CHAPTER II: BETTY MEETS RESPONSIBILITY AND A TRIAL OF PATIENCE
Whatever puns, good or bad, Betty might make on this unaccustomedadventure of hers, she was more accustomed to the littleresponsibilities that fall to the eldest child in a normal family thanonly children could be; and these in a measure had prepared her for thistrip. As soon as they were settled in their seats, it all seemed naturalenough. Proper conduct in public was a matter of natural pride with thisfamily, with the possible exception of Amy Louise, who had not reachedthe age of entire self control! Dick was hoping that she would not doanything to embarrass them, for she sometimes howled when she could notdo what she wanted to do.
Betty, across the aisle from Dick and Doris, gave Dick an understandinglook and a smile when he gave Doris the seat next to the window. Dickappeared not to notice this, but he felt that he was a pretty goodprotector of the girls when necessary. Betty need not think that she wasthe only one who could do things. And Betty was thinking that Dick wasgoing to be a great help. The worst would be changing cars at the firstcity.
Clutching the tickets, Betty had them ready when the conductor camealong. He lived in their town and knew her father. It had been a blow tothe little town when a railroad line took off all but one passengertrain each way, with a few freight trains.
“Oh, yes,” cheerily said the conductor, “you’re going away for good now.Your father told me to look after you when you came along.” The ticketswere being punched and given back to Betty.
“Don’t lose your tickets and you’ll be all right. No you don’t changestations. Anything you want to know you can ask about at the windowmarked ‘information.’ But outside you’ll find the train notices, and alight come on when the train is in. When you get off, you’d better get ared?cap to take your bags up for you.”
Betty had a hazy notion of what was meant, though she had visited thecity where they were to change cars, it was very different, however, tofollow some one else without noticing how it was managed. She determinedto keep her eyes open on future trips. Well, there was no use inworrying, but she wasn’t going to trust the bags to any porter. Theycould carry what they had. Also, they would stay together, as Aunt Johad advised, with no expeditions here and there while they waited fortheir second train. In this case ignorance was not bliss, for what wouldhave been perfectly simple to an experienced traveler was a matter forserious consideration to Betty.
Fortunately, Amy Lou was angelic. Fascinated by the kaleidoscope ofscenery, she watched it happily; and when they left the train shewillingly clung to Betty’s hand, saying, “I don’t want to get losted, doI?” She nearly went to sleep in the station during their long wait, butDick came to the rescue with some entertainment, just as Betty washaving visions of having to carry a heavy Amy Lou to the train.
At last they were established on the right train for the city for which,they were bound and Betty breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing but a wreckcould keep them from home now, she told Dick.
“‘Home!’” repeated Dick, pursing his lips.
“Well,” argued Doris, “Betty’s right. It’ll be home, even if we’ve neverseen it.”
“Wherever Mother and Father are, it’s home, isn’t it?” and Betty’sdimples showed as she spoke.
“You win,” grinned Dick, suggesting that Aunt Jo’s lunch be served.
They all did their best, but the last hours were trying after littlenaps were over and time was dragging for them all, unaccustomed as theywere to long train rides. When they were feeling that they could notstand it any longer and Amy Lou was beginning to be fractious, they drewinto the suburbs of the “city of our dreams,” as Doris sarcasticallyremarked. But interest revived and Dick told the youngest sister towatch for the place where they would find their mother. It was a happysuggestion, particularly for Betty, who was thinking that patience wouldcease to be a virtue pretty soon, if she had to keep the child in checkmuch longer.
At last the crowds were in the aisles. The train stopped with itsaccustomed jerk. The tiresome day was almost over.
Which way should they go? The direction of the crowd settled thatquestion for them, but where would they find Father? They avoided littlebaggage trucks that ran about and looked like hand?cars off the track.Here were iron gates where Dick, at Betty’s suggestion, inquired the wayto the waiting room, where they found “Information” again. By this timeBetty was worried. Where could her father be?
For the sake of the rest, she made herself keep calm and cheerful andDick suggested that it was not easy to get around in a city. Probablythey would be there pretty soon.
“I hope they know the train we’re coming on,” said Doris. “I _told_ you,Betty, that we ought to telegraph.”
“_They_ told _us_ the day and the train, Doris,” firmly said Betty. ButBetty looked apprehensively at some of the people in the room. There wasa much better room upstairs, but Betty did not know that and there wasno one to tell her.
Finally Amy Lou began to cry. That was the last straw. Betty hunted forwhat addresses she had and made her way again to “Information.” Shewondered if she had enough money to pay for a taxi. And did you pay foreveryone, or was it some other way? Dick was scouting around outsidenow. He could find out things. Boys always could.
Then all at once darkness changed to light, figuratively speaking.Before she had made an inquiry, she heard a squeal from Amy Lou andturned to see if Doris were having trouble with her. But it had been ahappy squeal, not a cross one. There was Father, with his baby in hisarms and Doris holding to one hand! A very thankful girl ran back to herfamily.
“I’m so sorry, Betty,” said Mr. Lee, “that you have had this wait andworry. I had expected to meet you right at the train and take you to ourown car. Come on. We’ll talk after we get started. It was an importantbusiness conference and I could not leave early. Then traffic was heavyand it was farther to the station from our office that I thought. Thatwas all.”
Watching for trucks, street?cars and machines of all sorts, they madetheir way to where the new car was parked. Exclamations of delightpleased Mr. Lee. Dick wanted to know all about it. It was not of ahighly expensive make, but as their father said, it would hold them all.“I almost need a smaller one, too,” said he, explaining, “though I’m noton the sales end of affairs. They’ve done me the honor to put me amongthe executives, kiddies, and ask me to tell how I managed to do so wellin my little factory. I told the president, that it was nothing, onlyquality of goods and good management; but he had me discuss products andmanagement at this conference.”
“Good for you, Pop!” said Dick.
“But I’m going to ask you all to help me, children. To make this changeand to live in a city is going to draw heavily on what I had saved. Infact, there isn’t any too much left, except some property in the hometown. So don’t get any big ideas of what we can do here in the way ofliving like some of the people you will see.”
“Aren’t there any folks just like us, Papa?” asked Doris, ratherbewildered. They had started now and slowly Mr. Lee was driving the car,up a hill and behind an immense truck.
“Plenty of them, Doris, and thousands not half so well off.”
The children were now too much interested in their surroundings to askquestions. Their father explained a little about some of the streetsthrough which they passed, and pointed out some of the buildings, thoughhe was not yet familiar with the city and was compelled to keep towell?known thoroughfares on his way out to the suburb where they were tolive. “This is what they call ‘downtown,’” said he. “When your motherand I considered locations near we found nothing suitable. So we are outwhere we can have a few flowers in the yard at least.”
Betty looked with “all her eyes,” as she said. Streams of cars filledthe streets. Her father watched the lights carefully and was prepared toget out of the way when a reckless driver shot in front of him, almostshaving a street car. “Hey, you!” exclaimed Dick, but the man could nothear. “Why, if you hadn’t swerved to the right that fellow would h
avehit us!”
“Yes, Dick. He was either intoxicated, or just reckless. There are manysuch in the city.”
But in spite of what tired Betty considered several narrow escapes, theysuccessfully reached the suburb desired, where rows of houses, some ofbrick, some of frame, some of stone, had a bit of yard in front andbehind; and on the porch of one there stood a slender and familiarfigure.
“Mamma!” cried Amy Lou, wiggling down from between Betty and Doris. ButBetty kept a stout hold upon her little sister until the car stopped infront. “I’ll let you girls out here,” said Mr. Lee, “but Dick may comewith me to the garage.”
Amy Louise flew to her mother, while the other two girls walked brisklyup the short distance from the barberry hedge to the porch. The housewas of brick, well?built and attractive. “Why, this is real nice,Mother!” exclaimed Betty, the last to be embraced, but as warmlywelcomed. Betty was trying to remember to call her parents Father andMother, since some one had told her it was more dignified.
They entered a hall of fair size, then a large front room with a bigwindow in it, the piano in the right spot, a fireplace–why, it would behome after all! Familiar rugs and furniture met Betty’s eyes. Of themher last view had been what Betty called “ghastly,” all done up ready tobe moved in that horrid truck. But the “horrid truck” had brought themunmarred to their present position. Here were all of their treasures–andeach other.
“I don’t believe, after all, Mother,” said she, looking around, “that_walls_ make so, so _much_ difference!”
“Not with our own pictures on them,” replied Mother, understanding. “Iwish that all you could have helped me decide where to put things; butif you girls think of any good changes, we shall make them.”
“Did you have a very dreadful time to find a place?” asked Doris.
“It was not easy. An apartment house did not seem to be the best placefor children. This is not one of the most modern houses, but there areenough bedrooms, hard to find, and something of a kitchen. I could notimagine myself cooking for this family in some of the tiny kitchenetteswe saw. We shall be comfortable, I think.
“We have the whole first floor. It is just a big house made into twoapartments or flats. Only two people are above us. There are twofurnaces and we have our own gas and electricity. We are to look afterthe yard. Running the lawn mower will be Dick’s job.” Mrs. Lee lookedteasingly at Dick as she spoke.
“I thought I’d get out of that in a city,” returned Dick; but he did notseem to mind the proposition very much. He was still thinking of the newcar, though he had been content to leave more detailed examinationsuntil the next day. “The thing that’s most like home,” continued Dick,“is that good smell of cooking in an oven somewhere. Is it a roast,Mother? Yes, and I smell cookies!”
“Right, son,” and Mrs. Lee led the way to the kitchen, where cookiesstill warm from the baking were to be nibbled by hungry travelers. Theywould still have things to eat in the city!
Still further investigation disclosed a “den,” which had become asleeping room for Dick; a dressing room off the main bedroom, making asafe and cosy place for Amy Lou’s bed, and a good bedroom for Doris andBetty. A large bathroom was at the end of the hall. “You haven’t anyidea, children, how thankful I was to find this, with enough room, allon one floor, and nice and clean, with new plumbing!”
Betty looked thoughtfully at her mother. It was new to her to thinkabout homes, which, so far as she had ever thought, grew upon bushes.And that rent was terrible. Wouldn’t it take more than Papa earned? Hermother assured her that it would not, but remarked that the increase inincome did not amount to as much as they had supposed, because ofincreased expenses.
“Let’s go back,” said Betty, reacting to her first lesson in economiclines. But she was laughing.
“You know you wouldn’t do it for anything, Betty Lee,” cried Doris. “I’mjust as glad as I can be. Won’t it be great to go to all these wonderfulplaces?” This was after their mother had suddenly left them in theirroom, to answer a call from her husband.
“Yes,” sighed Betty, “but now listen, Doris–please don’t begin bythrowing your things all around. We’ve a big closet, anyhow; but dolet’s keep things straight as we can!”
“You can, if you want to. I’m getting into my bathrobe the quickest Ican,” and Doris kicked a shoe under the bed.
“I suppose you are tired,” and Betty sighed again. “I don’t really care,either. It’s certainly good to pass Amy Lou over to Mother.”
“She could have been worse coming down, but I’m glad I’m not the oldest.She always gets stubborn when _I_ try to do anything with her.”
Betty felt like telling Doris that she did not try the right way; butdid not want to start further argument and realized that her owndisposition was not in its best state after her day of being “chiefboss,” as Dick had put it several times. Doris might take her hot bathfirst. Then it would be tub for her and bed as soon as possible aftersupper, which would be called dinner now, Mother said. Happily it wasthe week?end. There would be Saturday and Sunday for getting settled,seeing the city and hearing church music of the best. Then would comeMonday and school. What a vista for Betty Lee! The future, thoughunknown, was enticing.
Betty Lee, Freshman Page 2