother Blossom would not be pleased to find that he had sat
down in kerosene oil.
"Ralph!" said Mother Blossom in an odd, choked voice. "Oh, Ralph--"
"Bobby, where is Twaddles?" demanded Father Blossom sternly.
"Where did you leave him? Is anything the matter with him?"
"He's outdoors," said Bobby desperately. "I don't think anything
much is the matter with him, Daddy."
"Outdoors?" echoed Mother Blossom in wonder. "Why doesn't he come
in?"
"He can't," said Dot earnestly.
"Why can't he?" asked Father and Mother Blossom in chorus.
Bobby and Meg and Dot saw that they could no longer shield
Twaddles.
"He can't come in," blurted Bobby, "because he sat down where they
fill oil cans in the grocery store and the back of him is all
kerosene oil and he'll catch fire and burn up if he stays in the
house."
Mother Blossom looked at Father Blossom, who sat perfectly still
for a moment. Then he put back his head and shouted. He laughed
until the tears ran down his face and Norah came in to see what
the matter was.
"Don't laugh," urged Mother Blossom. "Go and bring the poor child
in, Ralph."
"In a minute," Father Blossom promised. "I want to get this
straight first. Do you mean to tell me, Bobby, that you left
Twaddles outdoors because you were afraid he would catch fire? How
long did you expect him to stay there?"
"Well, we didn't know," admitted Bobby lamely. "I guess it will
wear off by morning."
Father Blossom wiped his eyes and laid down his napkin.
"I'll go and get him," he said, rising. "Mother, I begin to think
an island is the only place for a family such as ours. There's one
thing I don't suppose occurred to you, Bobby."
"What, Daddy?" asked Bobby seriously.
"That Twaddles might have taken off his oil-soaked suit," replied
Father Blossom, going to the rescue of the lonely and hungry
little fellow.
Meg and Bobby and Dot looked at each other.
"I never thought of that," confessed Bobby.