CHAPTER 8
Secrets
Everyone looked for the newspaper, but no one could find it.
“All the newspapers are in that box,” said Maggie. “I saved them all.”
“They are all here but the right one,” said Benny.
“I had one, but it burned up with my house,” said Mike.
“Well, never mind,” said Aunt Jane. “You can always buy another at the newspaper office.”
Henry said, “Mike, you know this is the time we buy a stove. You can look at the newspaper any time.”
“This is a very important paper,” said Benny. “But I guess we can wait.”
“Well, come on then,” said Jessie. “What fun it will be to get all those things! I never bought a stove before.”
“Don’t you think Mrs. Wood ought to go with us?” asked Violet. “She ought to pick out the stove she wants.”
“Right, as usual,” said Henry. “Come on, let’s go. Yes, Watch, you can come this time.” Lady stayed with Aunt Jane, as she always did.
The children stopped at the blue house. Mrs. Wood was glad to go with them.
“Let’s take Spotty, too,” said Mike.
“He doesn’t like to be tied up. He’d love to go.”
“Will he like to go with Watch?” asked Jessie.
“Let’s try,” said Mike. Everyone was glad when at last the two dogs trotted along together.
The store was a big one. There were all sorts of things in it. There were tables and chairs and stoves and dishes of all kinds. Mrs. Wood looked around. She was delighted to pick out a huge stove. It had large ovens. The refrigerator was big too.
“It will have to be big for all those pies,” said Benny. “What color do you want, Mrs. Wood?”
“Well, I don’t care at all,” said Mike’s mother.
“The girls like blue,” said Benny.
“Let’s get all blue things, then,” said Mrs. Wood. “Just look at that beautiful blue sink!”
The man said, “We will put them all in for you. Where do they go?”
“In that big empty building at the mine office,” said Henry. “My grandfather said to pay you when they were all in.”
“That’s O.K.,” said the man with a smile.
“Mr. Carter says insurance will pay for our loss from the fire,” said Mrs. Wood. “I hope so, because we lost almost everything.”
“Oh, Mrs. Wood, let’s buy dishes!” cried Violet.
Everyone looked at Violet in surprise. Violet was usually so quiet.
Jessie put her arm around her sister. “You dear,” she said. “We will certainly buy dishes. Is that all right with you, Mrs. Wood?”
“Yes, I love to have you help me,” said Mrs. Wood. “You have such good ideas.”
“Where will you put the dishes?” asked the storekeeper. “You’re not going to live up at the mine, are you?”
“Live there? Oh, no,” said Mrs. Wood. “But we can put the dishes up there for now.”
“Why couldn’t you live there?” asked Benny, suddenly. “You’ve got to live somewhere.”
“And it will take a long time to build the pink house again,” added Henry.
“Yes, I don’t like to stay too long with Mrs. Smith,” said Mrs. Wood. “I shall have to live somewhere. I wonder if there is anyone at the mine all night?”
“There are four watchmen,” said Henry. “I found that out. Then Mr. Carter lives in the green house. That’s the nearest house.”
“I shall talk with Mr. Carter,” said Mrs. Wood. “But we must pick out the bowls and dishes, first.”
“What lovely colors!” said Jessie.
There were plates and cups of all colors, pink, blue, yellow, green, violet and light orange.
“Why don’t you have one plate of each color?” asked Benny. “That would make six.”
“I must have seven,” said Mrs. Wood with a laugh. “Because you must all come to supper sometime.”
Jessie said firmly, “I think you need a dozen, Mrs. Wood. That would be two of each color.”
“Yes,” said Benny. “And then I could use the pink cup—I mean if I ever came to supper.”
Jessie laughed. “Benny has a pink cup at home,” she told Mrs. Wood. “He loves it because he had it in the Boxcar. I certainly would not like to break that pink cup.”
“We must have knives and forks, spoons, and pans, too,” said Mrs. Wood.
The storekeeper seemed to be thinking. At last he said, “Mrs. Wood, may I say something? I wouldn’t buy too many things if I were you.”
“Why on earth not?” cried Mike.
“Well, I can’t say too much,” said the man. “But I know your friends are going to give you some things.”
“Oh, how kind they are!” cried Mrs. Wood. “I never thought of such a thing!”
“Don’t tell I told you,” said the man.
“We won’t tell, any of us,” said Benny. “It would be awful if you bought things, and then people gave you the same things.”
“Really, I think you have bought enough, now,” said the storekeeper. “Let’s leave it. You can ride in the truck if you want to. You children ride in the back with the stove, and Mrs. Wood can sit with the driver.”
“I want to sit with the driver, too,” said Mike.
“All right,” said the storekeeper. “Get in.”
The two dogs were waiting outside the store. At last, all the things, children and dogs were in the truck. Everyone laughed as the truck went by.
They waved to the children. The children waved back. The dogs barked and barked.
Mike said, “How are you going to get that heavy stove into the room at the mine, Mister?”
The driver smiled. “I’ll have plenty of help,” he said. “You wait and see.”
“I suppose you telephoned,” said Mike.
“No, but the storekeeper did,” said the driver. “We all have some secrets, don’t we? Just look over there, right by the mine office!”
The truck slowly came to a stop. The children stared at the crowd, and then they all laughed and laughed. |