The Dorrance Domain

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XVII

  REGISTERED GUESTS

  The next day, true to her word, Dorothy made preparations for methodicaland systematic hotel management.

  "They may not stay more than a week; probably they won't," she said;"but I don't want them to leave because the Dorrance Domain isn't runproperly as a summer hotel."

  The children had looked upon the whole affair as a great joke; butseeing that there was a certain underlying current of seriousness inDorothy's attitude, they began to think that it was a business ventureafter all.

  "Shall we really ask them to register, Dot?" inquired Leicester, whodidn't know quite how far the playing at hotel was to be carried.

  "Yes," said Dorothy; "there is no reason why not; it can certainly dono harm, and it makes everything seem more shipshape. Have nice freshpens, ink and blotters, and put down the date and the number of theirrooms when Mr. Faulkner signs. Don't laugh about it, but don't put onairs either; just be polite and businesslike."

  "My, Dot, but you're a wonder!" exclaimed Leicester, looking at hissister with admiration. "Where did you learn all these things? Nobodyever registered at Mrs. Cooper's."

  "No," said Dorothy; "but that was a city boarding-house; an altogetherdifferent affair from a country summer hotel. It may be foolish, but Iwant to try to treat the Faulkners just as they would be treated in anynice summer hotel."

  "It isn't foolish at all," spoke up Lilian; "it's just the right way todo, and we'll all help. We must send a pitcher of ice-water to theirroom every night."

  "Oh, dear, I never thought of that!" exclaimed Dorothy, in dismay; "why,we haven't any ice."

  "No," said Leicester, "but fresh-drawn water from that deep well isjust as cold as any ice-water. I'll make that one of my duties; I'm abell-boy, you know."

  "Another thing," went on Lilian, in her practical way, "is the mail-boxin the office. We must tell the Faulkners to put their letters in there,and they will be collected twice a day, and taken over to Woodville andmailed."

  "Lilian, you're a trump!" cried Dorothy; "tell us more things likethat,--that's just what I mean. But we can't go to Woodville twice aday!"

  "I think once a day will be enough," said Leicester; "we'll take thecontents of the mail-box every morning when we go over for themarketing."

  "I shall write to Gladys Miller every day," said Fairy; "so you'llalways have something to take; maybe the Faulkners don't have so verymuch corresponderence."

  All four of the children went to market that morning. Leicester drovethem over, and so much chattering and planning did they do on the way,that the two miles distance seemed very short.

  Dorothy felt the responsibility of ordering just the right things forher table. She realized that she must begin on just the same scale onwhich she expected to continue through the week. She must not be toolavish, for since her aim now was to earn money, she must be fair andjust, rather than generous.

  Always sensible and capable, Dorothy seemed suddenly possessed of a newsort of self-reliance; and the responsibility which she had voluntarilyand gladly accepted, seemed to bring with it the executive ability whichpromised success.

  Mr. Bill Hodges was delighted to hear the news of boarders at theDorrance Domain. He possessed that trait, not altogether unusual instorekeepers, of desiring to sell his wares. During the fortnight thatthe Dorrances had entertained company, he had reaped a golden harvest,and, as since then Dorothy's demand on his stock had been much moremodest, he now rejoiced in the anticipation of further extravagantorders.

  He was greatly surprised then, when Dorothy, instead of lavishlypurchasing whatever struck her fancy, regardless of its price, began toinquire the cost of things, and showed a decided leaning towards thriftand economy.

  "Ain't goin' to starve them folks, be you?" he asked, as Dorothyhesitated between the relative merits of lettuce and tomatoes.

  "I hope not," said Dorothy, politely, for she knew Mr. Bill Hodgespretty well by this time, and so did not resent what she knew was notmeant as a rudeness. "When our house was last run as a hotel, did theybuy their provisions from you?"

  "Yes, ma'am, they did;" and a shade more of respectful deference creptinto the voice and manner of Mr. Bill Hodges, as he instinctivelyrealized the touch of added dignity in Dorothy's demeanor. "Mr. Perkins,he used to do the marketin', and gracious snakes! but he calc'latedclose. He give his boarders just enough to keep them alive and no more."

  "Well, I don't want to be quite so mean as that," said Dorothy; "but onthe other hand, I can't afford to treat my boarders quite as I wouldlike to entertain my guests."

  "That's right, that's right!" exclaimed Mr. Bill Hodges, whose ownshrewd business mind readily recognized similar qualities in another."That's right; treat 'em good, but not too good."

  This phrase fastened itself in Dorothy's mind, and she determined totake for her line of action all that was expressed in Mr. Bill Hodges'homely phrase, "Treat'em good, but not too good."

  Their purchases satisfactorily completed, the children jogged back homeover the rough, steep hill, and even old Dobbin seemed to realize thathe was now part of the establishment of a first-class summer hotel.

  That afternoon the Faulkners arrived.

  Everything was in readiness, and perhaps no hotel proprietor ever tookgreater pride in the general appearance of his hostelry, than didDorothy Dorrance, as, arrayed in a fresh white muslin, she stood on theeast veranda watching a lumbering stage drawing nearer and nearer to theDorrance Domain.

  And surely no typical hotel clerk, even though decorated with thetraditional diamond pin, could show a more faultless array ofofficial-looking desk-furnishings.

  The Horton House stage rolled slowly up the driveway, and stopped at themain entrance. Mr. Hickox was on hand to open the stage door, and lookafter the hand luggage.

  With an instinctive grasping of the situation, both Mr. and Mrs.Faulkner appreciated Dorothy's frame of mind, and acted precisely as ifthey were entering a hotel run on regulation lines.

  As Dorothy led the way to the office, Mrs. Faulkner looked at hercuriously. It was strange to see a girl, so young and pretty, sograceful and well-bred, yet possessed of a certain quality which couldonly be designated by the term, "business instinct." She marveled atDorothy's poise, which, however, showed no trace of awkwardness orpertness.

  Mrs. Faulkner was fond of character study, and felt convinced at oncethat she would greatly enjoy a better acquaintance with DorothyDorrance.

  At the office, Leicester showed the newcomers the same quiet, politecourtesy. The boy had a frank, straightforward air that always impressedstrangers pleasantly. He turned the register around towards Mr.Faulkner, and offered him an already-inked pen, with an air of beingquite accustomed to registering guests.

  But Leicester's sense of humor was strong, and the absurdity of thewhole thing struck him so forcibly, that it was with great difficulty herefrained from laughing outright. Had he glanced at Dorothy, hecertainly would have done so; but the two were fully determined to playtheir part properly, and they succeeded.

  Nor was Mr. Faulkner to be outdone in the matter of correct deportment.He gravely took the pen offered to him, signed the register in the placeindicated, and inquired if they might go at once to their rooms.

  "Certainly," said Leicester, touching the bell on the desk. Theubiquitous Hickox appeared with the hand-bags, and Leicester handed himthe keys.

  This touch nearly finished Dorothy, for numbered keys seemed so verylike a real hotel, that it struck her as quite the funniest thing yet.

  As the Faulkners, following Mr. Hickox, went up the great staircase anddisappeared around the corner, Leicester flew out from behind his desk,grasped Dorothy's hand, and fleetly, though silently, the two ranthrough the long parlor to one of the smaller rooms, shut the door, andthen burst into peals of laughter.

  For a moment they would pause, begin to speak to each other, and then gooff again into choking spasms of hilarity.

  Had they only known it, their two guests on
the floor above, were doingalmost the same thing. Mrs. Faulkner had thrown herself into an easychair, and was laughing until the tears rolled down her cheeks. Mr.Faulkner, who was by nature a grave gentleman, was walking up and downthe room, broadly smiling, and saying, "Well upon my word! well upon myword!"

  Before Dorothy and Leicester had recovered their equilibrium, the twoyounger girls came rushing into the room where they were.

  "Did they come? Are they here? What is the matter? Do tell us all aboutit!"

  Dorothy, in her idea of the fitness of things had asked Lilian and Fairyto keep out of sight until after the arrival and registration had beensafely accomplished; grandma, it had also been thought best, was not toappear until dinner-time. As Dorothy had expressed it, she knew theproper propriety for a proprietor, and she proposed to live up to it.

  But of course when Fairy and Lilian, on the west veranda, heard thecommotion in the small parlor, they could restrain their curiosity nolonger, and insisted on being told all about it.

  So Dorothy and Leicester calmed down a little, and assured them that thewhole thing had passed off beautifully; that the arrival had been ahowling success, and that Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner were now establishedboarders at the Dorrance Domain.

  Then Dorothy went out to the kitchen to superintend carefully thepreparations for dinner. She had decided that since the Dorrance Domainhad become a hotel, it was proper to have dinner at night, and luncheonin the middle of the day.

  Once over the comical farce of registering, the advent of the Faulknerstook on an aspect not entirely humorous, and Dorothy's sense of seriousresponsibility came back to her. Kathleen, too, with her native Irishwit realized the gravity of the occasion, and went about her duties in asteady, capable way that greatly helped to reassure Dorothy.

  And indeed, matters seemed to be progressing most smoothly. The dinnerwas well under way, and the table daintily set.

  Fairy had brought flowers from Mrs. Hickox's garden, and she and Lilianhad decorated the table and the dining-room. Dorothy had concluded thatthey would all sit together at the round table that night, and then ifthe Faulkners preferred a table to themselves, it could be arrangedlater.

  After a careful supervision, Dorothy left the dinner in charge of herreally competent cook and waitress, and went back to the family. Shefound them all on the west veranda, where they usually congregated atsunset time.

  With them were the Faulkners; and in a pretty summer house-gown, Mrs.Faulkner looked so sweet and dainty, that Dorothy felt more than everattracted to her. Mr. Faulkner was engaged in a pleasant conversationwith Grandma Dorrance; and Dorothy suddenly felt that to be theproprietor of a summer hotel was just the nicest thing a girl could do.

  "You've no idea," Mrs. Faulkner was saying, as Dorothy came out, "what adelightful change this is from the noise and glitter of the HortonHouse. This lovely great veranda, and the beautiful view of the lake,with no inharmonious elements, makes me feel glad I'm alive."

  "I'm glad you are alive, too," said Dorothy, smiling at the lady; "andI'm glad you live here."