A BRIGHT FUTURE
That Saturday night supper at the old Corner House was rather different
from any that had preceded it. Frequently the Corner House girls had
company at this particular meal--almost always Neale, and Mr. Con Murphy
had been in before.
Once Miss Shipman, Agnes' and Neale's teacher, had come as the guest of
honor; and more than once Mr. Howbridge had passed his dish for a second
helping of Mrs. MacCall's famous beans.
It was an elastic table, anyway, that table of the Corner House girls.
It was of a real cozy size when the family was alone. Mrs. MacCall sat
nearest the swing-door into the butler's pantry, although Uncle Rufus
would seldom hear to the housekeeper going into the kitchen after she
had once seated herself at the table.
She always put on a clean apron and cap. At the other end of the table
was Aunt Sarah's place. No matter how grim and speechless Aunt Sarah
might be, she could not glare Mrs. MacCall out of countenance, so that
arrangement was very satisfactory.
The four girls had their seats, two on either side. The guests, when
they had them, were placed between the girls on either side, and the
table was gradually drawn out, and leaves added, to suit the
circumstances.
Neale always sat between Tess and Dot. He did so to-night. But beside
him was the Irish cobbler. Opposite was the stout and glowing Mr.
Sorber, prepared to do destruction to Mrs. MacCall's viands first of
all, and then to destroy Neale's hopes of an education afterward.
At least, he had thus far admitted no change of heart. He had met Neale
with rough cordiality, but he had stated his intention as irrevocable
that he would take the boy back to the circus.
Tess and Dot were almost horrified when they came to understand that
their friend the lion tamer proposed to take Neale away. They could not
understand such an evidently kind-hearted tamer of wild beasts doing
such a cruel thing!
"I guess he's only fooling," Tess confided to Dot, and the latter agreed
with several nods, her mouth being too full for utterance, if her heart
was not.
"These beans," declared Mr. Sorber, passing his plate a third time, "are
fit for a king to eat, and the fishcakes ought to make any fish proud to
be used up in that manner. I never eat better, Ma'am!"
"I presume you traveling people have to take many meals haphazardly,"
suggested Mrs. MacCall.
"Not much. My provender," said Mr. Sorber, "is one thing that I'm mighty
particular about. I feeds my lions first; then Bill Sorber's next best
friend is his own stomach--yes, Ma'am!
"The cook tent and the cooks go ahead of the show. For instance, right
after supper the tent is struck and packed, and if we're traveling by
rail, it goes right aboard the first flat. If we go by road, that team
gets off right away and when we catch up to it in the morning, it's
usually set up on the next camping ground and the coffee is a-biling.
"It ain't no easy life we live; but it ain't no dog's life, neither. And
how a smart, bright boy like this here nevvy of mine should want to run
away from it----"
"Did ye iver think, sir," interposed the cobbler, softly, "that mebbe
there was implanted in the la-ad desires for things ye know nothin' of?"
"Huh!" grunted Sorber, balancing a mouthful of beans on his knife to the
amazement of Dot, who had seldom seen any person eat with his knife.
"Lit me speak plainly, for 'tis a plain man I am," said the Irishman.
"This boy whom ye call nephew----?"
"And he is," Sorber said.
"Aye. But he has another side to him that has no Sorber to it. 'Tis the
O'Neil side. It's what has set him at his books till he is the foinest
scholar in the Milton Schools, bar none. Mr. Marks told me himself 'twas
so."
This surprised Neale and the girls for they had not known how deep was
the Irishman's interest in his protege.
"He's only half a Sorber, sir. Ye grant that?"
"But he's been with the show since he was born," growled the showman.
"Why shouldn't he want to be a showman, too? All the Sorbers have been,
since away back. I was thinkin' of changing his name by law so as to
have him in the family in earnest."
"I'll never own to any name but my own again," declared Neale, from
across the table.
"That's your answer, Mr. Sorber," declared Murphy, earnestly. "The boy
wants to go his own way--and that's the way of his fathers, belike. But
I'm a fair man. I can see 'tis a loss to you if Neale stays here and
goes to school."
"I guess it is, Mister," said the showman, rather belligerently. "And I
guess you don't know how much of a loss."
"Well," said the cobbler, coolly. "Put a figure to it. How much?"
"How much _what_?" demanded Mr. Sorber, bending his brows upon the
Irishman, while the children waited breathlessly.
"Money. Neale's a big drawin' kyard ye say yerself. Then, how much money
will ye take for your right to him?"
Mr. Sorber laid down his knife and fork and stared at Mr. Murphy.
"Do you mean that, sir?" he asked, with strange quietness.
"Do I mean am I willin' to pay the bye out of yer clutches?" demanded
the cobbler, with growing heat. "'Deed and I am! and if my pile isn't
big enough, mebbe I kin find good friends of Neale O'Neil in this town
that'll be glad to chip in wid me and give the bye his chance.
"I've been layin' a bit av money by, from year to year--God knows why!
for I haven't chick nor child in the wor-r-rld. Save the bit to kape me
from the potter's field and to pay for sayin' a mass for me sowl, what
do the likes of _me_ want wid hoardin' gold and silver?
"I'll buy a boy. I have no son of me own. I'll see if Neale shall not do
me proud in the years to come--God bliss the bye!"
He seized the boy's hand and wrung it hard. "Oh, Mr. Murphy!" murmured
Neale O'Neil and returned the pressure of the cobbler's work-hardened
palm.
But Agnes got up and ran around the table and hugged him! "You--you are
the dearest old man who ever lived, Mr. Murphy!" she sobbed, and
implanted a tearful kiss right upon the top of the cobbler's little snub
nose!
"Huh!" grunted Mr. Sorber. Then he said "Huh!" again. Finally he burst
out with: "Say, young lady, ain't you going to pass around some of those
kisses? Don't _I_ get one?"
"What?" cried Agnes, turning in a fury. "_Me_ kiss _you_?"
"Sure. Why not?" asked the showman. "You don't suppose that man sitting
there is the only generous man in the world, do you? Why, bless your
heart! I want Neale back bad enough. And he _does_ make us a tidy bit of
money each season--and some of _that's_ to his credit in the bank--I've
seen to it myself.
"He's my own sister's boy. I--I used to play with him when he was a
little bit of a feller--don't you remember them times, Neale?"
"Yes, sir," said the boy, with hanging head. "But I'm too big for play
now. I want to learn--I want to know."
Mr. Sorber looked at him a long time. He had stopped eating, and had
dropped the napkin which he had tucked under his chin. Finally he blew a
big sigh.
"Well, Mr. Murphy," he said. "Put up your money. You've not enough to
_buy_ the boy, no matter how much you have laid away. But if he feels
that way----
"Well, what the Old Scratch I'll say to Twomley I don't know. But I'll
leave the boy in your care. I'm stickin' by my rights, though. If he's a
big success in this world, part of it'll be due to the way I trained him
when he was little. There's no doubt of that."
* * * * *
So, that is the way it came about that Neale O'Neil remained at school
in Milton and lost the "black dog of trouble" that had for months
haunted his footsteps.
The Corner House girls were delighted at the outcome of the affair.
"If we grow to be as old as Mrs. Methuselah," declared Agnes, "we'll
never be so happy as we are over this thing."
But, of course, that is an overstatement of the case. It was only a few
weeks ahead that Agnes would declare herself surfeited with happiness
again--and my readers may learn the reason why if they read the next
volume of this series, entitled "The Corner House Girls Under Canvas."
But this settlement of Neale's present affairs was really a very great
occasion. Mr. Sorber and Mr. Con Murphy shook hands on the agreement.
Mrs. MacCall wiped her eyes, declaring that "such goings-on wrung the
tears out o' her jest like water out of a dishclout!"
What Aunt Sarah said was to the point, and typical: "For the marcy's
sake! I never did see thet boys was either useful enough, or ornamental
enough, to make such a fuss over 'em!"
Uncle Rufus, hovering on the outskirts of the family party, grinned
hugely upon Neale O'Neil. "Yo' is sho' 'nuff too good a w'ite boy tuh be
made tuh dance an' frolic in no circus show--naw-zer! I's moughty glad
yo's got yo' freedom."
Neale, too, was glad. The four Corner House girls got around him, joined
hands, and danced a dance of rejoicing in the big front hall.
"And now you need not be afraid of what's going to happen to you all the
time," said Ruth, warmly.
"Oh, Neale! you'll tell us all about what happened to you in the circus,
won't you, now?" begged Agnes.
"Will you please show me how to do cartwheels, Neale?" asked Tess,
gravely. "I've always admired seeing boys do them."
But Dot capped the climax--as usual. "Neale," she said, with serious
mien a day or two after, "if that circus comes to town this summer, will
you show us how you played Little Daniel in the Lions' Den? I should
think _that_ would be real int'resting--and awfully religious!"
THE END
* * * * *
This Isn't All!
Would you like to know what became of the good friends you have made in
this book?
Would you like to read other stories continuing their adventures and
experiences, or other books quite as entertaining by the same author?
On the _reverse side_ of the wrapper which comes with this book, you
will find a wonderful list of stories which you can buy at the same
store where you got this book.
_Don't throw away the Wrapper_
_Use it as a handy catalog of the books you want some day to have. But
in case you do mislay it, write to the Publishers for a complete
catalog_.
THE BLYTHE GIRLS BOOKS
By LAURA LEE HOPE
Author of The Outdoor Girls Series
Illustrated by Thelma Gooch
The Blythe Girls, three in number, were left alone in New York City.
Helen, who went in for art and music, kept the little flat uptown, while
Margy, just out of business school, obtained a position as secretary and
Rose, plain-spoken and business like, took what she called a "job" in a
department store. The experiences of these girls make fascinating
reading--life in the great metropolis is thrilling and full of strange
adventures and surprises.
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: HELEN, MARGY AND ROSE
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: MARGY'S QUEER INHERITANCE
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: ROSE'S GREAT PROBLEM
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: HELEN'S STRANGE BOARDER
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: THREE ON A VACATION
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: MARGY'S SECRET MISSION
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: ROSE'S ODD DISCOVERY
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HELEN
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: SNOWBOUND IN CAMP
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: MARGY'S MYSTERIOUS VISITOR
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: ROSE'S HIDDEN TALENT
THE BLYTHE GIRLS: HELEN'S WONDERFUL MISTAKE
FOR HER MAJESTY--THE GIRL OF TODAY
THE POLLY BREWSTER BOOKS
By Lillian Elizabeth Roy
Polly and Eleanor have many interesting adventures on their travels
which take them to all corners of the globe.
POLLY OF PEBBLY PIT
POLLY AND ELEANOR
POLLY IN NEW YORK
POLLY AND HER FRIENDS ABROAD
POLLY'S BUSINESS VENTURE
POLLY'S SOUTHERN CRUISE
POLLY IN SOUTH AMERICA
POLLY IN THE SOUTHWEST
POLLY IN ALASKA
POLLY IN THE ORIENT
POLLY IN EGYPT
POLLY'S NEW FRIEND
POLLY AND CAROLA
POLLY AND CAROLA AT RAVENSWOOD
POLLY LEARNS TO FLY
THE LILIAN GARIS BOOKS
Illustrated. Every volume complete in itself.
Among her "fan" letters Lilian Garis receives some flattering
testimonials of her girl readers' interest in her stories. From a class
of thirty comes a vote of twenty-five naming her as their favorite
author. Perhaps it is the element of live mystery that Mrs. Garis always
builds her stories upon, or perhaps it is because the girls easily can
translate her own sincere interest in themselves from the stories. At
any rate her books prosper through the changing conditions of these
times, giving pleasure, satisfaction, and, incidentally, that tactful
word of inspiration, so important in literature for young girls. Mrs.
Garis prefers to call her books "juvenile novels" and in them romance is
never lacking.
SALLY FOR SHORT
SALLY FOUND OUT
A GIRL CALLED TED
TED AND TONY, TWO GIRLS OF TODAY
CLEO'S MISTY RAINBOW
CLEO'S CONQUEST
BARBARA HALE
BARBARA HALE'S MYSTERY FRIEND
(Formerly Barbara Hale and Cozette)
NANCY BRANDON
NANCY BRANDON'S MYSTERY
CONNIE LORING
(Formerly Connie Loring's Dilemma)
CONNIE LORING'S GYPSY FRIEND
(Formerly Connie Loring's Ambition)
JOAN: JUST GIRL
JOAN'S GARDEN OF ADVENTURE
GLORIA: A GIRL AND HER DAD
GLORIA AT BOARDING SCHOOL
CAROLYN WELLS BOOKS
THE PATTY BOOKS
Patty is a lovable girl whose frank good nature and beauty lend charm to
her varied adventures. These stories are packed with excitement and
interest for girls.
PATTY FAIRFIELD
PATTY AT HOME
PATTY IN THE CITY
PATTY'S SUMMER DAYS
PATTY IN PARIS
PATTY'S FRIENDS
PATTY'S PLEASURE TRIP
PATTY'S SUCCESS
PATTY'S MOTOR CAR
PATTY'S BUTTERFLY DAYS
THE MARJORIE BOOKS
Marjorie is a happy little girl of twelve, up to mischief, but full of
goodness and sincerity. In her and her friends every girl reader will
see much of her own love of fun, play and adventure.
MARJORIE'S VACATION
MARJORIE'S BUSY DAYS
MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND
MARJORIE IN COMMAND
MARJORIE'S MAYTIME
MARJORIE AT SEACOTE
THE TWO LITTLE WOMEN SERIES
Introducing Dorinda Fayre--a pretty blonde, sweet, serious, timid and a
little slow, and Dorothy Rose--a sparkling brunette, quick, elf-like,
high tempered, full of mischief and always getting into scrapes.
TWO LITTLE WOMEN
TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE
TWO LITTLE WOMEN ON A HOLIDAY
THE DICK AND DOLLY BOOKS
Dick and Dolly are brother and sister, and their games, their pranks,
their joys and sorrows, are told in a manner which makes the stories
"really true" to young readers.
DICK AND DOLLY
DICK AND DOLLY'S ADVENTURES
THE NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES
By CAROLYN KEENE
Here is a thrilling series of mystery stories for girls. Nancy Drew,
ingenious, alert, is the daughter of a famous criminal lawyer and she
herself is deeply interested in his mystery cases. Her interest involves
her often in some very dangerous and exciting situations.
THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK
Nancy, unaided, seeks to locate a missing will and finds herself in the
midst of adventure.
THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE
Mysterious happenings in an old stone mansion lead to an investigation
by Nancy.
THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY
Nancy has some perilous experiences around a deserted bungalow.
THE MYSTERY AT LILAC INN
Quick thinking and quick action were needed for Nancy to extricate
herself from a dangerous situation.
THE SECRET AT SHADOW RANCH
On a vacation in Arizona Nancy uncovers an old mystery and solves it.
THE SECRET OF RED GATE FARM
Nancy exposes the doings of a secret society on an isolated farm.
THE CLUE IN THE DIARY
A fascinating and exciting story of a search for a clue to a surprising
mystery.
NANCY'S MYSTERIOUS LETTER
Nancy receives a letter informing her that she is heir to a fortune.
This story tells of her search for another Nancy Drew.