At the Little Brown House

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER XX

  AT THE BROKER'S OFFICE

  "This is Saturday morning, Gail, and Mrs. Grinnell says I can go toMartindale with her if you will let me," said Peace, a few days aftertheir midnight conference. She might have added that she herself hadasked for the invitation, but for reasons of her own she made no mentionof this fact.

  Gail looked up from the pan of yeast she was "setting," and hesitatinglybegan, "Well--"

  "I've wiped the dishes and fed the hens and dusted the parlor--"

  "But I haven't swept the parlor yet," Gail protested.

  "I can't help that. I have dusted," Peace answered, firmly. "If I hadwaited until you got ready to sweep, Mrs. Grinnell would have beengone."

  Gail giggled in spite of her efforts to check the smile on her lips, andthen soberly said, "But what about the eggs?"

  "I have delivered my bunch already."

  "Why, Peace, those baskets weren't full! What will Mrs. Abbott think?"

  "Oh, I fixed that all right. There wasn't time to do much hunting forour own eggs, so I borrowed the rest of Mrs. Hartman."

  "Peace Greenfield! What shall I do with you?" cried the older sister inutter discouragement, dropping her hands from her pan of mixing in agesture of despair which scattered a cloud of flour over herself and theimpatient pleader.

  "Let me go with Mrs. Grinnell," was the prompt reply. "I won't be inyour way all day, then; and while I am gone, the hens will have laidenough eggs to pay back Mrs. Hartman. I borrowed only five. Twenty-eighthens ought to be able to lay that many before I get back. The eightbiddies I bought with the rest of my melon money could do better thanthat, Gail. Please say I can go!"

  Perhaps it was the sight of the wistful little face, perhaps it wasvisions of a quiet day in which to attend to housework that won thedesired permission; but at any rate Gail consented reluctantly, andPeace danced away to find the kind neighbor and report the sister'sdecision.

  "My, but I'm glad," she hummed to herself as she scrambled into her bestdress and flew out of the door into the warm autumn sunshine. "I thoughtshe wouldn't let me go, and then I couldn't get the money. Oh, I am soglad, so glad!"

  "Where are you going?" demanded a grieved voice, as Allee came throughthe barn door and caught a glimpse of her sister's best skirts under theflying coat.

  Peace stopped short in the path and thoughtfully sucked her finger asshe eyed the dirty pinafore and wistful face of this pet of the family.

  "To Martindale," she said, briefly. "Come along! There isn't time toclean up. We'll hide you under the lap robe. Mrs. Grinnell won't care.Cherry, Oh, Cherry, tell Gail I have taken Allee with me! She ain't_very_ dirty, and I'll keep her covered up out of sight. And now, Allee,don't you say a word to anyone about it, but I _begged_ Mrs. Grinnell totake me. I want to get some money to buy back that _mordige_ of oursfrom old Skinflint. Mind you keep it secret!"

  "I will," promised Allee readily, for with her Peace's very wish waslaw.

  "There is Mrs. Grinnell all harnessed and waiting. Hurry up! I had tobring Allee, Mrs. Grinnell, 'cause I wouldn't be at home to amuse her,and she might get into mischief," she explained as they arrived pantingand breathless beside the big, roomy carriage, and she saw thequestioning glance of the woman's eyes.

  "Oh, I see," answered Mrs. Grinnell, smiling grimly. "But how aboutGail? Does she know?"

  "Oh, yes, she knows by this time. I sent Cherry to tell her. Therewasn't time to change her dress, so we will have to keep her covered uppretty well, 'specially as she's wearing her old play coat. Say, Mrs.Grinnell, do you know some people named Swift and Smart who live inMartindale?"

  "There is a firm of brokers by that name on Sixth Street. Why?" shedemanded suspiciously, for when Peace asked such a question, it usuallymeant mischief brewing.

  "Oh, I just wanted to know if there were really people called that or ifMr. Hardman was only teasing. He told me when I killed the hens that Ibetter go there and borrow money to buy new ones with."

  "He was just tormenting you," the woman replied, severely. "I hope youweren't thinking of doing such a thing?"

  "Oh, no!" Peace exclaimed, the hopeful light in her eyes fading quickly."Haven't I already bought eight good hens of O'Hara with my melon money?They lay better than our others do, too. That makes twenty-eight in allnow. But I don't see why Mr. Hardman told me Swift & Smart would give methe money."

  "He was playing smart himself, I guess. That firm is one of the biggestof its kind in the city. They buy mortgages and such things; theyhaven't time to spend on little loans."

  "Oh," said Peace, but the glad light came back to the somber brown eyesonce more, and she bounced happily up and down on the leather cushion."That name seemed such a funny one to me, I couldn't forget it. Swift &Smart--I wonder if it fits?"

  "If it fits?" echoed her companion.

  "Yes. S'posing Mr. Swift was slower'n molasses in January and Mr. Smartwas stupid as a stump, they would be as big misfits as I am, wouldn'tthey? Now if grandpa could just have known the kind of a girl I wasgoing to be, I bet he never would have named me Peace. Faith says itwould have been more 'propriate if he had called me Pieces. I was justthinking what if those _breakers_ were the same way."

  "Brokers, my dear, not breakers. Well, I can't say how well the namesfit, for I don't know them except by hearsay; but I judge they must bepretty smart whether they are slow or swift."

  Peace giggled gleefully as if she appreciated the pun, and saidmusingly, "I'd like to see for myself how well they fitted. The namessound so funny. Do you go near their store today?"

  "Why, yes, we are just across the street from it when we stop atDarnell's Dry Goods Store, but they have an office and not a store,child, and no one goes there unless they want to borrow money orsomething of that kind. Here we are at Peterson's. Will you come inwhile I do my trading?"

  "Well, no," stammered Peace, her face flushing crimson under herfriend's searching gaze. "Allee is pretty dirty and we best sit righthere, don't you think?"

  Mrs. Grinnell hesitated, puzzled at this unusual resolve on the part ofthe children who liked nothing better than to wander through the bigdepartment stores and admire the pretty things; then she replied grimly,"Very well, but don't either one of you stir out of that buggy while Iam gone."

  "No, we won't," they promised in angelic tones, and the woman left them,still perplexed and somewhat ill at ease. Fearing that some mischief wason foot she cut short her bargain-hunting tour in Peterson's store andhurried back to her charges, only to find them sitting silent and erecton the seat where she had left them, busy watching the bustling crowdsin the streets.

  "Why," cried Peace, almost in dismay, "you weren't gone at all hardly!You must be a quick shopper."

  "Yes, in this case," laughed the relieved woman, climbing into the rigand clucking at the horse, "but it may take me some time at theMartindale Dry Goods Store, and probably longer yet at Darnell's. Do youthink you can wait patiently out here in the wagon?"

  "Oh, yes, it's lots of fun watching the people go by. There was one manback there so fat and _pusy_ that we wondered what would happen s'posinghe should stub his toe. I don't believe his head and feet _could_ hitthe sidewalk at the same time, and he'd just roll away like a ball,unless someone helped him up, wouldn't he?"

  Again Mrs. Grinnell laughed grimly as she remarked with some sarcasm,"What great sights you do see! You will be a genius one of these days,I'll warrant. This is the Martindale. Now don't get out of the buggy."

  "S'posing she says that at the next store," thought Peace to herself,but aloud she answered cheerily, "Don't you fret, Mrs. Grinnell." Thebusy woman was gone fully half an hour that time and Peace was jubilant,but she did not show her delight, and merely remarked, as Mrs. Grinnellgathered up the reins once more, "How little time it takes you to buythings! Gail and Faith tramp all day to find a pair of stockings, andthen like as not get cheated. It is perfectly splendid watching the wayfolks crowd, better than seeing things in the store. I never knew beforehow much fun i
t is. You just ought to have seen that lady in the purplehat fool two men. One man was coming towards her and the other was justbehind her when they got jammed in the doorway there. The front manjumped one way and the woman jumped the same way so he couldn't get by.He hopped back in his first place, and she hopped back in hers, and allthe while the long feather on her hat was spearing the hind man in theeye, but he kept hopping the same way the others did. I thought I shouldscreech before the woman got enough jumping and stood still so the mencould get past, and didn't they look mad and scowly! Mercy, is thisDarnell's? Well, you needn't worry about us one mite, but take all thetime you want. The horse is as good as gold, and I'm keeping Allee'sdirty dress out of sight."

  "I'll be back as soon as I can," promised Mrs. Grinnell when she couldget in a word, and forgetting her usual parting admonition, she hurriedsway through the crowd into the store.

  "Now," exclaimed Peace, all a-flutter the minute the broad back haddisappeared, "let's see where Swift & Smart live. There it is justacross the street, but we'll have to hurry, 'cause there is no tellinghow soon she will be back. Here, wrap this lap robe around you to keepyour clothes out of sight, and give me your hand. Mercy! I should thinkthe p'lice would have certain streets for the nautomobiles and cars togo on instead of letting 'em all jumble up that way. We didn't get hitthat time; don't wait for the next one to come, but run."

  Dragging poor, frightened, stumbling Allee and the trailing robe throughthe turmoil of the street, Peace managed to land on the opposite walkwithout mishap, but how she ever did it was a marvel to the big, brawnypoliceman shouting warnings to them as he tried in vain to reach thelittle figures dodging so recklessly under horses' noses, in front offlying automobiles and across the path of clanging bicycles.

  "Are we all here?" gasped the blue-eyed tot when Peace had set her onher feet once more and adjusted the dragging robe about her shoulders.

  "Course! What did you think we left behind? I know how to get acrosscrowded streets. Here is the door. I wonder which is Smart and which isSwift,--there are three men in the room."

  She lifted the latch and boldly entered, then halted and took a carefulsurvey of her surroundings.

  There were several desks in the office, all dreadfully littered withpapers and books, and at one of these sat a short, bald-headed man,talking rapidly to a pretty, smiley-faced young girl, who scribbledqueer little scratches in a tablet. Beside another desk in the oppositecorner of the room were two men, both tall and gray and pleasantappearing, but so much absorbed in their conversation that they did notnotice the children's entrance. Through a nearby door came the fitfulclicking of some machine, and Peace could see a second girl seated at atable pounding a typewriter, while another man hurried to and fro from arow of shelves to a big iron box against the wall. None of them,however, paid any attention to their anxious little visitors, and Peace,after waiting impatiently until she feared Mrs. Grinnell would be backlooking for them, stepped across the polished floor to the gray men inthe corner, shook the nearest one by the sleeve, and demanded, "Are youSwift or Smart, or; both--I mean neither?"

  "Now, Mr. Campbell," the man was just saying, but at this interruptionhe broke off abruptly, glared at the small intruder and asked in quick,sharp tones, "What do you want?"

  "Some money," stammered Peace, much startled by his nervous,half-irritated manner.

  "Money! Well, I am afraid you have come to the wrong place," he saiddecisively, mistaking the children for beggars.

  "Why, I thought--" began Peace, with quivering lips.

  "Will a quarter be enough?" interrupted the other gray man, looking downinto the troubled face with keen, kindly, gray eyes, which seemedstrangely familiar to the child.

  "Now, Campbell!" expostulated the tall, nervous man. "They come here inswarms some days. You wouldn't be so ready with your cash if you had todeal with the number we do."

  Without reply, the man called Campbell drew a silver coin from hispocket and extended it toward trembling Peace, but she shook her head,gulping out, "It will take heaps more than that. Old Skinflint has gotthe _mordige_ on our farm and won't give it up. I want money enough tobuy it back, so's we can still go on living there."

  "Oh!" shouted the sharp-voiced man, while Mr. Campbell pocketed hissilver again. "So you thought you would come here to get the money, didyou?"

  "Mr. Hardman said you let people borrow money from you," whispered Peacemiserably, wishing she had never left her seat in the carriage. "He toldme that when I poisoned half our hens, but Mrs. Grinnell said youdidn't bother with such little things; and anyway, I have bought eightnew ones already, so we don't need hens so much as we do that _mordige_.Is your name Mr. Swift?"

  "No, I am the other fellow--Smart."

  "Hm, I thought it would be like that."

  "Like what?"

  "Why, that your names wouldn't fit. I told Mrs. Grinnell I bet Mr. Smartwould be stupider than a stump and Mr. Swift would be slower than slow.Is that bald-headed man Mr. Swift?"

  For an instant the two men in the corner stared at her in sheeramazement, and then both burst into a great roar of laughter, whichbrought the whole office force to their feet. "Say, Swift, come meetthis young mortgage raiser," called the nervous partner. "If you everget conceited, just interview a child."

  The bald-headed man rose ponderously and joined the group, studyingevery feature of the children, as he demanded, in his most business-liketone, "What is your name?"

  "Peace Greenfield."

  "Where do you live?"

  "Almost at Parker."

  "Almost?"

  "Well, we have a farm and Parker isn't big enough to hold farms. It's anice place, though."

  "How did you get here?"

  "Mrs. Grinnell brought us in her wagon."

  "Who is she?"

  "The lady what lives on the farm right back of ours."

  "Did she tell you to come and see us?"

  "Oh, no! She said not to, but she doesn't know anything about our_mordige_, so while she was in the store we hustled over after themoney."

  "Who did send you?"

  "Why, nobody. We came all by ourselves."

  "Hm, I thought so. Is this _mordige_ money to buy candy and dolls with?"

  "No, it ain't!" snapped Peace, thinking he was trying to tease her."It's to keep old Skinflint from taking our farm away, so that we willhave to live around at different places."

  "Where are your father and mother?"

  "The angels have got 'em."

  "Oh! Then you are orphans. Who takes care of you?"

  "We all of us take care of ourselves, but Gail is the play mother."

  "How many are there in your family?"

  "Seven with Towzer. He's a dog."

  They questioned her until the whole pitiful story was told, and thenstood silently lost in thought, while Peace fidgeted impatiently,watching Old Gray across the street, expecting any minute to see Mrs.Grinnell put in appearance.

  Finally Mr. Swift said, jestingly, "What security have you to offer?"

  "Sickerity?" repeated Peace, wonderingly.

  "Yes, when we loan money we have to have some security from the party.They must own some property or something of value to give us so if themoney isn't paid back we won't lose anything."

  Peace pondered deeply, then drew off a small, worn, gold ring which hadlost its "set," and laid it in the man's hand, saying, "That's all theprop'ty I've got except eight hens which I gave Gail for those Ipoisoned. It had a ruby in it once, but the old rooster picked it outand et it. I used to have two bunnies, too, but last Christmas theGerman kids ate Winkum and Blinkum all up."

  Mr. Swift smiled, but shook his head gravely, as he returned the ring."I am afraid that won't be enough, Miss Greenfield," he began, when Mr.Smart cut him short, "What is the use of fooling any longer, Swift? Sheprobably knows as much about such matters as your grandbaby. A kid herage knows a lot about business. Give her a nickel and send her packing."

  The genial Mr. Swift led the disappointed due
t to the door and dismissedthem with the words, "I am sorry, but we deal only with grown-up men andwomen. Call again when you are twenty-one."

  As the door closed behind them, however, the other tall, gray man, whohad been a silent spectator of the scene, spoke reprovingly, "I thinkshe has told you the truth, Smart. She is one of the youngsters I wasjust telling you about. I was afraid she would recognize me, butevidently she did not. I certainly shall investigate, for I am muchinterested. They have my wife and me by the heartstrings already andsome of these days you may hear that a whole family has been adopted bythe erratic Campbells. They are the children of that Pendennis ministerwho fought such a splendid fight in the Marble Avenue Church some yearsback, until he was forced to retire on account of his health. Well, Imust be going. Good-day!" He stepped outside the office, and looked upand down the street for a glimpse of the children, but they were nowherein sight; so he hailed a passing car, and was whirled rapidly awaythrough the busy city.

  In the meantime, poor, disappointed Peace had jerked Allee back acrossthe street, helped her into the buggy and had just got nicely settledwhen Mrs. Grinnell bustled out of Darnell's Department Store, ready forthe homeward journey. She eyed the sober faces keenly for an instant,undecided whether the frowns were due to impatience at her long absence,or because of some childish quarrel, but soon forgot all about thematter in planning how she should make up her new print dress, so thereturn trip was made in absolute silence.

  But Peace had by no means given up hope in the matter of the mortgageand, feeling better after the warm dinner had been eaten, she wanderedaway to the barn to hatch some other impossible plan. Finding Hope inthe loft sorting out rubbish to be burned, she threw herself on an oldbench behind the building, where the bright sunlight shone invitingly,and here she was soon so completely wrapped up in her own thoughts thatshe did not hear the sound of approaching steps, and was startled when afirm hand caught her by the shoulder and a merry voice demanded, "Why sopensive, little maid? That face would scare the tramps away."

  "Oh, Mr. Strong," she cried, catching his hand and pulling him downbeside her, "we are in the worst fix you ever heard. I knocked oldSkinflint's bull's horn off pawing red rags in the raspberry patch soFaith could have some sour jelly for her jelly rolls, and to pay me forthat he won't give us back our _mordige_. Gail cried and Faith cried andwe all cried. In a month we must break up this house and go to live withdifferent people unless we can get some money somewhere. I tried thismorning to borrow some in Martindale, but they wouldn't believe weneeded it. I know we do, 'cause Gail said so the night I hid in thecloset when she didn't know I was there."

  She paused for breath, and Mr. Strong said cheerily, "Yes, dear, I knowall about it. Gail told me, but I think maybe everything is coming outall right in the end. Don't you fret! But if I were you, I wouldn't tryany more to borrow the money--"

  "How are we to get it, then? Gail doesn't know of anybody."

  "Gail was meant for a little mother instead of a business woman. Nowthat she has asked some of us older folks for advice, I think we canmanage matters beautifully. Gail is just a girl herself, you know. Sheunderstands the situation a little better now, but the burden is tooheavy for her young shoulders. We must make it lighter, lots lighter.She wants to go to college, and Faith wants music lessons, and Hopeought to study drawing, and what would you like to study?"

  "Pigs! I want a pig farm," was the unexpected answer. "Ain't baby pigsthe dearest things you ever saw?"

  His shout of derision stopped her, and she sat twisting her brown handsin hurt and embarrassed silence.

  Her mournful attitude brought the young preacher to his senses, and hepinched her cheek playfully, saying, "Oh, what a doleful face! See if wecan't make it smile a little. No? Why, Peace, this is the way it looks.Supposing it should freeze that way." He drew his face down into acomically mournful grimace, and Peace laughed outright. "I heard thatyou won the prize at Annette's party for making the worst looking face,"he continued, "but I didn't suppose it was as bad as that."

  "That isn't half bad," cried Peace scornfully. "Why, I can make theugliest faces you ever saw."

  "Bet you can't!"

  "Bet I can!"

  "Try it!"

  Peace promptly bulged out her eyes, turned up her nose, and drew downher mouth in a hideous grimace, following it up with other horribledistortions; and then exclaimed, "How do you like that?"

  "I can do as well myself," said the preacher.

  "I don't b'lieve it! Let's see you do it!"

  Mr. Strong laid aside his hat, rumpled up his shining black hair, andwent through some fearful contortions of face, which almost paralyzedPeace for the moment. Then she screamed her delight, hopping about onone foot, and shouting boisterously, "You win, you win, Mr. Strong! If Ican ever make faces like those, I shall be perfectly happy. Do yous'pose I am young enough to learn? It must have taken you all your lifeto do it so beautifully. Will you teach me how?"

  On the other side of the fence something moved in the thick brush, andthere was a sound of a man's deep chuckle, but the two contestants inthe art of making faces were too much occupied to notice anything oftheir surroundings, and the unknown watcher enjoyed this novelentertainment for some moments.

  At length the preacher said, "Well, Peace, I came over to see Gail.Where can I find her?"

  "In the kitchen, most likely. Come along; I will hunt her up."

  The two strolled off toward the house, and a crouching figure in thehazel thicket followed them until they entered the kitchen door, when itdropped flat on the ground again and remained there alert and listeningduring the conference in the little brown house.

  When at last, as dusk was falling, the minister strode down the path tothe gate, a shabby, gray-haired man emerged from the shadows along theroadside and hurried after him. Hearing footsteps so close by, the youngman halted, expecting to see some of his parishioners or acquaintancesof the village trying to overtake him, and was naturally somewhatstartled when accosted by a stranger.

  "I beg your pardon," said Mr. Strong. "I thought it was someone whowanted me."

  "It is," replied the shabby man. "I take it that you are pastor of theParker Church,--Mr. Strong, I believe?"

  "Yes, sir," answered the preacher, still a little bewildered.

  "My name is Donald Campbell--"

  "President Campbell of the University?" gasped Mr. Strong in surprise,involuntarily looking down at the stranger's threadbare clothes.

  "As you prefer. Oh, I am in disguise! I will make explanations as wewalk along if you can give me a few moments of your time. I should liketo interview you in regard to our late Brother Peter Greenfield'sfamily."