Janice Day, the Young Homemaker

by Helen Beecher Long

  CHAPTER XXIX. "BUT WE LOSE"

  It was such a happy surprise for Mrs. Carringford-- and for Gummyas well--that they were well prepared for the piece of bad newswhich Mr. Payne had first told to Mr. Broxton Day. A fivehundred dollar loss on the Mullen Lane property did not look sobig when it was understood that, through Gummy, the Carringfordswere going to get almost ten thousand dollars.

  It seemed that more than a year before, Mr. John Gumswith, ofMelbourne, Australia, had died, leaving a considerable fortune tofriends he had made there and with whom he had lived for morethan a dozen years. But he had left a legacy, too, "to any sonthat my brother, Alexander Carringford, of Cleveland, Ohio, U. S.A., may have had who has been duly christened 'Gumswith' afterme, to perpetuate my family name."

  "Of course," said Mr. Payne, dryly, "nobody challenged the will,and so it was probated. I should, myself, doubt the good senseof a man who would fasten such an ugly name upon a boy whom hehad never seen, and who never did him any harm--"

  "Mr. Payne," breathed Gummy, when he heard this, and earnestly,"for ten thousand dollars I'll let anybody call me anything hewants to. Names don't break any bones."

  At that Mr. Payne and Mr. Day laughed louder than they hadbefore. But Janice knew that Gummy was not selfish, nor did hethink so much of money. He was delighted that he could help hismother in her sore need.

  "At any rate," said Mr. Payne, "the administrator of Mr. JohnGumswith's estate had his legal adviser communicate withCleveland lawyers; and they traced the Carringford family toNapsburg. Then I was requested to find them, and--they havefound me!" and he smiled.

  "I congratulate you, madam. Of course, the courts will allow aproper amount to be used by you for Gumswith's support."

  "I guess not!" said Gummy. "I'm almost supporting myself--am Inot, Mother? The money's for you and the children."

  "Oh, no, Gumswith, I--I cannot use your fortune," cried themother quickly.

  "I have not yet finished," resumed the lawyer, with a queersmile. "The boy has been left two thousand pounds for his name.The father receives a thousand pounds, payable either to him, or,if he be dead, to his widow. So you see there will be anotherfive thousand dollars coming to you, Mrs. Carringford."

  At that, Mrs. Carringford for the first time lost control ofherself. She hugged Gummy and sobbed aloud.

  "Pretty fine boy. Pretty fine boy," said Mr. Payne.

  "He is that," agreed daddy, smiling across at Janice. "He put outthe fire our chimney, didn't he Janice?"

  So this made them all laugh and they were all right again. Therewas much to talk over before Mr. Payne went, besides the badfortune about the Mullen Lane property. And Mrs. Carringford andthe Days talked after Gummy had rushed out to drive back toHarriman's store. The dinner was late that night in the Dayhouse.

  Indeed, Janice forgot, in all the confusion and excitement, totell her father where she had been that afternoon, what she hadgone for, and how sadly she had been disappointed.

  All this wonderful fortune for the Carringfords continued tocreate so much excitement at the Day house, as well as in thelittle cottage in Mullen Lane, that for several days Janicescarcely thought about Olga Cedarstrom and the lost treasure-box.

  For out of the good luck of the Carringfords, bad fortune for theDays suddenly raised its head. Mrs. Carringford had a good dealof extra work to do, anyway, for she had to go to the lawyer'soffice and to the court, and interest herself in many things shehad known little about before. She was fighting to save herhome.

  Indeed, Amy declared the Carringford family did not know "whetherit was on its head or its heels." Only Gummy. Nothing seemed todisturb Gummy. And he would not give up his place with Mr.Harriman.

  "He keeps saying," Amy told Janice, laughing and sobbingtogether, "that the ten thousand dollars is for the family. Heis going to keep on working until school begins, and even thenafter school and on Saturdays. Really, Janice, he is darlingbrother."

  "I believe you," said Janice wistfully, for of late she had begunto realize that a household of just two people was awfully small.

  It became quite shocking when she suddenly understood that Mrs.Carringford must give up looking after the Day household andattend thereafter strictly to her own family. Of course, Mr. Dayhad seen this from the first; but it came as a shock to hislittle daughter.

  "Oh, but Amy, and Gummy, and the little ones get everything!They get their money and are going to own their home, and gettheir mother all the time, too. It is fine for them, Daddy, butwe lose!"

  "I am afraid we do," said her father, nodding soberly. "We shallhave to go back to the mercies of the intelligence office, or goto boarding."

  "No, no!" cried Janice to this last. "Not while vacation lasts,at any rate. Why! I've learned a lot from Mrs. Carringford, andwe can get along."

  "You are a dear little homemaker, Janice," he said. "When you geta few more years on your shoulders I have no doubt that we shallhave as nice a home as we once had before dear mother went away.But you cannot do everything. We cannot afford two in service--acook and a housemaid. We shall have to struggle along, 'catch ascatch can,' for some time I fear."

  "But no boarding-house," declared Janice. "No giving up our owndear home, Daddy."

  "All right. I am going to get down tomorrow, crutches or nocrutches, and I will make the rounds of the agencies."

  "Oh, dear!" she sighed. Then suddenly, for she was looking outof the window: "Who do you suppose that is, Daddy, coming in atthe side gate? Why! It's a black woman--awfully black. Andshe--"

  Janice left off breathlessly and ran to the kitchen door. Awoman of more than middle age but, as said herself, "still mightyspry," approached the porch.

  Hers was not an unintelligent face. Her dark eye beamed uponJanice most kindly. Her white, sound teeth gleamed behind atriumphant smile. She carried a shabby bag, but she dropped thatand put out both hands as she came to the door.

  "Ma bressed baby!" she cried in a voice that shook with emotion."Nobody's got to tell me who you is! You's your darlin' mamma'slivin' image! Ma sweet Miss Laura, back a little chile ag'in!"

  The dark eyes were suddenly flooded and the tears ran down thenegro woman's plump cheeks. She was not wrinkled, and if hertight, kinky hair was a mite gray, she did not have theappearance of an old person in any way. Her voice was round, andsweet, and tender.

  "You don' know me, honey. You kyan't 'member Mammy Blanche. Butshe done hol' you in her arms w'en you was a mite of a baby, jes'as she held you dear mamma --my Miss Laura. Ah was her mammy,an' she growed up right under ma eye. Don' you understun',honey? The Avions was mah white folks.

  "When Mistah Day come co'tin' an' merried yo' mamma, and kerrledher off here to Greensboro, Ah come along, too. An' Ah nebberwould o' lef' you, only ma crippled brudder, Esek, an' hiscrippled wife done need me to tak' care ob dem.

  "But Esek's daid. An' here Ah is back, chile--Ma soul an' body!ef dar ain' Mistah Brocky Day on crutches!"

  "Blanche! Mammy Blanche!" exclaimed the man with real warmth, aswell as wonder, in his tone. "Is it really you?"

  "It's mah own brack se'f!" cried the woman, as daddy camehobbling forward to meet her just as though she were the finestcompany that had ever come to the Day house.

  "You couldn't be more welcome if you were a queen, MammyBlanche," he cried. "You know--?"

  He halted, and his own countenance fell. The old woman clungtightly to his hand with both of hers.

  "Ah, yes; Ah got yo' letter long, long ago, Mistah Brocky. Itnigh broke my heart. Ma lil' Miss Laura! But, glory!" and sheturned suddenly to Janice, "here she is ober again!"

  "I know it," said Broxton Day, wiping his eyes. "Come in and sitdown, Mammy. Janice does not remember you, I suppose. But Iremember well enough that we never had any housekeeping troubleswhen Mammy Blanche was on hand."

  "Sho' not! Sho' not," chuckled the old woman. "And Mammy Blanchejest as spry now, an' able to do for you, as she used to be."

&n
bsp; "What? Have you come to stay with us awhile, Mammy Blanche?"asked Broxton Day. "Your brother?"

  "Esek is daid. His wife's gone back to her own people. Ah ain'tgot nobody, nor nohin' of mah own in dis here worl' MistahBrocky, onless dey is under dis here roof. I has come to stay,sah, if you is of a min' to give mah ol' bones house room."

  Janice had been breathless. But she had listened, and graduallyshe had begun to understand. She could remember a good deal thather dear mother had told her about Mammy Blanche. And this wasshe!

  The girl put her hand confidently into that of the black woman's.She looked up at her father brightly.

  "I take it all back, Daddy," she murmured. "I was ungrateful andsuspicious of fate, wasn't I? We don't lose."

  CHAPTER XXX. WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED

  It took several days for Janice to understand thoroughly justwhat it meant to have Mammy Blanche in the house. Of course,Mrs. Carringford had been perfectly capable; yet she felt thatshe must ask Janice or Mr. Day once in a while about things.

  Not Mammy Blanche! She knew what to do, and how to do it, andjust what "the white folks" wanted. She remembered just asperfectly how Mr. Day liked things on the table, and what he wasfond of, and even how he wanted his bed made, as though she hadonly been absent from the house a week instead of ten years.

  "Why, bress your heart, honey," she said to Janice, "Ah come intodis here house when it was fust built. Ah cleaned it wid mah ownhan's. Ah put up de fust curtains at de windahs. Ah knowedwhere everything was in dem days. "But Ah spec' now you's had somany no-count folks in de house fixin' fo' you dat Ah can't finda bressed thing. Dars's dat old walnut wardrobe up in desto'room. It come from de Avion place, it did. Ah bet decobwebs ain't been swep' off de top o' dat wardrobe since yo'poor mamma died." "It was too tall for Mrs. Carringford or me toreach it," admitted Janice.

  "Well, Ah's gwine to give dis place one fine over-haulin; comedis fall," went on Mammy Blanche. "Ah'll fix dem cobwebs."

  It proved to be unnecessary for Janice to worry about thehousekeeping in any particular. But she had not lost anotherworry, and in spite of all the wonderful things that hadhappened, and the interesting matters that were continuallycropping up, the lost treasure-box containing the mementoes ofher mother was continually fretting her mind.

  The opening of school was drawing near, and Janice began to takeexciting little "peeps" between the covers of textbooks. Sheloved study, and daddy had been insistent this summer that sheshould let lessons strictly alone.

  She had plenty of time to sit in the kitchen while Mammy Blanchewas at work there, listening to wonderful tales of her mother'schildhood, and of the "doin's" on the Avion plantation on theother shore of the Ohio River.

  "All gone now, chile," sighed Mammy Blanche. "Somebody elselivin' in the Avion home."

  But better than all, Janice, the homemaker learned many new andinteresting things about housekeeping. Mammy Blanche had a"sleight," as she called it, in doing housework, and Janice mightwell copy her methods.

  Amy came often to see her, of course; and Gummy was at the housealmost every day with orders from the store. One Saturdaymorning, while Janice was sweeping the porch, she saw Gummydriving toward the house almost as madly as he had the day thechimney caught fire.

  "Why, Gummy!" she cried, running out to meet him as he drew upthe horse at the curb, "what is the matter?"

  "You'd never guess!" shouted the boy. "What do you suppose? Ijust saw that pickle-girl in Olga-town."

  "What? gasped Janice.

  "I--I mean I've seen that Pickletown in Olga--Oh, jicksy!. Doyou know what I mean, Janice Day?"

  "Yes! Yes!" she cried. "You've seen Olga."

  "Then jump right in here and I'll drive you to her," said theboy, without running the risk of another lapsus linguae.

  Without waiting even for a hat, and throwing her broom back overthe fence, Janice scrambled in. But when Gummy started the horseshe said to him:

  "Don't think you are driving in a chariot race. You'll kill Mr.Harriman's poor old nag. Drive slower, Gummy. She won't getaway, will she?"

  "No. I think she's been living in that house some time. But Inever go there for orders, and I never happened to see herbefore."

  "Where is it?"

  "Away down by the canal," said Gummy.

  "Oh! Then it is a long way off."

  "Yes."

  "What will Mr. Harriman say?"

  "There are not many orders this morning. And this is important,Janice."

  "I guess it is," agreed the girl, her face pale but her eyessparkling with excitement.

  They did not say much after that until they came in sight of thehouse by the canal. Oh, if it should be Olga! Janice began totremble. Should she have gone to daddy first about it?

  But daddy was still on crutches and was not fit to come out inthis delivery wagon, that was sure.

  What should she say to Olga if it were she? Ought she to stopand ask a policeman to go with them to the house? And yet it wasa fact that she absolutely did not know for sure whether Olga hadtaken the treasure-box or not.

  Suddenly she uttered a little exclamation. Gummy glanced ahead,too.

  "Yes," he said, "that's the woman. That's the one I saw thatnight at Stella Latham's.

  "It--it is Olga Cedarstrom," murmured Janice. Gummy drew the oldhorse to a stop. Janice leaped down. The Swedish woman turnedand looked into Janice's blazing countenance. Her own dull facelit up and she actually smiled.

  "Vell!" she exclaimed, "iss it Janice Day? I bane glad to seeyou. Iss your fader well?"

  "Oh, Olga!" gasped Janice.

  "Huh? What iss it the matter?"

  "We have looked everywhere for you!"

  "For me? Why for me? I don't vork no more. I keep house for myhoosban'," and Olga smiled broadly.

  "You--you are married to Mr. Sangreen?" asked Janice doubtfully.

  "I bane married right avay when I left you. We go to hisfolks--dey leev up in Michigan. He try vork dere and I coom backon a veesit to Yon Yonson's wife. He vork for Misder Latham."

  "Yes, I know!" cried Janice, anxiously.

  "Now Willie bane coom back to his old yob at de pickle vorks.And how is you? You look fine."

  "Oh, Olga, we have been dreadfully worried. When-- when you wentaway from our house did you see a little box--like a jewel box?I left it on your trunk in the storeroom."

  "On my troonk?" repeated the woman. "Where it stood in destoreroom?"

  "Oh, yes!" cried Janice clasping her hands.

  It had suddenly impressed her that beyond any doubt, Olga was nota thief. Whatever had happened to the treasure-box, Olga did notknowingly have it in her possession."I remember de leetle box. Yes! You t'ink I take it?"

  "We haven't been able to find it since you left, Olga," criedJanice.

  "Huh! I saw it. But--Here! This boy will drive us back mit himto your house?"

  "Oh, yes, Olga!" cried Janice, with a glance at Gummy, whonodded.

  "I'll go mit you," said the woman, and immediately she climbed tothe high seat." Janice followed her. Gummy turned the horseabout and away they went on the return journey.

  On the way Janice thought it best to say nothing more about thelost treasure-box; but she told Olga of how she had tried totrace her through the Johnsons.

  "My bad look!" cried Olga. "I break a dish by that Lathamwoman's house and she vant me to pay for it. Huh! People oughtnot to use such spensive dishes. Me, I use common chinnyware inmy house."

  When they arrived at the house on Knight Street, Olga jumpedbriskly down and followed Janice inside. Gummy called after themthat he would wait. He was so excited and interested himselfthat he could not leave until the mystery was cleared up;

  "Ve go oop to dot storeroom," declared Olga and proceeded to doso, with Janice trembling and hoping beside her.

  Once in the room the woman seized a strong chair, climbed uponit, and, being tall herself, she could reach over the carvedstrip o
f woodwork on the front of the wardrobe to the space thatlay behind. In a moment she brought something forth covered withdust and cobwebs that caused Janice to utter a shriek of delight."That iss it, yes?" said Olga. "I be mad mit you dot morning Ileaf here. The box was on my troonk and when Willie come up thestairs for it, I grab de box and pitch it up hyar. I don't knowyou vant it, Janice-- and your fader."

  "Well," sighed Broxton Day, when he heard the good news and hadthe treasure-box in his hands, "'All's well that ends well.' Butwhat a peck of trouble that Swedish girl made us!"

  "No, no I" exclaimed Janice warmly. "I did it. It was my fault.I was the careless one, or the box would not have been where shecould see it. But I am awfully glad, Daddy, that Olga proved notto be a thief."

  Daddy showed her the tiny spring in the bottom of the box which,when released, enabled him to lift up the thin partition. Heremoved the thin packet of letters, and put them in a leathercase, placing the case into the wall safe.

  "I know where they are now, my dear. Do what you will with theother keepsakes and the treasure-box itself. I cannot tell youhow glad I am to get these letters back."

  But Janice thought she did know something about that.

  "That Mexican mine business is not likely to cause us any moretrouble until spring, anyway," said daddy one night at dinner.

  "Oh, Daddy! then won't you have to go down there?" Janice cried.

  "Not likely. Fact is, there is a big fight on in the miningcountry, and the mines have got to shut down. But the governmentpromises us that we shall be able to open up again next spring.We might as well sit tight and hold on, as I tell them. I'msorry that so much of our funds are tied up in the business,however. Politics below the Rio Grande are 'mighty onsartain,' asBrother Jase would say."

  "Now that Mammy Blanche is here with us, I would not have to goto Poketown, even if you did go to Mexico, Daddy. Would I?"

  "M-mm! Well, that's hard telling," he replied, with twinklingeyes. "Let's not cross that bridge till we come to it."

  So Janice saw nothing but a cheerful vista before her --withschool coming soon, pleasure in study, plenty of fun betweentimes, and such a fortunate state of affairs at Eight Hundred andForty-five Knight Street that she did not have to worry aboutdaddy's comfort or her own at all.

  Mrs. Carringford had had no easy time of it with the shysterlawyer and the others who were making trouble for her over herproperty. But in the end her own lawyer triumphed; and then themortgage on the place was cleared off, much to the satisfactionof both the Carringfords and the Days.

  "It does seem," said Janice with an ecstatic sigh, to AmyCarringford one day when both girls had their sewing on theporch, "that everything always does turn out for the best for usDays."

  "Humph!" returned Amy, threading her needle, "I guess theywouldn't turn out so 'right' if you and your father didn't dosomething to turn 'em out."

  And, perhaps, that was so, too.