The Aldens could hardly teach school on Monday with Mr. Willet making calls on every family in the village. All the children knew about it. They couldn’t help talking about it. At recess they did not want to play. They wanted to talk.
“Oh, my ma’s got an old gold pin with a lion’s head on it,” said one girl. “The Money Man’s going to pay her real money for it. And she’s got an old garnet ring, too.”
“And my grandma’s got a big box of old valentines,” said her brother. “The Money Man is going to buy those.”
“My pa has got an old tin dish they used to cut meat on,” said Tommy Spoon.
“Could that be pewter?” asked Violet.
“Pewter? No, I never heard of that.”
“And we’ve got an old hourglass they used in church over in Northport,” said Eddie.
“We’ve got a glass paperweight full of flowers. The Money Man is just crazy over it,” said another child.
Then suddenly Hal got up on a rock and began to talk. “You kids, listen here!” he began. “You got all the afternoon to talk about the Money Man. And this morning you got a good chance to learn something. We don’t ever get any teachers like these Aldens, teaching us interesting things. And they won’t be here much longer. Let’s stop talking and learn. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
Some of the children clapped for Hal’s speech, and soon everyone was busy. The morning flew by. Then Violet said, “Now let’s paint. We can go down to the beach.”
Marie and Hal were more excited than the other children. Marie begged, “Please teach me to paint the harbor the way the artist did.”
“I’ll help you as much as I can,” Violet promised.
The girls and boys took their painting things down to the water. The Aldens helped them get started. Violet had Marie and Hal draw the harbor first with pencil. She showed them only one thing. She said, “Notice that the lines of the wharf look as if they get closer together as they stretch into the water.”
As soon as Violet had shown the children how to hold their brushes she said, “Now paint away, just as you feel.”
Soon Jessie and Henry came over by Violet to watch the Moss twins.
Both Hal and Marie dashed on blue and green paint that was just the right color for the sea. The boats that they made looked like real boats, but they were drawn with only a few lines. It was hard to believe that this was the first time the twins had had watercolors.
All at once Violet knew the truth. Here were two natural artists, much better than she would ever be. There was something different about their painting—something all their own.
Marie cried, “Oh, here’s that purple place,” and she splashed purple and black under the wharf. She was not careful at all. Her picture made Jessie exclaim, “Beautiful!”
Hal’s picture was just as good, but it was different.
“May I take your paintings to show our grandfather?” Violet asked the twins.
“I could paint another!” cried Hal. “I know a different way to paint the ocean, the way it looks in a storm.”
Just then Mr. Alden came walking along the beach to see what was going on. Violet ran to show Mr. Alden the two paintings.
“Well, well!” he said. “What have we here? Watercolors? These are really good! These artists ought to go to art school. Not now, but later.”
School was over for the morning. The bell was ringing. Henry knew that Benny would soon lock the schoolroom door and come back to the beach.
“Old Ben wants his lunch,” he said, laughing.
“So do I,” said Mr. Alden. “I wish Benny would come.”
As they were eating, Violet said slowly, “I think Miss Gray ought to see these paintings.”
“Oh, so do I,” said Benny. “I’m sure she’d like them.”
After lunch the whole family set out with the two pictures. They climbed the cliff walk and rang Miss Gray’s bell.
Eva opened the door. She laughed. “I don’t have to ask any more when it’s you,” she said. “Come right in.”
When Miss Gray saw the Aldens she really smiled. It was the first time the Aldens had seen her smile like this.
“How is Freddy?” she asked.
“Well, Freddy is getting into trouble,” said Grandfather. “He is too brave. He is going a little too far.”
“How about the books?”
Mr. Alden had to say, “We don’t know yet about the books.”
“I’m sure you will get them back,” said Benny. “You see—”
Henry looked at his brother. Benny stopped.
Miss Gray said, “Yes? What were you going to say?”
“Well, I guess it wasn’t important,” said Benny. “We’re watching Freddy most of the time.” Benny was not sure what Miss Gray knew about her English guest.
Mr. Alden said, “We really came to show you two watercolors. We’d like to know what you think of them.” He passed them to Miss Gray.
“The harbor,” said Miss Gray. “Very good. Were they done by one artist or two?”
“Two,” said Violet with bright eyes. “The twins, Hal and Marie Moss.”
“Hal and Marie!” said Miss Gray. “They never had a lesson!”
“No,” said Grandfather, “they were born that way.”
Jessie said, “They have seen only three paintings in their lives. An artist came here long ago and painted their house and the harbor. And there’s George Washington in the schoolroom.”
“That’s why they have a style of their own,” said Miss Gray with a nod.
Violet said, “We have to go home the first of August. Somebody ought to look after those twins.”
Miss Gray looked straight at Violet. “I will,” she said. Then she seemed to be having a hard time with her words. At last she said, “When you go home, I’m going to teach your school myself.”
“You?” cried Jessie. “Are you strong enough?”
“I’m strong enough,” said Miss Gray. “Those twins live in my own town, and here I sit writing books. Nobody ever knew those children could paint. If you hadn’t come along, I don’t believe anyone would ever have found them.”
The Aldens started to go. Miss Gray went to the door with them. As Grandfather bowed to her, she said, “Mr. Alden, Violet found the two artists, and your Benny found me.” |