WHAT TROUBLE FOUND
Casting a backward glance over her shoulder as she ran along with her
brother, Janet saw Mr. Narr making his way toward the Martin cottage. As
yet the rich old gentleman had not seen the Curlytops.
“If we can only find the keys before he asks Mr. Keller about them, it
will be all right,” said Ted.
“Yes,” agreed Janet. “But we’ve got to look fast and we’ve got to look
terrible hard in the sand.”
“We’ll do it!” declared Teddy.
Down to the stretch of sand hurried the Curlytops. They knew where to
find the place where the keys and wedding ring had been lost. Some of
the stones and pieces of driftwood that Teddy had put in a circle to
mark the spot were still in place. The post Mr. Keller set up was also
there. The sand was not near enough the water to make it a favorite
playing ground for the children, and no waves had washed over it.
So, as it happened, the sand had not been much disturbed except by the
digging and sifting that Mr. Keller had had done. There were holes and
hills where the men had taken out the sand, to pass it through their
sieves in the search for the lost articles.
“You begin on that side, and I’ll start over here,” suggested Ted to his
sister, when they reached the place. “Look over every bit of sand.”
“I will,” she answered. “But there’s an awful lot of sand to look over,
Teddy.”
“I know there is, Jan.”
“If we had somebody to help us,” went on the little Curlytop girl.
“Couldn’t you get Jimmie?”
“I might get him,” Ted admitted. “But it would take half an hour, and
I’d have to leave you alone and maybe Mr. Narr might come along
and—and——”
“Oh, well, never mind—we’ll hunt by ourselves,” Janet decided.
So the children began delving in the sand again, looking for the lost
wedding ring and the keys, as they had looked many times before. Handful
after handful of the shifting, white grains they picked up. They looked
carefully in each handful before casting it aside. But nothing rewarded
them.
“The keys’ll be easier to find than the ring,” said Ted, pausing a
moment to straighten his little, aching back.
“Yes. But I’d like to find the ring too—Mrs. Keller would be so glad,”
murmured Janet.
“Maybe we can find ’em both,” said Ted, hopefully.
However, as five—ten—fifteen minutes passed, and they found nothing,
the Curlytops began to be discouraged.
There was still a great deal of sand to look over, even within the
circle of stones and sticks. Janet stood up a moment to get the kinks
out of her legs and, as she did so, a shadow fell across the sand in
front of her and her brother.
“Oh!” murmured Janet, for she thought it might be Mr. Narr coming with
his gold-headed cane—Mr. Narr who would be so angry because Mr. Keller
had lost his keys. “Oh!” said Janet again, and then she looked up.
Her heart did not beat so fast when she saw only her mother and Trouble.
Teddy, too, who had glanced up at the movement of the shadow and who had
heard his sister’s murmured cry, looked pleased when he saw who it was.
“Well, I wondered what had become of you two,” said Mrs. Martin, who had
brought William out to get the sunshine and fresh air, for he now was
over the worst of his illness.
“We came down to look for Mr. Keller’s keys and Mrs. Keller’s ring,”
explained Teddy.
“I see you have.”
“And Mr. Narr—we saw him going up to our house,” added Janet.
“Yes, he’s up there now, talking to your father,” Mrs. Martin said.
“Does he know about the lost keys yet?” Ted wanted to know.
“No, not yet. Of course he will have to be told,” said Mrs. Martin. “But
your father thought Mr. Keller had better tell Mr. Narr himself. So your
father has telephoned to Mr. Keller to come over to our cottage. Mr.
Keller is on his way now, I think, to meet his employer.”
“And will he get discharged, Mother?” asked Janet.
“I don’t know, my dear. But I came to tell you that I think it isn’t of
any use to look longer for the lost things.”
“Why not?” Ted asked, digging feverishly in the sand.
“Because I don’t believe you’ll find them. They must either have been
washed out to sea, or some one has picked them up and taken them away.
Yes, William,” she said to the little fellow, “you may play in the sand.
But don’t go far away.”
She put him down on the beach, and Trouble began walking about, stopping
now and then to dig with a stick.
“Well, I don’t guess we’re going to find them,” said Teddy, with a sigh.
“We’ve looked hard, haven’t we, Jan?”
“Terrible hard,” answered the little girl, with a sigh even more
sorrowful than the one her brother emitted.
“It can’t be helped,” said Mrs. Martin. “Mr. Narr will soon know the
truth—that Mr. Keller has lost his keys. Perhaps, after all, Mr. Narr
will be kind and overlook the loss.”
“He was kind to us,” said Teddy. “He gave us something to eat.”
“Yes; perhaps he isn’t as cross as he looks,” Mrs. Martin said, with a
smile. “Oh, Trouble! what have you there?” she suddenly cried, for she
saw that the little fellow had picked up something from the sand and was
bringing it to her. “What have you found?” she asked.
“Clam shell,” answered the little boy. “It’s a clam shell an’ it’s got
suffin inside. Maybe it’s a little nellifunt inside,” he added, as he
shook the shell and held it up to his ear.
“It isn’t a clam shell—it’s a whole clam!” exclaimed Ted. “A whopping
big one, too. Let me see it, Trouble.”
“No! No!” murmured the little fellow, holding the object behind him.
“Dis my nellifunt clam!”
“Give it to Mother, dear,” said Mrs. Martin, gently.
Trouble held it out to her.
“It is a big double clam shell,” she said, taking it in her hands. “The
clam has been taken out, though,” she went on. “But there _is_ something
inside,” and she shook it. The Curlytops could hear a rattling noise.
“Oh, Mother! what you s’pose it is?” cried Janet, her eyes shining
eagerly.
“Perhaps the poor, old clam that used to live in the shell has dried up
and gone to sleep,” suggested Mrs. Martin. “Or it may be some pebbles or
sand or dried seaweed inside. I’ll open it and look.”
The two curved halves of the clam shell were still joined together at
the hinged back, but, unlike most shells of this kind, when the clam has
been taken out, this one was closed, and not gaping wide open.
“Here’s a stick to pry it open with,” offered Teddy, handing his mother
a stick with which he had been digging in the sand.
Using this, Mrs. Martin opened the shell. Crowding about her and looking
over her shoulders, the Curlytops saw within the shell something that
made their eyes open wide with wonder.
“Oh!” cried Janet. “There’s Mrs. Keller’s gold wedding ring!”
“And Mr. Keller’s bunch of keys!” added Ted.
“I believe that’s just what Trouble found!” exclaimed Mrs. Martin,
shaking the sand out of the shell and revealing more clearly a bunch of
jingling keys and a gold ring. The ring was bright, but the keys were
red with rust.
“How did they get there?” asked Teddy.
“It would be hard to say,” answered his mother. “They may have been
brushed into the open shell when the search was going on. Or some
children playing here, and not knowing the keys and ring were lost, may
have found them and put them in the shell for fun. Then they buried the
shell, keys and ring and Trouble just found them. At any rate, they must
have been here for some time. But they surely are the things Mr. and
Mrs. Keller lost. Oh, I’m very glad, for the dear old couple worried so
about them.”
“Let’s take them over now!” suggested Janet.
“Yes, right away!” added her brother.
“I want my shell!” demanded Trouble. “I want my little nellifunt clam
shell.”
“You shall have it, dearie!” laughed Janet, giving him a hug. “You don’t
know what you found! You’re a lucky little boy, Trouble.”
“Um!” was all he answered.
Carrying the keys and ring carefully, Mrs. Martin and the three children
started back toward the cottage. They saw Mr. and Mrs. Keller just going
in.
“Oh, I must hurry and give Mr. Keller his keys before Mr. Narr asks for
them,” said Mrs. Martin. “Here, Ted, you run on ahead with them. Tell
Mr. Keller, as quietly as you can, how we found them. Of course, later
on, he will explain to Mr. Narr how they were lost. But I don’t want Mr.
Narr to be cross and scold, as he is sure to do when he learns that the
keys were lost.”
Taking the rusty bunch, Teddy started off, but he had not gone more than
a few steps before they all saw Mr. Martin and Mr. Narr coming out of
the cottage to meet the elderly couple.
“Oh, now it is too late!” murmured Mrs. Martin, sadly. “You can’t give
the keys to Mr. Keller without Mr. Narr seeing it—and then he will
guess what has happened!”
Hardly knowing what to do, Mrs. Martin and the children, with Ted still
carrying the keys, walked on toward Mr. Narr and Mr. Martin, who were
about to meet Mr. and Mrs. Keller.
“Ah, here are my little shipwrecked friends!” exclaimed Mr. Narr,
playfully shaking his gold-headed cane at Ted and Janet. “Have you been
catching any more crabs?” he asked.
“No—no, sir!” faltered Ted, wondering what to do with the keys.
“Hello, Mr. Keller! How are you?” went on Mr. Narr, taking off his hat
to Mrs. Keller. “I came over to find out where you lived,” he went on.
“I have been asking the direction from Mr. Martin—the father of the
shipwrecked children,” and he laughed. “I wanted to see you about the
bank keys,” he went on.
“Yes—yes, sir,” faltered Mr. Keller. Now was the critical moment,
thought the old gentleman. “I shall have to tell him they are lost and
he will discharge me.”
Ted was wishing there was some way of slipping the keys into Mr.
Keller’s pocket, but it could not be done without Mr. Narr seeing it.
“Yes, about your bunch of my keys,” went on the rich man, with a
chuckle. “I just came to tell you that you needn’t bother about letting
me take your bunch. I’ve found my own keys, so I won’t need yours!”
Mr. Keller did not seem to know what to say.
“You—you won’t need my keys?” he stammered. “You—you——”
“No, I have my own,” and Mr. Narr drew a jingling bunch from his pocket.
“I thought I had left them at my town house, but I found them in the
island cottage. So I came over to tell you I wouldn’t need yours. I sent
word by the shipwrecked children, you know, for you to have your bunch
ready for me.”
“Yes,” murmured Mr. Keller, “I know, and——”
Just then Teddy dropped the bunch of keys which fell with a jingle on
the sand.
“Hello!” exclaimed Mr. Narr, looking at them sharply. “They look just
like my keys.”
“I—I think they’re my keys—the bunch I lost!” said Mr. Keller. “I was
going to tell you, Mr. Narr, that I had lost your keys. My wife lost her
wedding ring at the same time, but how my keys came here I don’t know!
Oh, I don’t know—I——”
He seemed much confused.
“Trouble found them!” cried Janet, with a laugh.
“In a clam shell!” added Teddy.
“And here is your wedding ring! Oh, I am so glad I can give it back to
you!” said Mrs. Martin to Mrs. Keller, handing her the band of gold.
“Now all the lost is found!”
“Well! well!” laughed Mr. Narr. “And did you worry, Mr. Keller, because
you had lost my keys?”
“Yes, Mr. Narr, I worried a lot,” answered the old man. “I feared you
would discharge me and——”
“Nonsense! Nonsense!” laughed the rich old man. “I’m not such a bear as
that! Of course if the keys had been lost it might have made a little
trouble. But I could easily get others. I’m sorry you had all this
worry. But now it is all over!”
“Yes,” murmured Mrs. Keller, as she slipped her wedding ring back on her
finger, “our worries are all over now—thanks to the Curlytops!”
“And thanks to Trouble!” added her husband, with a laugh. “We mustn’t
forget Trouble and his clam shell.”
“It didn’t have no little nellifunt in, though!” complained William.
“And I want a little nellifunt! Or else maybe I want a story about a
bear.”
“Come here, little man, and I’ll tell you a story about a bear!” said
Mr. Narr, holding out his hands. “I haven’t told a bear story to a
little chap like you for many a year.”
“Does you know a story about a bad bear?” demanded Trouble.
“Yes, indeed I do!”
“’Bout a nawful bad bear—a _nawful_ bad bear? A terrible bad bear?” and
Trouble opened his eyes wide.
“Yes, about the worst bear in the world.”
“Go on, nen. Tell it, please,” begged the little boy, nestling into the
rich man’s arms.
And then every one was happy—but happiest of all were the Curlytops.
THE END
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE CURLYTOPS SERIES
By HOWARD R. GARIS
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in full colors
Price per volume, 50 cents. Postage 10 cents additional.
[Illustration: image of book cover]
1. THE CURLYTOPS AT CHERRY FARM, or Vacation Days in the Country
A tale of happy vacation days on a farm.
2. THE CURLYTOPS ON STAR ISLAND, or Camping Out with Grandpa
The Curlytops camp on Star Island.
3. THE CURLYTOPS SNOWED IN, or Grand Fun with Skates and Sleds
The Curlytops on lakes and hills.
4. THE CURLYTOPS AT UNCLE FRANK’S RANCH, or Little Folks on Ponyback
Out West on their uncle’s ranch they have a wonderful time.
5. THE CURLYTOPS AT SILVER LAKE, or On the Water with Uncle Ben
The Curlytops camp out on the shores of a beautiful lake.
6. THE CURLYTOPS AND THEIR PETS, or Uncle Toby’s Strange Collection
An old uncle leaves them to care for his collection of pets.
7. THE CURLYTOPS AND THEIR PLAYMATES, or Jolly Times Through the
Holidays
They have great times with their uncle’s collection of animals.
8. THE CURLYTOPS IN THE WOODS, or Fun at the Lumber Camp
Exciting times in the forest for Curlytops.
9. THE CURLYTOPS AT SUNSET BEACH, or What Was Found in the Sand
The Curlytops have a fine time at the seashore.
10. THE CURLYTOPS TOURING AROUND, or The Missing Photograph Albums
The Curlytops get in some moving pictures.
11. THE CURLYTOPS IN A SUMMER CAMP, or Animal Joe’s Menagerie
There is great excitement as some mischievous monkeys break out of
Animal Joe’s Menagerie.
12. THE CURLYTOPS GROWING UP, or Winter Sports and Summer Pleasures
Little Trouble is a host in himself and his larger brother and sister
are never still a minute, but go from one little adventure to another
in a way to charm all youthful readers.
Send for Our Free Illustrated Catalogue.
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUDDY SERIES
By HOWARD R. GARIS
Author of the Famous “Curlytops Series”
12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated. With colored jacket.
Price 50 cents per volume.
Postage 10 cents additional.
[Illustration: image of book cover]
The author presents a distinctly modern juvenile series of stories for
boys. Here we observe a really fascinating character-study of an
up-to-date young lad, whose exceedingly energetic mind, and whose
overflowing youth and vitality, are constantly leading him into new and
more tangled situations, from which by wit, courage and luck, he manages
to extricate himself in safety. You will more than like Buddy with his
carefree ways, his cheerful smile, his boundless enthusiasm, and his
overflowing youth. Buddy is certain to linger in your memory long after
you have finished these stories.
1. BUDDY ON THE FARM
Or, A Boy and His Prize Pumpkin
2. BUDDY IN SCHOOL
Or, A Boy and His Dog
3. BUDDY AND HIS WINTER FUN
Or, A Boy in a Snow Camp
4. BUDDY AT RAINBOW LAKE
Or, A Boy and His Boat
5. BUDDY AND HIS CHUMS
Or, A Boy’s Queer Search
6. BUDDY AT PINE BEACH
Or, A Boy on the Ocean
7. BUDDY AND HIS FLYING BALLOON
Or, A Boy’s Mysterious Airship
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers NEW YORK