Chapter XXI
Just Suppose
Nan Bobbsey gave gasp, just as if she had fallen into a bath tub full ofcold water. Bert quickly glanced at his friend Billy. Nell had hurriedover to the other side of the room to stop Flossie from pulling a pileof dusty magazines from a shelf down on top of herself. Billy seemed tobe the only one who was not excited.
"Two dollars?" he repeated. "That's a lot of money."
"What? A lot of money for rich childrens? Ha! Ha! That's only a littlemoneys!" laughed the man, rubbing his hands.
"We aren't rich," said Bert. "And I don't believe we have two dollars."He was pretty sure he and Nan had not that much, at any rate.
"How much you got?" asked the man eagerly. "Maybe I let you have thesedishes cheaper, but they's worth more as two dollars. How much you allgot?"
"How much have you?" asked Billy of Bert. Bert pulled some change fromhis pocket. The two boys counted it.
"Eighty-seven cents," announced Bert, when they had counted it twice.
"Oh, that isn't half enough!" cried the old man.
"I have some money," announced Nan, bringing out her little purse.
"How much?" asked the man. That seemed to be all he could think about.
Nan and Nell counted the change. It amounted to thirty-two cents.
"How much is thirty-two and eighty-seven?" asked Nell.
Bert and Billy figured it on a piece of paper.
"A dollar and twenty-nine cents," announced, Bert.
"No, it's only a dollar and nineteen," declared Billy, who was a littlebetter at figures than was his chum.
"How much?" asked the old man, for the children had done their countingon the other side of the room, and in whispers.
"A dollar and nineteen cents!" announced Billy.
"Oh, I couldn't let you have these dishes, for that," said the old man,and he seemed about to take them from the counter where they had beenput, to place them back in the window.
"Wait a minute," said Billy. "These dishes are worth only a dollar, butI have fifteen cents I can lend you, Bert. That will make a dollar andthirty-four cents. That's all we have and if you don't want to sell thedishes for that, we can go and get 'em somewhere else."
Nan was about to gasp out: "Oh!" but a look from Billy stopped her. Shesaw what he was trying to do.
"A dollar thirty-four--that's all the moneys you got?" asked the oldman.
"Every cent we're going to give!" declared Billy firmly. "If you'll sellthe play dishes for that all right. If you won't--"
He seemed about to leave.
"Oh, well, what I cares if I die in the poor-house?" asked the old man."Here! Take 'em. But I am losing money. Those is valuable dishes. If Ihad more I could sell 'em for ten dollars maybe. But as they is all Igot take 'em for a dollar and thirty-four. You couldn't make it a dollarthirty-five, could you?"
"No," said Bert decidedly, "we couldn't!"
"Oh, dear!" sighed the old man. "Take 'em, then."
"They're awfully dusty," complained Nell, as she looked at the sugarbowl and pitcher.
"That's 'cause they're so old and valuable, my dear," snarled the oldman. "But my wife she dust them off for you, and I wrap them up, thoughI ought to charge you a penny for a sheet of paper. But what I care if Idies in the poorhouse."
"Are you goin' there soon?" asked Flossie. "We've got a poorhouse atLakeport, and it's awful nice."
"Oh, well, little one, maybe I don't go there just yet," said the manwho spoke wrong words sometimes. "Here, Mina!" he called, and a woman,almost as old as he, came from the back room. "Wipe off the dust. I havesold the old dishes--the valuable old dishes."
"Ah, such a bargain as they got!" murmured the old woman. "Them isvaluable china. Such a bargains!"
"Where did you get them?" asked Nan, as the dishes were being wrappedand the old man was counting over the nickels, dimes and pennies of thechildren's money.
"Where I get them? Of how should I know? Maybe they come in by somebodywhat sell them for money. Maybe we buy them in some old house likeWashington's. It is long ago. We have had them in the shop a long time,but the older they are the better they get. They is all the better forbeing old--a better bargain, my dear!" and the old woman smiled, showinga mouth from which many teeth were missing.
"Well, come on," said Billy, when the dishes had been wrapped and givento Bert, who carried them carefully. "But I wish you had somesailboats," he said to the old man, as if that was all they had come into buy.
"I have some next week," answered the old man. "Comes around then andhave a big bargains in a sailsboats."
"Maybe I will," agreed Billy.
Out of the shop walked the Bobbsey twins and their chums, the Martinchildren of Washington. And the hearts of Bert and Nan, at least, werebeating quickly with excitement and hope. As for Flossie, she washolding her doll, and Freddie was blowing his whistle.
"I'm a regular fire engine now," declared Freddie. "Don't you hear howthe engine is blowing the whistle?"
"You'll have everybody looking at you, Freddie Bobbsey!" exclaimedFlossie. "Nan, do make him stop his noise."
"Oh, let him blow his whistle if he wants to," said Bert. "It isn'thurting anybody."
"I know what I'm going to do when I get home," said Flossie. "I'm goingto put a brand new dress on this doll, and give her a new hat, too."
"That will be nice," said Nan.
At that moment they had to cross at a street corner which was muchcrowded. There was a policeman there to regulate the coming and going ofthe people and carriages and automobiles, and when he blew his whistlethe traffic would go up and down one street, and then when he blew hiswhistle again it would go up and down the other.
The policeman had just blown on his whistle, and the traffic was goingpast the Bobbsey twins when Freddie gave a sudden loud blow. Immediatelysome of the carriages and automobiles going in one direction stoppedshort and the others commenced to go the other way.
"For gracious sake, Freddie! see what you have done," gasped Bert.
The traffic policeman who stood in the middle of the two streets lookedvery much surprised. Then he saw it was Freddie who had blown thewhistle, and he shook his finger at the little boy in warning.
"He wants you to stop," said Nan, and made Freddie put the whistle inhis pocket for the time being.
Then the Bobbseys and their friends hurried on their way.
"I'll give you the fifteen cents as soon as we get back to the hotel,Billy," said Bert.
"Oh, that's all right," his chum answered. "I'm in no hurry. Do youthink we paid too much for the dishes?"
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Nan. "I'd have given the two dollars if I'd had it.Why, Miss Pompret will give us a hundred dollars for these two pieces."
"That's fifty dollars apiece!" exclaimed Nell. "It doesn't seem thatthey could be worth that."
"Oh, but she wants them to make up her set," said Bert. "Just these twopieces are missing. I wonder how they came to be in that second-handstore?"
"Maybe the tramp who took them years ago brought them here and soldthem," suggested Nan. "But I don't suppose we'll ever really find out."
Eager and excited, the Bobbsey twins and their friends walked backtoward the hotel.
"Won't mother and father be surprised when they find we have the Pompretchina?" asked Nan of her brother.
"Yes," he answered, "I guess they will. But, oh, Nan! Just suppose!"
"Suppose what?" she asked, for Bert seemed worried over something.
"Suppose these aren't the right dishes, after all? S'posin' these aren'tthe ones Miss Pompret wants?"
Chapter XXII
Happy Days
Nan Bobbsey was so surprised by what Bert said that she stood still inthe street and looked at her brother. Then she looked at the preciouspackage he was carrying.
"Bert Bobbsey!" she exclaimed, "these MUST be the same as MissPompret's! Why they have the blue lion on, and the circle of gold, andthe letters 'J. W.' and--and everything!"
> "Yes, I saw that, too," agreed Bert. "But still they might not be thesame dishes."
"Oh, dear!" sighed Nan. "And we paid all that money, too!"
"Oh, I guess they must be the same," put in Nell. "Anyhow, you can take'em to the hotel and ask your mother."
"Yes, mother might know," agreed Nan.
"And if she says those dishes aren't the ones you want, why we can take'em back and the man will give us our money," said Billy.
"Oh, he'd never do that!" declared Bert.
"Well, we can ask him," went on the Washington lad.
"Maybe the dishes are Miss Pompret's, after all," said Bert. "I was justs'posin'. And if they aren't, why we can give 'em to Dinah forsouvenirs. I was going to get her something anyhow."
"But they cost a lot of money," objected Nan.
"Well, Dinah is awful good to us," said Bert. "And she'd like thesedishes if they aren't Miss Pompret's."
"But I do hope they are," sighed Nan. "Think of a whole hundreddollars!"
"It would scare me to get all that money," said Nell. "Oh, I do hopethey are the right sugar bowl and pitcher!"
Back to the hotel hurried the Bobbsey twins. Flossie and Freddie, happywith their toys--the doll and the whistles--did not care much one way orthe other about the dishes and the reward. But Bert and Nan were verymuch excited.
"Well, you've been gone rather a long time buying souvenirs," said Mrs.Bobbsey, when the twins and the Martin children came in.
"And oh, Mother, we've had the most wonderful time!" burst out Nan."We've found Miss Pompret's missing china dishes--the two she has wantedso long--the ones the tramp took and she's going to give a reward of ahundred dollars for, you know--and--and--"
"Yes, and I know you're excited!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey. "Now cool downand tell me all about it."
"And here are the dishes," added Bert, as he set the precious bundledown on the table. "Look at 'em, Mother, and see if they are the oneslike Miss Pompret's set. You saw her dishes, didn't you?"
"Yes, but I am not sure I would know them again."
"I owe Billy fifteen cents," went on Bert, as he unwrapped the dishes."We didn't have money enough. The man wanted two dollars, but Billy gothim down to a dollar and thirty-four cents."
"Billy is quite a little bargainer," said Mrs. Bobbsey, with a smile."And now to look at the dishes."
She carefully examined the sugar bowl and cream pitcher. There was nodoubt about the blue lion in the circle of gold being stamped on thebottom of each piece. There were also the initials "J. W." which mightstand for Jonathan Waredon, the man who made such rare china.
"Well, I should say that these pieces were just like those in MissPompret's set," said Mrs. Bobbsey, after a pause. "But whether they areexactly the same or not, I can't tell. She would have to look at themherself."
"I wish we could hurry home and show them to her," sighed Nan.
"So do I," said Bert. "I want to get that hundred dollars."
"Well, we'll be going back to Lakeport in a few days now," said hismother. "Our stay in Washington is nearly over."
"Oh, dear!" sighed Nell. "I wish you could stay longer."
"So do I," added her brother Billy.
Bert gave Billy back the borrowed fifteen cents, and when Mr. Bobbsey,having been out on lumber business, came home, he, too, said he thoughtthe pieces belonged to Miss Pompret's set of rare china.
"But there is only one sure way to tell," the twins' father said. "MissPompret must see them herself."
The few remaining days the Bobbsey twins spent in Washington were filledwith good times. They were nicely entertained by the Martins, and wenton many excursions to places of interest. But, all the while, Bert andNan, at least, were thinking of the sugar bowl and pitcher, and thehundred dollars reward Miss Pompret had promised.
"I do hope we don't have to give the dishes to Dinah for souvenirs,"said Nan to Bert.
"I hope so, too," he agreed. "Anyhow, I bought Dinah a red handkerchiefwith a yellow border and a green center. She likes bright colors."
"I bought her something, too, and for Sam I got something he can hang onhis watch chain," said Nan. "So if we have to give Dinah the dishes,too, she'll have a lot of souvenirs."
At last the day came when the Bobbseys must leave Washington forLakeport. Goodbyes were said to the Martins, and they promised to visitthe Bobbseys at Lakeport some time. Mr. Bobbsey finished his lumberbusiness, and then with trunks and valises packed and locked, and withthe precious dishes put carefully in the middle of a satchel which Bertinsisted on carrying, the homeward trip was begun.
Not very much happened on it, except that once Bert forgot the valisewith the dishes in it, having left it in a car, but he thought of it intime and ran back to get it just before the train was about to startaway with it. After that he was more careful.
"Well, honey lambs! I suah is glad to see yo' all back!" cried Dinah, asshe welcomed the Bobbsey twins at their own door. "Come right in, I'segot lots fo' yo' all to eat! Come in, honey lambs! How am mah little fatfairy and' mah little fireman?"
"Oh, we're fine, Dinah!" said Freddie, "And I saw a real fire and Ipulled the fire bell on the boat an'--an'--an'--everything!"
"Bress yo' heart, honey lamb! I guess yo' did!" laughed Dinah.
"And I got a little doll and my hat blew off the steeple!" criedFlossie.
"Lan' sakes! Do tell!" cried Dinah.
"And we found Miss Pompret's dishes!" broke in Nan.
"And we're going to get the hundred dollars reward," added Bert. "'Cept,of course, if they aren't the right ones you can have 'em for souvenirs,Dinah."
"Bress yo' heart, honey lamb! Dinah's got all she wants when yo' allcome back. Now I go an' git somethin' to eat!"
The children--at least Nan and Bert--were so eager to have Miss Pompretsee the two dishes that they hardly ate any of the good things Dinahprovided. They wanted to go at once and call on the dear, old-fashionedlady, but their father and mother made them wait.
At last, however, when they had all rested a bit, Mr. Bobbsey took Nanand Bert with him and went to call on Miss Pompret. The dishes,carefully washed by Mrs. Bobbsey, were carried along, wrapped in softpaper.
"Oh, I am glad to see my little friends again," said Miss Pompret, asshe greeted Nan and Bert. "Did you have a nice time in Washington?"
"Yes'm," answered Bert. "And we brought you--"
"We found your missing sugar bowl and pitcher!" broke in Nan. "Anyhow,we hope they're yours, and we paid the old man a dollar and thirty-fourcents and--"
"You--you found my sugar bowl and pitcher!" exclaimed Miss Pompret, andMr. Bobbsey said, afterward, that she turned a little pale. "Really doyou mean it--after all these years?"
"Well, they look like your dishes," said Mr. Bobbsey. "The children sawthem in a second-hand store window, and went in and bought them. I hope,for your sake, they are the right pieces."
"I can soon tell," said the old lady. "There is not another set like theancient Pompret china in this country. Oh, I am so anxious!"
Her thin, white hands, themselves almost like china, trembled as sheunwrapped the pieces. And then, as she saw them, she gave a cry of joyand exclaimed:
"Yes! They are the very same! Those are the two pieces missing from myset! Now it is complete! Oh, how thankful I am that I have the Pompretchina set together again! Oh, thank you, children, thank you!" and shethrew her arms about Nan and kissed her, while she shook hands withBert, much to that young boy's relief. He hated being kissed.
"Are you sure these are the two pieces from your set?" asked Mr.Bobbsey.
"Positive," answered Miss Pompret. "See? Here is the blue lion in thecircle of gold, and initials 'J. W.' There can be no mistake. And nowhow did you find them?"
Bert and Nan told, and related how Billy had bargained for the twopieces. They all wondered how the second-hand man had come by them, butthey never found out.
Miss Pompret carefully placed the sugar bowl and pitcher in theglass-doored closet with her other pie
ces. She looked at them forseveral seconds. They matched perfectly.
"Now, once more, after many years, my precious set of china is togetheragain," she murmured.
She went over to a desk and began to write. A little later she handed aslip of blue paper to Mr. Bobbsey.
"What is this?" he asked.
"A check for one hundred dollars," answered Miss Pompret. "It is thereward I promised for the finding of my china. I have made the check outto you, Mr. Bobbsey. You can get the money and give half to Nan and halfto Bert."
Mr. Bobbsey slowly shook his head. Then he handed the blue check back toMiss Pompret.
"Their mother and I couldn't think of letting the children take thehundred dollars just for having discovered your dishes, Miss Pompret,"he said. "I thank you very much, but Nan and Bert would not want it,themselves," he went on. "They really did not earn the money. It wasjust good luck; and so, I'm sure, they would rather the money would goto the Red Cross. Wouldn't you?" he asked Nan and Bert.
For a moment only did they hesitate. Then with a sigh, which she triedhard to keep back. Nan said:
"Oh, yes. It wouldn't be right to take a hundred dollars just for twodishes."
"No," agreed Bert, "it wouldn't. Please give the money to the RedCross."
Miss Pompret looked from the children to their father, then to the chinain the closet and next at the check in her white, thin hand.
"Very well," said the old lady. "Since you wish it, I'll give thehundred dollars to the Red Cross; and very glad I am to do it, Mr.Bobbsey. I would gladly have paid even more to get back my sugar bowland pitcher."
"It would hardly be right for the children to have so much money," hesaid. "The Red Cross needs it for poor and starving children in otherlands."
"Very well," answered Miss Pompret. "But at least let me give them backthe dollar and thirty-four cents they spent to get the dishes. That wastheir own spending money, I presume."
"Yes," said Mr. Bobbsey, "it was. And I don't mind if you give thatback."
So Nan and Bert did not really lose anything, and soon the disappointedfeeling about not getting the reward wore off. They were glad it was togo to the Red Cross.
And the next morning, when they awakened to find the ground a foot deepin snow, their joy knew no bounds. They forgot all about rewards, chinadishes, and even Washington.
"Now for some coasting!" cried Bert.
"And snow men!" added Freddie.
"And I'm going to make a snow house for my Washington doll!" criedFlossie.
"Oh, I love snow!" ejaculated Nan. "It's lovely to have it come so nearChristmas!"
"That's so!" exclaimed Bert. "It soon will be Christmas! Now let's goout and have some fun in the snow!"
And they did, rolling and tumbling about, making snow men and houses,and coasting on their sleds.
Miss Pompret wrote Mr. Bobbsey a letter, stating that she had sent acheck for one hundred dollars to the Red Cross in the names of Bert andNan Bobbsey.
"That was certainly very nice of her," said Mrs. Bobbsey, when herhusband read this letter to her.
"Well, Miss Pompret is a very nice lady," answered Mr. Bobbsey. "I amvery glad that the children got those missing dishes back for her."
"So am I. She has been greatly worried for years over them."
Slowly the snow flakes drifted down, another storm following the first.It was the night before Christmas.
"I wonder what we'll get?" murmured Nan as she and Bert went up to theirrooms.
"I hope I get a pair of shoe-hockeys," he said.
"And I want a fur coat," said Nan.
And when Christmas morning dawned, with the sun shining on the new,sparkling snow, it also shone on the piles of presents for the Bobbseytwins.
There were a number for each one, and, in a separate place on the tablewere two large packages. One was marked for Nan and the other for Bert,and each bore the words: "From Miss Alicia Pompret, to the littlefriends who restored my missing china."
"Oh, mine's a fur coat!" cried Nan, as she opened her package. "A furcoat and story books!"
"And mine's shoe-hockeys--the best ever!" shouted Bert. "And an airrifle and books too!"
And so their dreams came true, and it was the happiest Christmas theyever remembered. And Miss Pompret was happy too.
The End.
The Bobbsey Twins in Washington Page 21