THE SURPRISE
A few days after this John McClure, as he was still called, set sail
for Europe, and in his place came a quiet young man of whom the
children saw little, as he did not take his meals with them. Since they
were to stay at the Dallas place till November, Mrs. Law thought it was
not worth while for the children to lose all that time from school, but
though Jerry was perfectly willing to go back to his old classmates,
Cassy begged that she might be sent to another school, and really was
quite naughty and rebellious when her mother first spoke of her going
back. But finally, seeing that the child actually suffered at the
thought, her mother decided that she might be sent to another school
not very much further away, and the little girl was highly pleased to
think that she would be known as Catherine Law and not as Miss Oddity.
Her old patched frock had before this been thrown aside, and she
was now able to appear as well-dressed as her schoolmates, who were
in general of a better class than those who attended the school near
Orchard Street, therefore Cassy felt that matters had bettered in every
direction.
She missed her uncle very much, but as time went on they heard
frequently from him, and he wrote that he hoped to be with them again
in November. Before he went away he had had many long talks with his
sister, and they had made many plans.
Just what these were Mrs. Law did not say, but Cassy knew some of the
things that her uncle had decided upon, and her imagination saw long
rows of greenhouses, and a garden in which all manner of flowers grew.
She also knew that her mother was very bright and happy and that her
uncle had said that his sister ought by rights to have a share in his
good fortune, and that he should consider the half of it belonged to
her. Cassy wondered where they would live, but when she asked her
mother about it she only smiled and shook her head.
However, one day in the early part of November, Mrs. Law asked, “How
would you children like to take a little journey with me to-morrow?”
“We’d like it ever so much,” they both exclaimed. “Where is it that we
are going, mother?”
“Shall I tell you or will you have a little surprise?”
“What do you say, Jerry? Shall we have it a surprise?” Cassy asked.
Jerry thought it over.
“Is it much of a trip?” he inquired; “for if it is, I don’t think I
could keep wanting to know, very long, but if it’s short I could stand
it, and I think it would be fun not to know where we were going.”
“I think so, too,” agreed Cassy.
“It isn’t much of a trip,” Mrs. Law told them; “about an hour by train.”
“I could stand that, I reckon,” said Jerry. “Couldn’t you, Cassy?”
“Yes, I think I could. Don’t you wonder where it is, Jerry?”
“’Course I do.”
“What are we going for? Can you tell us that much, mother?”
“Do you really want me to?”
Cassy looked at Jerry.
“You might tell us just a little bit, only enough to make it
interesting,” Jerry decided.
“Well, we are going to look at a house. You know we can’t stay here
forever.”
The children looked at each other with dancing eyes.
“I am wild to know more, but I’ll not ask,” said Cassy. “It is too
exciting for anything. Have we got to move before Uncle John comes
back?”
“No, I don’t think so, but we want to know where we are to go, and I
have heard of this place, so I am to go and look at it and then write
to your uncle about it.”
“Shall I wear my blue frock?” Cassy asked.
“Yes, and I am going to take you out this afternoon and get a new
jacket for you.”
“Oh, good! good! And you’ll wear your new suit and Jerry will wear his.
How nice we will all look. Oh, isn’t it fine to be able to get things
when you need them? Even if we’re not rich we can have ever so much
more than we used to. Are we going to be gone all day to-morrow?”
“I can’t tell just how long.”
“Shall we take our lunch with us?”
“No, I don’t think that will be necessary, for if we need anything we
can get it after we get there.”
“Then it isn’t in the country,” said Cassy, a little disappointed.
“But think of our taking a real journey. ’Scuse me, mother, but I
must go and talk to Miss Morning-Glory about it, or I’ll ask too many
questions.”
“You’d better get ready to go out with me.”
Thus charged Cassy ran off to dress and they soon started out on their
shopping expedition. Then when a dark-blue jacket had been selected,
Mrs. Law said she must get two or three other things, so Cassy skipped
along very happily by her side. The experience of going shopping was
a rare one, and to see her mother with any money to spend was such a
pleasure that the child enjoyed her afternoon hugely.
They started about nine o’clock the next morning upon their little
journey. After an hour’s ride, which was by no means a dull one to the
children, they left the train and found themselves at a small station.
Their feet had hardly touched the platform before they heard a voice
call,
“There they are!” And who should appear but Rock and Eleanor. “Oh, you
did come, didn’t you? We’ve been down here half an hour,” exclaimed
Eleanor. “We were so afraid we’d miss you.”
“Did you know we were coming? Is this where you live?” asked Cassy,
eagerly.
“Yes will answer both those questions,” Eleanor replied. “Come right
along; we’re going up in the stage; it passes the place where you have
to get out. Weren’t you surprised when your mother told you where you
were coming?”
“She didn’t tell us. We had the surprise when we got here.”
“Oh, what fun! Then you don’t know the rest, and I’ll not tell you.
This is the stage; climb in.”
They all took their places and the stage rattled up the long street.
Just where the houses were beginning to be quite far apart, at the turn
of a lane, Rock exclaimed: “Here we are! Tumble out, Jerry.” He got
out himself first and stood politely to see that Mrs. Law and the two
girls were safely helped down, then they turned into the lane and Rock
led the way, with Mrs. Law and Jerry, while the girls followed. Cassy
looked around her with observant eyes.
“I never knew the country was so lovely at this time of year,” she
said. “It doesn’t look bare and ugly at all, and Miss Morning-Glory
said it would.”
Eleanor laughed.
“You see Miss Morning-Glory didn’t know what she was talking about. Do
you see her often now?”
“Not very. If we come up here, I don’t believe she will come at all.”
Eleanor laughed again; this idea of Cassy’s friend, that was only an
imaginary being, always amused her very much.
“If she doesn’t like the country all the year around I think she’d
better not come,” she said.
“It is lovely,” repeated Cassy; “the trees are all purple ’way off
there, and some of them are dark red near by, and the grass looks all
sort of golden, and the sky is so blue, and off that way it is smoky
purple. I like it.”
“Now that we’re almost there I’m going to tell you that this is the
place we talked about, don’t you remember?” said Eleanor.
“Oh, is it? I am so glad. I wonder where the greenhouses will be.”
“The greenhouses? What greenhouses?” Eleanor looked astonished.
“Oh, I forgot, you don’t know.”
Rock heard her, and speaking over his shoulder said: “The greenhouses
will have to be built, Cassy. There is room enough for them, as you’ll
see. Look right ahead through those trees and you will see the cottage.”
“Come,” cried Eleanor, catching Cassy by the hand, “let’s get there
first.” They ran ahead through the crisp brown leaves and stood panting
on the porch, that porch of which they had talked, and to which still
clung the morning-glory vines now withered and dry, but showing
rustling seed pods.
Rock produced the key of the house and they all went in. Mrs. Law
looked around critically. A hall ran through the middle of the house,
and on each side were two rooms. Above stairs there were four
comfortable bedrooms and a small one over the hall; an unfinished
garret gave plenty of storeroom.
Rock watched Mrs. Law’s face. This place was his special discovery, and
he was very anxious that it should be appreciated. He showed off the
various good points with the air of one who has a personal interest.
The view from the windows, the advantage of a porch both front and
back, the dry cellar, the closets in each room; all these things were
pointed out and Mrs. Law declared that, so far as she was concerned,
the house would be all that one could wish when certain repairs had
been made.
“The only point,” she said, “is the land. If that suits John’s purpose
I am more than satisfied. I will describe it to him as nearly as
possible, and I hope he will make up his mind to come, but I rather
think he will want to see it himself first.”
Rock looked a little disappointed.
“I did hope you could get settled right off.”
“We couldn’t do that anyhow,” Mrs. Law told him, “for there are repairs
to be made. I think as long as the place has been standing idle for
some time, and as you say, there are no applicants, that very likely we
can get the refusal of it, and I know when John comes he will lose no
time in looking at it.”
This seemed the best that could be done and they started back towards
the town.
“You are coming to our house to lunch, you know,” said Eleanor. “It
isn’t very far to walk.”
“Oh, my dear,” expostulated Mrs. Law, “I couldn’t think of such a
thing.”
“Oh, but you see,” said Eleanor, with decision, “mamma expects you. She
would have come down to the train herself, but she couldn’t; she had
a caller on very particular business, but she will be looking for us,
and Bubbles is just wild to see Cassy, and I promised May Garland that
I would bring Cassy over there to see the baby and the chickens and
everything. Then Rock wants to show Jerry where he will go to school,
and, oh my, if you don’t stay what will we do?”
Mrs. Law had to smile at her look of distress, and Cassy looked up at
her mother pleadingly. She did so very much want to see all these
people and the things of which she had heard Eleanor talk so much.
“There comes mamma now,” cried Eleanor. “She has driven out to meet us
with the pony. Now, Mrs. Law, you can get in and drive back with her,
and we will walk.”
Cassy had heard of this wonderful Shetland pony, Eleanor’s dearest
possession, and she drew a long breath of pleasure. She would dearly
have liked to drive behind him herself, and as if reading her thought,
Eleanor said: “We will go for a little drive this afternoon, you and
Jerry and Rock and I. You will not have to go till the late train, I
know.”
Cassy bestowed a beaming smile upon her.
“I don’t believe Miss Morning-Glory will want to come,” she said with
conviction.
By the time they had reached the gate, Mrs. Law and Eleanor’s mother
had gone in and it was evidently settled that the visitors were to
remain till after lunch.
“And please say you will not go till the late train,” Eleanor begged
Mrs. Law. “We’ve got so much to do.”
“And it will not keep till another time, I suppose,” returned Mrs. Law.
“Your Aunt Dora promised to come over this afternoon; she wants to see
Mrs. Law, and I think we can persuade these friends to stay,” said
Eleanor’s mother.
“You will stay, won’t you, mother?” begged both Cassy and Jerry.
“Please,” added Rock and Eleanor. And Mrs. Dallas smiling, repeated,
“Please.” So Mrs. Law declared herself more than persuaded, and that
matter was settled.
“Which shall we do first, go over to May Garland’s or to drive?”
Eleanor asked Cassy.
“I think you’d better take your drive first,” suggested her mother.
“The days are so short and you’d best be near home when it gets dark.”
“All right, we will do that. You must come right back after lunch,
Rock,” called Eleanor, as the boy was about to go.
Just then a smiling little colored girl appeared at the door. She
rolled her eyes delightedly in Cassy’s direction as she announced,
“Lunch ready, Mis’ Dallas.”
Cassy knew that this must be Bubbles, and she smiled in return.
Bubbles was so overcome with pleasure that she ducked her head and
giggled as she disappeared.
“I think you’ve two of the nicest things in the world,” said Cassy, as
they went into the dining-room, “and they’re both black; a Bubbles and
a pony.”
Eleanor laughed.
“I don’t know what I should do without them. Bubbles says she is going
to live with me when I grow up, but she’s getting pretty big now, and I
am so afraid she will get married first and will go off and leave me.”
After lunch Eleanor showed her guest her little bedroom and her
playhouse in the yard where she kept her dolls, her books and many of
her treasures, and Cassy thought that in all her life she had never
dreamed of such a favored child as Eleanor Dallas.
“Aren’t you ’most happy enough to fly?” she asked.
“Why?” said Eleanor.
“I would be, if I had all these things and this lovely place to live in
and a papa.”
Eleanor put her arm around her.
“You have an Uncle John, and he will be just like a papa, I know.”
Cassy agreed that it was indeed something to be thankful for, and then
Rock called them to say that Spice was getting impatient, and when were
they coming.
So off they set, the little pony’s short quick steps taking them along
at a good rate. The sparkling November air made them all as lively as
possible; Cassy alone was almost too happy for words, but the others
chattered without stopping, and at last, on their return to town, they
stopped at May Garland’s gate and the drive was over. The girls went in
and the two boys drove around to put Spice in the stable.
May Garland with her dog, her cats, her chickens, and last, but
not least, her sweet baby sister, Rosalie, was a very desirable
acquaintance, Cassy thought, and when Bubbles came flying in with the
message that they must come back at once as it was nearly train time,
Cassy thought she had never known so short an afternoon.
As May Garland lived in the next house to the Dallas’s they had not far
to go, and arrived to find Mrs. Law ready to start for the train.
“I hate to have you go,” said Eleanor at parting, “but I am going to
think you are coming back again soon; and oh, I do hope you will go
to our school, you nice, funny girl, and I am so very, very glad that
everybody is happy and that everything is happening so beautifully for
you.”
UNCLE JOHN ARRIVES