The Box-Car Children
went from house to house telling that old James Cordyce had found his
four grandchildren at last. In fact the biggest part of the town knew it
before the children themselves.
Jess and Benny came across the lawn to select some white moonflowers for
Violet's tray. They were just in time to hear Henry say, "But,
Grandfather--"
"Grandfather!" echoed Jess, whirling around to gaze at them.
"Yes, Jess," said Henry eagerly. "He's the man we've been running away
from all this time."
"I thought you was old," observed Benny. "And awf'ly cross. Jess said
so."
"I didn't know, Benny," said Jess turning pink. To think of running away
from this kind friend!
But her grandfather did not seem to mind. He stroked her short silky
hair and proposed that they all go up into Violet's room with the
moonflowers. There was no stopping Benny. He rushed into Violet's room,
dragging his grandfather by one hand, and shouting, "It's Grandfather,
Violet, and he's nice, after all, I shouldn't wonder!"
When Violet at last understood just what Benny was trying to tell, she
was perfectly happy to rest against her ruffled pillows with one hand
curled about her grandfather's arm, and listen to the rest.
"_Where_ have you been living?" demanded Mr. Cordyce at last.
The whole company looked at each other, even Dr. McAllister and his
mother. Then they all laughed as if they never would stop.
"You just ought to see!" observed Dr. McAllister, wiping his eyes.
"What?" said the children all at once. "_You_ never saw it in the
daytime!"
"You don't mean it!" returned the doctor, teasing them. "I have seen it
quite a number of times in the daytime."
"Seen what, in heaven's name?" asked Mr. Cordyce at last.
Then they told him, interrupting each other to tell about the beds of
pine needles, the wonderful dishes, the freight-car roof over all, the
fireplace, and the swimming pool.
"That's where Violet got her bronchitis," observed the doctor, "sitting
by that pool. She shouldn't have done it. I thought so from the first."
"_You_ thought so?" repeated Henry, puzzled. "How did you know she sat
by it? I'm sure I didn't myself."
"I was your most frequent visitor," declared the doctor, enjoying
himself hugely.
"I hope you were our _only_ one," said Jess with her mouth open.
"Well, I think I was," said the doctor. "The first night after Henry
mowed my lawn I followed him as far as the hill to see where he lived."
"Why did you do that?" interrupted Mr. Cordyce.
"I liked his looks," returned the doctor. "And I noticed that he didn't
tell much about himself, so I was curious."
"But you surely didn't see the freight car then," said Jess.
"No, but I came back that night and hunted around," replied Dr.
McAllister.
"At about eleven o'clock!" Henry cried. The doctor assented.
"Our rabbit!" said Henry and Jess together.
"I made as little noise as possible when I saw the freight car. Then I
saw the door move, so I thought some one was inside. And when I heard
the dog bark I was sure of it, and went home."
"But you came back?" questioned Jess.
"Yes, every time I knew all of you were safe in my garden, I made you a
little visit, just to be sure you were having enough to eat, and enough
dishes." The doctor laughed. "When I found you had a strainer, and a
vase of flowers, and a salt-shaker, and a cut-glass punch bowl, I
stopped worrying."
"Didn't you suspect they were my children?" demanded Mr. Cordyce.
"Didn't you see my advertisement? Why didn't you notify me at once?"
"They were having such a good time," confessed the doctor. "And _I_ was,
too. I just wanted to see how long they could manage their own affairs.
It was all tremendously interesting. Why, that boy and girl of yours
are born business managers, Mr. Cordyce!"
Mr. Cordyce took note of this.
"But I don't see, yet, how you knew Violet sat by the pool," said Jess
curiously.
"You couldn't know that, of course," replied the doctor. "I went up
twice when I knew Henry had taken the dog down to my barn to catch rats.
I hid behind the big white rock with the flat top."
"That's Lookout Rock," explained Jess, "where we used to let Benny watch
for Henry. But we didn't hear you."
"No," said Dr. McAllister. "I didn't even snap a twig those times. But I
had the very best time when I went with Mother."
"Have you seen it, too?" cried the children.
"I have, indeed!" returned Mrs. McAllister. "I have even had a drink
from your well."
"Every one has seen it but me," said Mr. Cordyce patiently.
"We'll show it to you!" screamed Benny. "And I'll show you my wheels
made on a cart, and my bed out of hay, and my pink cup!"
"Good for you, Benny," said Mr. Cordyce, pleased. "When Violet gets
well, we'll all go up there, and if you'll show me your house, I'll
show you mine."
"Have you got a house?" asked Benny in surprise.
"Yes. You can live there with me, if you like it," replied Mr. Cordyce.
"I have been looking for you for nearly two months."
Under Mrs. McAllister's wonderful care, Violet soon became strong again.
But she had been skipping around the garden for several days before the
doctor would allow the visit to the freight-car house. When at last the
whole party started out in the great limousine, many people looked out
of their windows to watch after Mr. Cordyce and his grandchildren. Many
of them knew Henry as the boy who won the race, and were glad that he
had found such a friend.
But when the children reached their beloved home they were like wild
things. Watch capered about furiously, taking little swims in the pool
and sniffing at all the dear old familiar things. Mr. Cordyce seated
himself on a rock and watched them all, exchanging a glance now and then
with Mrs. McAllister and her son.
"See our 'building,'" shouted Benny, for that was what he always called
the fireplace. "It burns _really_, too. And this is the well, and this
is the dishpan, and this is the 'frigerator'!"
At last every one climbed into the car itself, and Mr. Cordyce saw the
beds, the cash account on the wall, the wonderful shelf, and each
separate dish. Each dish had a story of its own.
"That's more than my dishes have," observed Mr. Cordyce.
Mrs. McAllister, who knew what his dishes were, was silent.
They ate chicken sandwiches on the very same tablecloth, and Benny drank
from his pink cup, and Watch couldn't understand why they went away at
all.
But it was a trifle cool on the hill now when the sun began to sink, and
after rolling the door shut, they left regretfully.
"Tomorrow," suggested Mr. Cordyce, as they drove home, "will you all
come and see my house?"
"Oh, yes," agreed the children happily, little dreaming what was in
store for them on the next day and all the days to come.
A UNITED FAMILY
Mr. Cordyce had been planning this day for more than a week. He had sent
his most trusted foreman to his own beautiful home, to superintend
matters there. The house was being remodeled entirely, after Mr.
Cordyce's own plans, and everywhere were carpenters, painters and
decorators.
On the very day that Mr. Cordyce received word that it was finished, he
suggested the drive.
"Do you live all alone, Grandfather?" asked Benny.
"All alone," answered Mr. Cordyce. "No company at all." At first Benny
did not consider this the exact truth. He considered a cook company, and
also a butler, and a housekeeper. And when he saw the array of maids he
kept perfectly quiet. The house was enormous, certainly. It was at least
a quarter of a mile from its own front gate--and everywhere were
gardens.
"Do you live _here_?" said Henry, thunderstruck, as they rolled quietly
along the beautiful drive.
"You do, too, if you like it," observed his grandfather, watching his
face.
The inside of the house was more wonderful than even the older children
had ever dreamed. The velvet rugs were so thick and soft that no
footfall could be heard. Everywhere were flowers. The great stairway
with steps of marble rose from the center of the big hallway. But it was
upstairs that the children felt most at home.
Here the rooms were not quite so large. They were sunny and homelike.
"This is Violet's room!" cried Benny. It was unmistakable. There were
violets on the wallpaper. The bed was snow white with a thick quilt of
violet silk. On the little table were English violets, pouring their
fragrance into the room.
"What a beautiful room!" sighed Violet, sinking down into one of the
soft cushioned chairs.
But all the children shouted when they saw Benny's room. The wallpaper
was blue, covered with large figures of cats and dogs, the Three Bears,
and Peter Rabbit. There was a swinging rocking-horse, nearly as large as
a real horse, a blackboard, a tool chest, and low tables and chairs
exactly the right size for Benny. There was an electric train with cars
nearly as large as the little boy himself.
"Can I run the cars all day?" asked Benny.
"Oh, no," replied Henry quickly. "You're going to school as soon as it
begins."
This was the first that his grandfather had heard about school, but he
agreed with Henry, and chuckled to himself.
"The finest schools in the country," he said. This came true, for all
the children finally went to the public schools, and are they not the
finest schools in the country?
In Jess' room Benny discovered a bed for Watch. It was, in fact, a
regular dog's straw hamper, but it was lined with heavy quilted silk and
padded with wool. Watch got in at once, sniffed in every corner, turned
around three times, and lay down.
Just then a distant doorbell rang. It had such a low, musical chime that
the children listened delightedly, never once giving a thought as to who
it might be.
But almost at once a soft-footed servant appeared, saying that a man
wanted to see Mr. Cordyce "about the dog." The moment Jess heard that
word "dog" she was frightened. She had never thought Watch a common
runaway dog, and it always made her uncomfortable to see passers-by gaze
curiously at him as he ran by her side.
"They won't take Watch away?" she whispered to Henry, her breath almost
gone.
"Indeed they will not!" declared Henry. "We'll never, _never_ give him
up."
However, Henry followed his grandfather and Jess with great anxiety.
It was indeed about Watch that the man wanted to talk, and Jess' heart
sank again when she saw the dog jump delightedly upon the man, and
return his caresses with short barks.
"He's a runaway, sir, from my kennels out in Townsend," the man
explained to Mr. Cordyce. "I have two hundred Airedales out there, and
this one was sold the day before he ran away. So you see I have to turn
him over to the lady I sold him to."
"Oh, no, you don't," returned Mr. Cordyce quickly. "I will give you
three times what the dog is worth."
The man glanced around uneasily. "I couldn't do that, sir," he
explained. "You see, it isn't a question of money; it's a question of my
promised word to the lady."
Mr. Cordyce failed to "see." "She can find another dog, among two
hundred Airedales, I guess," he returned. "And, besides, you don't know
positively that this is the right dog."
"Excuse me," replied the man, very much embarrassed, "he's the dog, all
right. He knows me, as you see. His name is Rough No. 3. He has a black
spot inside his ear."
It was too true. Indeed, at the mere mention of his name the dog cocked
an ear and wagged his tail. But he had seated himself as close to Jess
as possible, and licked her hand when she patted him.
But it appeared that Henry could understand the man's position even if
Mr. Cordyce could not. He now put in a timid word of his own.
"If the lady would agree to let the dog go, would you be willing?"
"Sure," said the man, shooting a glance at Henry.