THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE SHACK
Throughout the long summer afternoon Ted worked on, fitting up his new
quarters. Not only did he make a comfortable bunk for himself such as
he had frequently constructed when at logging or sugaring-off camps in
Vermont, but having several boards left he built along the racks
originally intended for canoes some shelves for the books he meant to
bring from home. By late afternoon he had finished all it was possible
for him to do and he decided to go to Freeman's Falls and join his own
family at supper, and while there collect the possessions he wished to
transfer to the shack.
Accordingly he washed up and started out.
It was a little late when he reached the house and already his father
and sisters were at table.
"Mercy on us, Ted, what under the sun have you been doing until this
time of night?" demanded Mr. Turner. "I should call from seven in the
morning until seven at night a pretty long day."
"Oh, I haven't been working all this time," laughed the boy. "Or at
least, if I have, I have been having the time of my life doing it."
Eagerly, and with youthful enthusiasm, he poured out the tale of the
day's happenings while the others listened.
"So you are starting out housekeeping, are you?" chuckled Mr. Turner,
when the narrative was finished. "It certainly ain't a bad idea. Not
that we're glad to get rid of you--although I will admit we ain't got
the room here that I wish we had. It is the amount of time you'll save
and the strength, too, that I'm thinking of. It must be a good three
miles up to Aldercliffe and Pine Lea is at least two miles farther.
Being on the spot is going to make a lot of difference. But how are you
going to get along? What will you do for food? I ain't going to have
you eating stuff out of tin cans."
"Oh, you needn't worry about me, Dad. Mr. Wharton has arranged for me
to take my meals with Mr. and Mrs. Stevens who have a cottage on the
place. Stevens is the head farmer, you know."
"A pretty penny that will cost you! What does the man think you are--a
millionaire?"
"Mr. Wharton told me the Fernalds would see to the bill."
"Oh! That's another matter," ejaculated Mr. Turner, entirely mollified.
"I will say it's pretty decent of Mr. Wharton. Seems to me he is doing
a good deal for you."
"Yes, he is."
"Well, all is you must do your full share in return so he won't lose
anything by it." The elder man paused thoughtfully. "Ain't there
anything we could do to help out? Perhaps we could donate something
toward your furnishings."
"Mr. Wharton said if I could supply my own bedding----"
"We certainly can do that," put in Ruth quickly. "There is a trunkful
of extra comforters and blankets in the back room that I should be
thankful enough to ship off somewhere else. And wouldn't you like some
curtains? Seems to me they'd make it cosy and homelike. I've a piece of
old chintz we've never used. Why not make it into curtains and do away
with buying window shades?"
"That would be great!"
"It would be lots more cheerful," remarked Nancy. "What kind of a bed
have you got?"
"I've built a wooden bunk-two bunks, in fact--one over the other like
the berths in a ship. I thought perhaps sometime Dad might want to come
up and visit me; and while I was at it, it was no more work to make two
beds than one."
Mr. Turner smiled in friendly fashion into his son's eyes. The two were
great pals and it pleased him that the lad should have included him in
his plans.
"Beds like that will do all very well for a night or two; but for a
steady thing they will be darned uncomfortable. Cover 'em with pine
boughs after a long tramp through the woods and they seem like heaven;
but try 'em day after day and they cease to be a joke. Wasn't there a
wire spring round here somewhere, Ruth? Seems to me I remember it
standing up against something. Why wouldn't that be the very thing? You
could fasten it in place and have a bed good as you have at home."
"That's a corking idea, Dad!"
"I wish we could go up and see the place," Ruth suggested. "I am crazy
to know what it looks like. Besides, I want to measure the windows."
"Maybe we could run up there to-night," her father replied rising. "It
is not late and the Maguires said they would take us out for a little
spin in their Ford before dark. They might enjoy riding up to
Aldercliffe and be quite willing we should take along the spring bed.
Mat is a kind soul and I haven't a doubt he'd be glad to do us a favor.
Run down and ask him, Ted; or wait--I'll go myself."
The Maguires had the apartment just below the Turner's and Mat, a
thrifty and good-humored Irishman, was one of the night watchmen at the
Fernald mills. He had a plump little wife, but as there were no
children he had been able to save more money than had some of his
neighbors, and in consequence had purchased a small car which it was
his delight to use for the benefit of his friends. In fact, he often
called it the Maguire jitney, and the joke never became threadbare to
his simple mind, for every time he made it he laughed as heartily as if
he had never heard it before, and so did everybody else. Therefore no
sooner had Mr. Turner proposed his plan than Mat was all eagerness to
further the project.
"Sure I'll take you--as many of you as can pile in, and the spring bed,
too! If you don't mind the inconvenience of the luggage, I don't. And
tell Ted to bring along anything else he'd like to carry. We can pack
you all in and the stuff on top of you. 'Twill be easy enough. Just
make ready as soon as you can, so the dark won't catch us."
You may be sure the Turners needed no second bidding. Ruth and Nancy
scrambled the supper dishes out of the way while Ted and his father
hauled the wire spring out, brushed it, and dragged it downstairs.
Afterward Ted collected his box of electrical treasures, his books, and
clothing. What he would do with all these things he did not stop to
inquire. The chance to transfer them was at hand and he seized it with
avidity. His belongings might as well be stored in the shack as
anywhere else,--better, far better, for the space they left behind
would be very welcome to the Turner household.
Therefore with many a laugh, the party crowded into the waiting car and
set out for Aldercliffe; and when at length they arrived at the house
in the pines and Ted unlocked the sliding doors and pushed them wide
open, ushering in his guests, what a landholder he felt!
"My, but this is a tidy little place!" Maguire ejaculated. "And it's
not so little, either. Why, it's a regular palace! Look at the
fireplace and the four windows! My eye! And the tier of bunks is neat
as a ship's cabin. Bear a hand here with the spring. I'm all of a
quaver to see if it fits," cried the man.
"I made the bunks regulation size, so I guess there won't be any
trouble about that," Ted answered.
"The head on the lad!" the Irishman cried. "Ain't he the brainy one,
though? You don't catch him wool-gathering! Not he!"
Nevertheless he was not content until the spring had been hoisted into
place and he saw with his own eyes that it was exactly the proper size.
"Could anything be cuter!" observed he with satisfaction. "Now with a
good mattress atop of that you will have a bed fit for a king. You'll
be comfortable as if you were in a solid gold bedstead, laddie!"
"I'm afraid I may be too comfortable," laughed Ted. "What if I should
oversleep and not get to breakfast, or to work, on time!"
"That would never do," Mr. Turner said promptly. "You must have an
alarm clock. 'Twould be but a poor return for Mr. Wharton's kindness
were you to come dawdling to work."
"I guess you can trust Ted to be on time," put in Ruth soothingly. "He
is seldom late--especially to _meals_. Even if he were to be late at
other places, I should always be sure he would show up when there was
anything to eat."
"You bet I would," announced the boy, with a good-humored grin.
"I shall have enough chintz for curtains for all your windows,"
interrupted Nancy, who had been busy taking careful measurements during
the conversation. "We'll get some brass rods and make the hangings so
they will slip back and forth easily; they will be much nicer than
window shades."
"Ain't there nothin' I can donate?" inquired Mat Maguire anxiously. "A
rag rug, now--why wouldn't that be a good thing? The missus makes 'em
by the dozen and our house is full of 'em. We're breakin' our necks
mornin', noon, and night on 'em. A couple to lay down here wouldn't be
so bad, I'm thinking. You could put one beside your bed and another
before the door to wipe your feet on. They'd cheer the room up as well
as help keep you warm. Just say the word, sonny, and you shall have
'em."
"I'd like them tremendously."
The kind-hearted Irishman beamed with pleasure.
"Sure, they'll be better out of our house than in it," remarked he,
trying to conceal his gratification. "You can try stumbling over 'em a
spell instead of me. 'Twill be interesting to see which of us breaks
his neck first."
It was amazing to see how furniture came pouring in at Ted's bachelor
quarters during the next few days. The chintz curtains were finished
and hung; the Maguire rugs made their appearance; Mr. Turner produced a
shiny alarm clock; and Nancy a roll of colored prints which she had cut
from the magazines.
"You'll be wanting some pictures," said she. "Tack these up somewhere.
They'll brighten up the room and cover the bare walls."
Thus it was that day by day the wee shack in the woods became more
cheery and homelike.
"I've managed to hunt up a few trap's for you," called Mr. Wharton one
morning, as he met the boy going to work. "If you want to run over to
the cabin now and unlock the door, I'll send a man over with them."
Want to! Ted was off in a second, impatient to see what new treasures
he was to receive. He had not long to wait, for soon one of the farm
trucks came into sight, and the driver began to deposit its contents on
the wooden platform which sloped from the door down to the river.
As Ted helped the man unload, his eyes shone with delight. Could any
gifts be rarer? To be sure the furniture was not new. In fact, some of
it was old and even shabby with wear. But the things were all whole,
and although they were simple they were serviceable and perhaps looked
more in harmony with the old-fashioned curtains and the quaint rugs
than if they had come fresh from the shop. There was a chest of
drawers; a rocking chair, a leather armchair, and a straight wooden
chair; a mirror with frame of faded gilt; a good-sized wooden table;
and, best of all, a much scarred, flat-topped desk. Ted had never owned
a desk in all his life. Often he had dreamed of sitting behind one when
he grew to be a man. But to have it now--here! To have it for his own!
How it thrilled him!
After the furniture was in place and the teamster had gone, he arranged
his few papers and pencils in the desk drawers a score of times, trying
them first in one spot and then in another. It was marvelous how much
room there was in such an article of furniture. What did men use to
fill up such a mighty receptacle, anyway? Stretch his possessions as he
would, they only made a scattered showing at the bottom of three of the
drawers. He laughed to see them lying there and hear them rattle about
when he brought the drawers to with a click. However, it was very
splendid to have a desk, whether one had anything to put in it or not,
and perhaps in time he would be able to collect more pencils, rulers
and blocks of paper. The contrast between not having any room at all
for his things and then so much that he did not know what to do with it
was amusing.
Now at last he was fully equipped to take up residence in his new abode
and every instant he could snatch from his duties that day he employed
in settling his furniture, making up his bed, filling his water pitcher
from the river and completing his final preparations for residence at
the boathouse. That night he moved in.
Nothing had been omitted that would contribute to his comfort. Mr.
Wharton had given him screens for the windows and across the broad door
he had tacked a curtain of netting that could be dropped or pushed
aside at will. The candlelight glowing from a pair of old brass
candlesticks on the shelf above the fireplace contributed rather than
took away from the effect and to his surprise the room assumed under
the mellow radiance a quality actually aesthetic and beautiful.
"I don't believe Aldercliffe or Pine Lea have anything better than this
to offer," the boy murmured aloud, as he looked about him with pride.
"I'd give anything to have Mr. Wharton see it now that it's done!"
Strangely enough, the opportunity to exhibit his kingdom followed on
the very heels of his desire, for while he was arranging the last few
books he had brought from home on the shelf above his desk he heard a
tap at the door.
"Are you in bed, son?" called the manager. "I saw your light and just
dropped round to see if you had everything you wanted."
Rushing to the door, Ted threw it open.
"I haven't begun to go to bed yet," returned he. "I've been too
excited. How kind of you to come!"
"Curiosity! Curiosity!" responded the man hastily. Although Ted knew
well that the comment was a libel, he laughed as Mr. Wharton came in,
drawing the door together behind him.
"By Jove!" burst out the manager, glancing about the room.
"You like it?"
"Why--what in goodness have you done to the place? I--I--mercy on us!"
"You do like it then?" the boy insisted eagerly.
"Like it! Why, you've made it into a regular little palace. I'd no
idea such a thing was possible. Where did you get your candlesticks and
your andirons?"
"From home. We have radiators in the apartment and so my sisters had
stored them away and were only too glad to have me take them."
"Humph! And your curtains came from home, too?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, you've missed your calling, is all I can say. You belong in the
interior decorating business," asserted Mr. Wharton. "Wait until Mr.
Clarence sees this place." Again the elder man looked critically round
the interior. "I wouldn't mind living here myself--hanged if I would.
The only thing I don't like is those candles. There is a good deal of a
draught here and you are too near the pines to risk a fire. Electricity
would be safer."
Whistling softly to himself, he began to walk thoughtfully about.
"I suppose," he presently went on, "it would be a simple enough matter
to run wires over here from the barn."
"Wouldn't that be bully!"
"You'd like it?"
"Yes, siree!"
The manager took up his hat.
"Well, we'll see what can be done," he answered, moving toward the
door.
But on the threshold he stopped once more and looked about.
"I'm going to bring some of the Fernalds over here to see the place,"
observed he. "For some time Mr. Clarence has been complaining that this
shack was a blot on the estate and threatening to pull it down. He'd
better have a peep at it now. You may find he'll be taking it away from
you."
He saw a startled look leap into the boy's eyes.
"No, no, sonny! Have no fears. I was only joking," he added.
"Nevertheless, the house will certainly be a surprise to anybody who
saw it a week ago. I wouldn't have believed such a transformation was
possible."
Then as he disappeared with his flash-light through the windings of the
pine woods he called:
"We'll see about that electric wiring. I imagine it won't be much of a
job, and I should breathe easier to eliminate those candles, pretty as
they are. Until something is done, just be careful not to set yourself
and us afire!"
With that he was gone.
Ted dropped the screen and loitered a moment in the doorway, looking
out into the night. Before him stretched the river; so near was it that
he could hear the musical lappings of its waters among the tall grasses
that bordered the stream. From the ground, matted thickly with pine
needles, rose a warm, sun-scorched fragrance heavy with sleep.
The boy stretched his arms and yawned. Then he rolled the doors
together and began to undress.
Suddenly he paused with one shoe in his hand. A thought had come to
him. If Mr. Wharton ran the electric wires over to the shack, what was
to prevent him from utilizing the current for some of his own
contrivances? Why, he could, perhaps, put his wireless instruments into
operation and rig up a telephone in his little dwelling. What fun it
would be to unearth his treasures from the big wooden box in which they
had been so long packed away and set them up here where they would
interfere with no one but himself!
He hoped with all his heart the manager would continue to be nervous
about those candles.