DOROTHY'S REWARD
Fairy continued her weekly visits to Mrs. Hickox, but she was positively
forbidden by her hostess ever to bring any one with her.
Mrs. Hickox was possessed of a peculiar kind of shyness, and she shrank
from meeting people more sophisticated than herself. She had become
devotedly attached to Fairy, and really looked forward eagerly to the
afternoons the child spent with her. She continued to be surprised at
the doings of the Dorrances, but had never been to the Domain since her
first call upon the family.
"Mr. Hickox tells me you've got a roof-garden," she said to Fairy one
day, as they sat sociably in the milk-room. "Now for the land's sake do
tell me what that is. Is it the thing that runs by electrics?"
"No," said Fairy, who never laughed at Mrs. Hickox's ignorance; "it's
the _Shooting Star_ that runs by electricity; the roof-garden doesn't
run at all,--it just stays still."
"Well what is it, anyhow?"
"Why, the roof-garden is just a garden on the roof."
"A garden on a roof! well I _am_ surprised! What do you raise in the
garden? peas and beans? It must be an awful trouble to get the dirt up
there, and to get the water up there to water things with. As for
getting the potatoes and pumpkins down, I suppose you can just throw
them down,--though I must say I should think it would spoil the
pumpkins."
"Oh, we don't raise vegetables in the roof-garden, Mrs. Hickox," said
Fairy, laughing in spite of herself.
"Well, what _do_ you raise?"
"Why we don't raise anything; we just stay there."
"Humph! I can't see any garden about that. But I did want to know what
the thing was like. 'Cause I cut out a clipping yesterday,--Hickory, he
got his shoes home from the cobbler's, and they was wrapped in a piece
of a New York newspaper; my, but I had a good time! I cut so many
clippings out of that newspaper, that what's left would do for a picture
frame. The worst of it was, so many clippings backed up against others,
and they wasn't the same length. People ought to be more careful how
they print their newspapers. Well, as I was saying, I cut out a piece
about a roof-garden, but I guess you're right about their not raisin'
things in it. My land! I couldn't get head or tail to the whole yarn. So
that's why I wanted to ask you just what a roof-garden is. But I ain't
found out much."
Fairy endeavored to explain further, but Mrs. Hickox's mind seemed
incapable of grasping the real intent of a roof-garden, after all; and
so after intimating her continued surprise, she changed the subject.
Mrs. Hickox was the only one who could sustain the greater part in a
conversation with Fairy. For some reason the child liked the queer old
lady, and was contented to listen while she talked; though usually
Fairy's own loquacity was not so easily curbed.
"I told Hickory, long ago, that that biggest sister of yours would set
Lake Ponetcong on fire yet; or he told me, I don't know which, and it
don't make no difference now; but, anyway, I'm free to confess she's
done it. To think of a girl of sixteen takin' a pack of boarders into
that big hotel, and makin' a success of it! It is surprisin'! and she
does everything up so slick, too. Why, Hickory says the meals is always
on time, and the whole place is always as neat and cleared-up lookin' as
my best room."
"My sister Dorothy _is_ a smart girl," agreed Fairy, who was always
ready to stand up for her family; "Mr. Faulkner says she has great
'zecutive billerty,--and I guess she has."
"You all have," said Mrs. Hickox, heartily. "You're as queer as Dick's
hatband,--every one of you,--but you're smarter 'n steel-traps. And the
rest of you work just as good as Dorothy does. You ain't none of you
shirks. Of course you have lots of help, but I s'pose you need it.
Hickory, he does a lot of work for you, but, land! he gets paid enough,
so it's all right."
"Wouldn't you like to come over and see the roof-garden?" asked Fairy,
though without much hope that her invitation would be accepted.
"No, child, no; I ain't got no use for new-fangled doin's. My
old-fashioned garden is good enough for me. I like to read about things
in newspapers, but I don't hanker none about being mixed up in 'em. Run
along now, here comes Mr. Hickox and he'll be wantin' his supper. Run
along, quick now,--good-bye. Well I _am_ surprised!"
The last remark was addressed to the approaching Mr. Hickox, but having
been so peremptorily dismissed, Fairy did not turn to see what the new
occasion for Mrs. Hickox's surprise might be.
The month of August went pleasantly along at the Dorrance Domain. No new
boarders were registered, but all who were there, stayed through the
month, and all except the Blacks stayed into the early September. The
Dorrances had given up all idea of Mr. Lloyd's coming to visit them, as
he had written earlier in the season that he would do.
But one day a letter came, saying that he would run up for a couple of
days.
Aside from their appreciation of Mr. Lloyd's kindness in a business way,
the Dorrances all liked that genial gentleman as a friend, and the news
of his visit was gladly received. The Dorrance Domain was put into gala
dress for the occasion, and a special program was arranged for the
evening's entertainment.
He was taken for a sail in the _Shooting Star_, given a drive behind old
Dobbin, and initiated into the picturesque pleasures of the roof-garden.
Mr. Lloyd was most appreciative and enthusiastic; and it was fun for the
Dorrances to see his astonishment at the success of their hotel
management. Although Grandma Dorrance had written to him what the
children were doing, in a general way, he had formed no idea of the
magnitude of their enterprise.
The second day of his stay they held a family conference in one of the
small parlors. He had told Grandma Dorrance that he wished for a
business talk with her alone, but she had said that the children were
quite as capable of understanding their financial situation as she
herself, if not more so; and that, after their interest and assistance
through the summer, they were entitled to a hearing of whatever Mr.
Lloyd might have to say.
So the family conclave was called, and Mr. Lloyd took the occasion to
express his hearty appreciation of what they had done.
"You seem to have the Dorrance grit," he said; "your Grandfather
Dorrance would have been proud of his grandchildren, could he have known
what they would accomplish. He little thought when he bought this hotel
property that his family would ever live here,--let alone running it as
a hotel."
"It seems so strange," said Dorothy, "to think that this old Domain that
we've made fun of for so many years, and never thought was good for
anything, should have helped us through this summer."
"I hope, my dear," said Mr. Lloyd, "that you have been careful and
prudent about your expenditures. For sometimes, these exciting
enterprises look very fine and desirable, but are exceedingly costly in
the end."
Mr. Lloyd was a kind friend, and felt great interest in the Dorrance
fortunes; but his cautious, legal mind, could not avoid a careful
consideration of the exact state of their finances.
"We have kept our accounts very strictly, sir," said Dorothy, "and we
find that the Dorrance Domain has entirely supported our family for the
summer,--I mean that we are in debt to nobody as a consequence of having
spent our summer here."
"That is fine, my dear child, that is fine," said Mr. Lloyd, rubbing his
hands together, as he always did when pleased; "I must congratulate you
on that result."
"And we've had such fun, too," exclaimed Fairy, whose big white bow and
smiling face suddenly appeared over the back of the sofa which she was
clambering up. "I do some of the work, but I don't mind it a bit, and we
all of us get plenty of time to play, and go sailing, and fishing and
everything." As Fairy continued talking she kept rapidly scrambling over
the sofa, down to the floor, under the sofa, and up its back, and over
it again, repeatedly. This in no way interfered with her flow of
conversation, and she went on: "We can make all the racket we like,
too,--nobody minds a speck,--not even Miss Marcia Van Arsdale. She says
it's nothing but animal spiritualism."
"It has been one of the greatest comforts," said Grandma Dorrance, "to
think that the children _could_ make all the noise they wanted to; for I
suffered tortures at Mrs. Cooper's, trying to keep them quiet. Here,
they are free to do as they choose, and there is room enough to do as
they choose, without annoying other people. I think myself, that they
deserve great commendation for their work this summer. It has not been
easy; but fortunately, they are blessed with temperaments that take
troubles lightly, and make play out of hard work. But I want you to tell
us, Mr. Lloyd, just how we stand financially. The children are anxious
to know, and so am I. They insist that hereafter they shall share my
anxieties and responsibilities, and I am more than glad to have them do
so."
"I am gratified, Mrs. Dorrance, and my dear young people, to be able to
tell you,"--here Mr. Lloyd paused impressively,--"to be able to tell you
that the outlook is highly satisfactory. Since you have not called upon
me for any of your money during the summer months, I have been able to
apply it towards the repairs that were so necessary on the Fifty-eighth
Street house. Except for a few small bills, that indebtedness is thus
provided for. Your next quarter's allowance is, therefore,
unencumbered."
"I think," said Dorothy, her eyes shining in the excitement of the
moment, "that this is a good time to present our statement of accounts.
We've been keeping it as a little surprise for grandma, and we want Mr.
Lloyd to know about it too. I wanted Leicester to tell you, and he said
for me to tell you; but we all had just as much to do with it as each
other, so we're all going to tell you together. Come on, all of you."
The other three Dorrances sprang towards Dorothy in their usual
hop-skip-and-jump fashion, and in a moment they stood in a straight
line, toeing a mark.
They took hold of hands, and swinging their arms back and forth, recited
a speech which had evidently been rehearsed before-hand.
"We've paid all expenses," they said, speaking in concert, but not as
loudly as usual, "and besides that, we've cleared three hundred
dollars!"
"What!" exclaimed Mr. Lloyd, holding up his hands in astonishment.
"Oh, my dear children!" cried Grandma Dorrance, uncertain whether she
should laugh or weep.
"Yes, isn't it perfectly wonderful?" cried Dorothy, and the concerted
speech being over, the four children precipitated themselves headlong in
every direction.
"We wanted to holler it all out," explained Fairy; "but we were afraid
the boarder-people would hear us, and they mightn't think it polite."
"It's all right," said Lilian, stoutly; "we didn't overcharge anybody,
and we didn't scrimp them. The reason we made money was because we did
so much of the work ourselves, and because Dorothy is such a good
manager."
"Hurrah for Dorothy," shrieked Leicester, in a perfect imitation of Miss
Marcia's parrot.
The cheer that went up for Dorothy was deafening, but nobody minded, for
everybody was so happy.
"I couldn't have done anything without the others' help," protested
Dorothy; "and of course we couldn't any of us have carried out this plan
at all, without grandma. So you see it took the whole five of us to make
a success of the Dorrance Domain."
"Hurrah for the Dorrance Domain," shouted Fairy, and then every one in
the room, not excepting Grandma Dorrance and Mr. Lloyd, cheered from
their very hearts,
"Hurrah for the Dorrance Domain!"
* * * * *
The Carolyn Wells Books for Girls
THE FAMOUS "PATTY" BOOKS
Patty Fairfield
Patty at Home
Patty in the City
Patty's Summer Days
Patty in Paris
Patty's Friend
Patty's Pleasure Trip
Patty's Success
Patty's Motor Car
Patty's Butterfly Days
Patty's Social Season
Patty's Suitors
Patty's Romance
Patty's Fortune
Patty Blossom
Patty--Bride
Patty and Azalea
THE MARJORIE BOOKS
Marjorie's Vacation
Marjorie's Busy Days
Marjorie's New Friend
Marjorie in Command
Marjorie's Maytime
Marjorie at Seacote
TWO LITTLE WOMEN SERIES
Two Little Women
Two Little Women and Treasure House
Two Little Women on a Holiday
* * * * *
THE TOM SWIFT SERIES
By VICTOR APPLETON
Author of "The Don Sturdy Series."
Tom Swift, known to millions of boys of this generation, is a bright
ingenious youth whose inventions, discoveries and thrilling adventures
are described in these spirited tales that tell of the wonderful
advances in modern science.
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS
TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE
TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER
TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON
TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP
TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL
TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER
TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS
TOM SWIFT CIRCLING THE GLOBE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS TALKING PICTURES
TOM SWIFT AND HIS HOUSE ON WHEELS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG DIRIGIBLE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY TRAIN
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT MAGNET
TOM SWIFT AND HIS TELEVISION DETECTOR