"WE'VE GOT 'EM! WE'VE GOT 'EM!"
Mrs. Rockwood was in her sitting-room one morning. It was Saturday, and a
day of liberty for Jean. She had gone over to the school to spend a few
hours with Helen, and Mrs. Lockwood did not expect her home until
lunch-time, but, happening to glance from her window about ten o'clock,
what was her surprise to see two figures approaching, one with a series of
bounds, prances and jumps, which indicated a wildly hilarious and
satisfied frame of mind in Jean, and the other with a subdued hop and
skip, and then a sedate walk, which, although less demonstrative, was
quite as indicative of a very deep and serene happiness to any one
familiar with Helen.
A moment later the front door slammed, and two pairs of feet came tearing
up the stairs as though pursued by Boer cavalry, and two eager voices
cried:
"We've got 'em! We've got 'em! We've got 'em!" and both girls came tearing
into the room to cast themselves and two very suggestive looking parcels
upon Mrs. Rockwood.
"What in this world has happened?" she asked, in amazement, for both girls
were breathless, and could only point at the parcels in her lap and say:
"Open them! Open them, quick!"
Mrs. Rockwood was a woman who entered heart and soul into her daughter's
pleasures, and nothing was ever quite right in Jean's eyes unless her
mother shared it. Every little plan must be talked over with her, and it
was pretty sure not to suffer any from one of her suggestions. Helen spent
a great deal of time with Jean and was devoted to Mrs. Rockwood.
Consequently, when the cameras arrived at the school that morning, and
they found out that there was really no mistake, but that they were
certainly intended for the persons whose names were so plainly written
upon the boxes, and sent in Miss Preston's care, they could hardly wait to
get over to Jean's house to show their treasures to her mother. Many had
been the surmises as to whom had sent such beauties, but Toinette kept a
perfectly sober face, and no one suspected the secret.
Carefully removing the wrappings, Mrs. Rockwood brought the contents of
the boxes to view. She was as much surprised as the girls, and exclaimed:
"Why, who could have sent them to you, and how did anyone learn that you
were so anxious to have them? Such beauties, too!"
"That is the funniest part of it all, for we never told a soul, and didn't
mean to till we had them, and now here they are. I believe St. Nick must
have heard us wishing for them," said Helen.
"And to _both_ of us, and just _alike_! Think of it! Oh, moddie, isn't it
lovely?" and Jean threw her arms about her mother's neck by way of giving
vent to her feelings.
"I'm as delighted as you and Helen are, dear, only I wish we might learn
who our benefactor is."
"Yes, isn't it too bad. Well, it may crop out later. I thought first it
must be Miss Preston, but she said that she did not know any more about it
than we did," said Helen.
"Now, when may we take our pictures, and what shall we take?" cried Jean.
"You suggest something, Mrs. Rockwood; it will be nicer if you do it,"
said Helen, dropping down upon her knees beside Mrs. Rockwood, and placing
her arm around her friend's waist.
Mrs. Rockwood drew her close to her side as she replied:
"Let me examine these treasures which have arrived so mysteriously, read
the directions concerning them, and then we'll see what we'll see," and
she began to read: "Take the camera into a perfectly dark closet, where no
ray of light can penetrate (even covering the keyhole), and then place
within it one of the sensitive plates, being careful not to expose the
unused plates. Your camera is now ready to take the picture, etc." "That
is all very simple, I'm sure, and if the taking proves as simple as are
the directions you need have little apprehension of failure. But your
directions add very explicitly that you must _not_ attempt to take a
picture unless the day is sunny. So I fear those conditions preclude the
possibility of your taking any upon this cloudy day, and you will have to
possess your souls in peace till 'Old Sol' favors you."
"Oh, dear, isn't that too bad! I thought we could take some right off.
Don't you think we might at least try, mamma?"
"I fear they would prove failures; better wait a more favorable light."
As though to tantalize frail humanity, "Old Sol" remained very exclusive
all day, and, even though Helen remained till evening in the hope that he
would overcome his fit of sulks, nothing of the kind happened, and she was
forced to go back to the school without one.
"Just wait till Monday, and we'll do wonders; see if we don't," said Jean,
as she bade her farewell, little dreaming what wonders she was destined to
do with her magical box ere the sun set Monday night.
"I'll ask Miss Preston to let me come over at four o'clock on Monday, and
then we'll go out in the little dell and get a lovely picture. You know
the place I mean: where that old clump of fir-trees stands by the ruined
wall," said artistic Helen.
But when Monday arrived unforeseen difficulties arose for Jean. The day
was the sunniest ever known, and, while waiting for Helen to come, she got
out the precious camera to set the plates.
"Why, mamma, there isn't a dark closet in the whole house; not a single
one," cried Jean, coming into her mother's room as she was dressing to go
out on Monday afternoon. "Now, where in this world am I to open my
plate-box, I'd like to know?"
Mrs. Rockwood laughed as she turned toward Jean, whose face was the
picture of dismay. "True enough, there isn't. Now, who would have supposed
that the architect who designed this house, and put a window in every
closet, could have been so short-sighted as not to anticipate such a need
as the present one?"
"But what am I to do?" desperately.
"Try putting a dark covering over the windows."
"I have, but it's just no use, for I can't get it pitch dark to save me."
"And to think that barely forty-eight hours ago I was congratulating
myself that every closet in the house could be properly aired. Alas! how
do our recent acquisitions alter our views?"
"Now, moddie, don't laugh, but stop teasing me, and just think as hard as
ever you can _how_ I am to find a dark place."
Mrs. Rockwood thought for a few moments, and then said:
"I have it! Mary's pot-closet, under the back stairs; that is as dark as a
pocket, I'm sure."
"There! I knew you'd find a way; you always do. Just the very place, and
now I'm going straight down to fix it. Good-bye," and, kissing her mother,
away she flew.