THE BEST SURPRISE OF ALL
As the four young people neared the home cabin, they were amazed to
behold Miss Moore seated in a rocker on the front porch and, instead of
her house dress, she had on her traveling suit. Dories leaped up the
steps, exclaiming, “Why, Aunt Jane, what has happened?”
The old woman replied suavely: “Nothing at all, my dear; that is, nothing
startling. Mr. Strait drove over this morning with some mail for me and I
asked him to return at two. Now hurry and pack up your things. We’re
going home.”
Dories put her hand to her heart. “O,” she exclaimed, “I was afraid there
had been bad news from Mother.” Then, hesitatingly, “I thought we weren’t
going home until Monday.”
“We are going now,” was all that her aunt said.
Dories ran back to the beach to explain to the three standing there, then
the girls bade the boys good-bye and hastened up to the loft to pack
their satchels and don their traveling costumes.
“What can it mean?” Dories almost whispered. “There must have been
something urgent in the letter Aunt Jane received this morning,” she
concluded.
Nann snapped down the cover of her suitcase, then flashed a bright smile
at her friend. “To tell you the truth,” she confessed, “I am glad that we
are going today. Since your Aunt Jane will not travel on Sunday, and
since the mysteries have all been solved, there would be nothing to do
from now until Monday.”
Before the other girl could reply Nann, with eyes glowing, continued
enthusiastically: “And how wonderfully the old ruin mystery turned out,
didn’t it? I feel ever so sure that Carl Ovieda and his sister will prove
good friends.” Then, teasingly, “Carl seemed to like you especially
well.”
Dories’ surprised expression was sincere. “Me?” she exclaimed
dramatically, then shook her head. “Of course you are wrong! You are so
much prettier and wittier and wiser, Nann, boys _always_ like you better
than they do your friends.”
“I hold to my opinion,” was the laughing response. “But come along now, I
hear the rattly old stage coming. If we are to make the 3:10 train,
Spindly will have to make good time.” Nann glanced at her wrist watch as
she spoke; then, taking their suitcases, they went down the rickety
stairs. On the front porch they found Miss Moore waiting among her bags;
her heavy black veil thrown back over her bonnet. Gib’s father, having
left the stage at the beach end of the road, was coming for the baggage.
“O, Aunt Jane!” Dories suddenly exclaimed, “aren’t we going to put the
covers on the furniture and fasten the blinds?”
It was Mr. Strait who answered: “Me’n Amandy’ll tend to all them things,
Miss. We’ll come over fust off Monday an’ take the key back to the
store.”
Miss Moore nodded her assent. Then, with the help of the two girls, she
picked her way through the sand to the stage and was soon seated between
the two black bags as she had been three weeks previous, but now how
different was the expression on the wrinkled old face. On that other ride
the girls had been justified in believing her to be a grouchy old woman,
but today Dories noticed that when her aunt smiled across at her, there
was a wistful expression in the grey eyes that could be so sharp and a
quivering about the thin lips. “Poor Aunt Jane,” was the thought that
accompanied her answering smile, “she dreads going back to her lonely
mansion of a home, but of course I am to remain with her for a few days,
or, at least, until I hear from Mother.”
When Siquaw was reached the girls saw that the train was even then
approaching the small station, and, in the rush that followed, they quite
forgot to look for Dick and Gibralter to say good-bye. It was not until
they were seated in the coach, and the train well under way, that Dories
exclaimed: “We didn’t see the boys! Don’t you think that is queer, Nann?
They knew we were going on that train. I wonder why they weren’t at the
station to see us off.”
A merry laugh back of them was the unexpected answer. Seated directly
behind them were the two boys about whom they had been talking. Rising,
they skipped around and took the seat facing the girls.
“Well, where did you come from?” Dories began, then noticed that Gib wore
his one best suit and that he was carrying a funny old hand satchel. His
freckled face was shining from more than a recent hard scrubbing. Nann
interpreted that jubilant expression. “Gibralter Strait,” she exclaimed,
“you’re going away to school, aren’t you?” Then impulsively she held out
her hand. “You don’t know how glad I am. I have great faith in you. I
know you will amount to something.”
As the country lad was squirming in very evident embarrassment, his
friend drew the attention of the girls to himself by saying: “I suppose,
Mistress Nann, that you don’t expect _me_ to amount to anything.” The
good-looking boy tried so hard to assume an abused expression that the
girls laughingly assured him that they had some slight hope of his
ultimate success in life.
Dories glanced across at the seat where her aunt was sitting and,
excusing herself, she went over and sat with the elderly woman, although
Nann could see that they talked but little, her heart warmed toward her
friend, who was growing daily more thoughtful of others. After a time
Miss Moore said: “Dories, dear, I think I’ll try to take a little nap.
You would better go back to your friends. I am sure that they are missing
you.”
Then as the old lady did close her eyes and seem to sleep, the four young
people talked over the past three weeks in quiet voices and made plans
for the future. “I hope we will be friends forever,” Dories exclaimed,
and Nann added, “Perhaps, when we have made the acquaintance of Mr.
Ovieda’s sister, we can form a sort of friendship club with six members.
We could meet now and then, and have merry times.” Dories’ doleful
expression at this happy suggestion caused Nann to add, as she placed a
hand on her friend’s arm, “I know what you are thinking, dear. That all
the rest of us will be in Boston, but that you will be in Elmwood. But
surely you will come to visit your Aunt Jane often during vacations.”
Before Dories could reply the boys informed them that they were entering
the city. Dories, who had traveled little, was eager to stand on the
platform at the back of the car that she might have a better view, and
later when the young people returned to the coach it was time to collect
their baggage and prepare to descend. First of all, Dick and Gib assisted
Miss Moore to the platform and then carried out her bags. Then they
hailed a taxi driver at her request. Then Miss Moore surprised the girls
by saying hospitably: “Come over and see us tomorrow, Dick and Gibralter.
You know where I live.” She actually smiled at the older boy. “Dories
will be with me for a few days, I suppose, and Nann as well.” Then, when
the older girl started to speak, the old woman said firmly, “You accepted
an invitation to be my guest for one month, and only three weeks of that
month have passed.” This being true, Nann did not protest.
Dories squeezed her friend’s arm ecstatically. She had dreaded the moment
when Nann would leave for the hotel where her father stayed. Gib lifted
his cap as he saw Dick doing when the taxi drove away.
Then the old woman addressed the girls. “They’re fine boys, both of
them!” she said. “That’s why I was willing you should go anywhere with
them that you wished. I knew they would take as good care of you as they
would of their sisters.”
Dusk came early that autumn afternoon, and so, try as she might, Dories
could see little of the neighborhoods through which the taxi was taking
them. It was a long ride. At first it was through a business district
where many lights flashed on, and where their progress was very slow
because of the traffic. Then the noise gradually lessened, big elm trees
could be seen lining the streets, and far back among other trees and on
wide lawns, lights from large homes flickered. At last the taxi turned in
between two high stone gate posts. Miss Moore was sitting ram-rod
straight and the girls, watching, found it hard to interpret her
expression. Dories asked: “Aunt Jane, have we reached your home?”
They were surprised at the bitterness of the tone in which the reply was
given: “Home? No! We have reached my house. A place where there is only a
housekeeper and a maid to welcome you is _not_ a home.”
Dories slipped a hand in her aunt’s and held it close. She wanted to say
something comforting, but could think of nothing. The taxi had stopped
under the portico by the front steps, and, when she had been helped out,
Miss Moore paid the driver. Then they went upon the wide stone porch,
followed by the man, laden with their baggage. “I can’t understand why
there isn’t a light in the house. The maids knew I was to return almost
any day.” Miss Moore rang the bell as she spoke.
Suddenly lights within were flashed on. The heavy oak door was thrown
open and a small boy leaped out and hurled himself at one of the girls.
“Dori! Hello, Dori!” he cried jubilantly. “Here’s Mother and me waiting
to surprise you all.” And truly enough, there back of him was Mrs. Moore,
smiling and holding out her hand to the old woman, who stood as one
dazed. Then, comprehending what it all meant, she went in, tears falling
unheeded down her wrinkled cheeks. She took the outstretched hand as she
said tremulously, “My Peter’s wife is here to welcome me _home_.” She was
so deeply affected that Mrs. Moore, after stooping to quietly kiss her
daughter, led the old woman into a formally furnished parlor and sat with
her on a handsome old lounge. Then to the small boy in the doorway she
said, “Little Peter, show Dori and Nann up to their room.”
What those two women had to say to each other, no one ever knew, but that
it drew them very close together was evident by the loving expression in
the grey eyes of the older woman when she looked at the younger.
Meanwhile the two girls, led by the small boy, entered a large upper room
which seemed to overlook a garden. Like the rooms below, it was formally
furnished after the style of an earlier period, but it seemed very grand
indeed to Dories.
Her eyes were star-like with wonderment. “Nann,” she half whispered in an
awed voice when Peter had gleefully displayed the wardrobe where the
girls were to hang their dresses and had opened each empty bureau drawer
that they were to use, “do you suppose that Mother, Peter and I are to
live here forever?”
“I’m sure of it!” Nann replied. “And O, Dori, isn’t it wonderful?”
Just then a bell in some room below tinkled musically. “That’s the supper
bell,” the small boy told them. “Hilda’s the cook, and O, Dori, such nice
puddings as she can make. Yum! Jum!” Then he cried excitedly: “Quick!
Take off your hats. Here’s the bathroom that belongs to you. Honestly,
Dori, you have one all to yourself, and Mother and I, we have one.”
The girls smiled at the little fellow’s enthusiasm. Dories felt as though
she must be dreaming. It all seemed so unreal.
A few moments later they went downstairs and found that Miss Moore, whose
room was on the first floor, had changed to a house dress. She was seated
in a comfortable chair by the fireplace, on which a log was burning, and
she looked content, at peace with the world. She was saying to her
nephew’s wife: “I do love Dories; she is a dear girl, but I will confess
that I was disappointed because she does not look like the lad I had so
loved.”
Hearing a sound at the door, the old woman turned, and for the first time
really beheld the small boy who appeared in front of the girls.
“Peter!” was her amazed exclamation; the light of a great joy in her
eyes. Then she pointed to a life-size painting over the mantle in which
was a pictured boy of about the same age. “They are so alike,” she said,
with tears in her eyes, as she looked up at Mrs. Moore, who, having
risen, was standing by the older woman’s chair. Dories, gazing up at the
picture, thought that it might have been a painting of her small brother
except for the old-fashioned costume.
The elderly woman was holding out her arms to the little fellow, and,
unafraid, he went to her trustingly. “My cup of joy is now full!” she
said, her voice tremulous with emotion. Then, smiling over the boy’s head
at his mother, she asked: “Niece, shall we tell our plan to the girls
that _their_ cup of joy may also be full?”
Mrs. Moore nodded and the old woman continued: “Nann, your father has
written to Dories’ mother for advice. It seems that a change in his
business will take him traveling about the country for at least a year,
and he wanted to know what she thought would be best for you. He was
thinking of sending you to some distant relatives, but we, my Peter’s
wife and I, have decided to keep you as a sister-companion for our Dori.”
Then, before the girls could express their joy, the old woman concluded,
as she held little Peter close: “And so, at last, after many years of
desolate loneliness, this old house among the elms is to be a real
_home_.”
THE END.
_SAVE THE WRAPPER!_
If you have enjoyed reading about the adventures of the new friends you
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Transcriber’s Notes
--Rearranged front matter to a more-logical streaming order and added a
Table of Contents.
--Preserved the copyright notice from the printed edition, although this
book is in the public domain in the country of publication.
--Silently corrected a few typos (but left nonstandard spelling and
dialect unchanged).