by Oliver Optic
"It is really Jimmie's and Ralph's gymnasium," he had explained. "Theyknow how to use the apparatus, and you don't. When you are older,Jimmie will teach you and you may play there all you wish."
Sister looked longingly at the rings when Brother suggested them.
"Where's Jimmie?" she asked cautiously.
"Up in his room studying," answered Brother confidently.
Jimmie had been "conditioned" in the June examinations, and now spentpart of every vacation day studying so that he might take another testbefore school opened in the fall.
"All right," agreed Sister, assured that Jimmie was not likely to walkin upon them. "How'll we get the rings untied?"
The rings were fastened up out of the way, tied to a nail on the sidewall, so that when not in use they did not take up any room. Jimmiecould reach this nail easily, but, of course, it was far aboveBrother's head.
"I'll get the step-ladder," announced Brother confidently. "You hold itfor me."
The step-ladder was an old one and inclined to wobble. Brother mountedit slowly, and Sister sat down on the lowest step to hold it steady.Her weight was not enough to anchor the ladder, and it still shookcrazily when Brother reached the highest step and stood on his tiptoesto reach the string that held the swings on the nail.
"What are you kids up to now?" a voice asked suddenly.
It was Jimmie! He had come out to the barn to get a book he had left inthe corner cupboard.
Sister jumped to her feet, startled. Her elbow brushed the wobbilyladder and over it went, carrying Brother with it. He was too surprisedto cry out.
"Are you hurt? Of all the crazy actions?" Jimmie scolded vigorously ashe rushed to his small brother's rescue.
Fortunately for him, Brother had landed on one of the heavy, thick,quilted pads that were on the floor. The boys used them when on theapparatus in case they fell. Brother was not hurt at all, but he wasfrightened, and when Jimmie picked him up he was crying bitterly.
"I've a good mind to tell Father," continued Jimmie, who, of the threeolder boys, was less inclined to leniency with the performances ofBrother and Sister. "Next time you might be badly hurt, and then itwould be too late to punish you. Come here, Sister."
Sister came reluctantly.
"What were you trying to do?" said Jimmie grimly.
"Trying to use the swinging rings," answered Sister meekly.
"There's nothing to do," wailed Brother forlornly. "Everybody's busyand no one wants to play. And you don't own this barn, JimmieMorrison--so there!"
"Perhaps I don't," retorted Jimmie. "But Dad happens to have given methe use of it. And you're going to stay out if I have to put a padlockon the door. You've got all outdoors to play in--can't you findsomething pleasant to do?"
"Betty! Roddy!" called Nellie Yarrow from her side of the hedge."Betty! Come on out, I want to tell you something."
Brother and Sister ran toward the door.
"Wait a second!" shouted Jimmie. "Turn around."
They looked back at him. He was smiling.
"No hard feelings?" he suggested.
Sister dimpled and Brother laughed.
"No hard feelings," they chuckled and ran on down to the hedge.
That was the way the Morrison family always smoothed out theirdisputes. There was so many of them that they really could not beexpected to be always pleasant and never quarrel, but everydisagreement was, sooner or later, sure to end with the cheerfulannouncement, "No hard feelings."
"I suppose they ought to have a place of their own to play in," saidJimmie to himself when the children had gone. "I wonder if--"
He had an idea which for the present he meant to keep to himself.
CHAPTER X
THE HAUNTED HOUSE
"Hello!" Nellie Yarrow greeted Brother and Sister. "What do you think?"
"What?" asked Sister, apparently unable to think.
Nellie Yarrow pointed her finger as one having important news to tell.
"The haunted house is rented!" she said, excitedly.
The "haunted" house was an object of curiosity to every child inRidgeway. It was a small, shabby brown shingled dwelling on one of theside streets, and it was whispered that a man had once seen a "ghost"sitting at one of the windows. That was enough. Ever after no boy orgirl would go past the house at night, if it were possible to avoid it,and the more timid ran by it even in the day time. Of course theyshould have known there are no such things as "ghosts," but some ofthem didn't.
"Who is going to live in it?" asked Sister curiously. "Don't yousuppose they will be afraid?"
"Well, I wouldn't live in it," declared Nellie positively. "Some folksdon't care anything about ghosts, though. Let's go down and watch 'emcarry in the furniture."
Not many new families moved into Ridgeway during the year, and a Junemoving was something of an event. The children found a little group offolk watching the green van backed up to the gate. Two colored men werecarrying in furniture, and an old lady with her head tied up in a towelwas sweeping off the narrow front porch.
"Gee, she's got a parrot!" cried a ragged, redheaded little boy who wastrying to walk on top of the sharp pickets.
He was barefooted and the pickets were very sharp, so when themoving--van man, having put down the parrot and its cage on the porch,pretended to run straight toward him, the boy lost his balance andfell. He was up in a moment and running down the street as fast asthough the furniture man were really chasing him.
"Sister!" Brother spoke excitedly. "That's the little boy I told youabout. We saw him downtown, Louise and I, when we were buying thingsfor the fishpond for my birthday; remember? Only he didn't have a ragon his foot today."
"He used to be in my class at school," said Nellie. "Oh, look at allthe boxes of books!"
Brother meant to ask Nellie what the redheaded boy's name was, but shehad danced out to the van to see how large it was inside, and when shecame back Brother had forgotten his question.
"My father says an old lady is going to live here," volunteered FrancisRider, a freckle-faced lad of ten or twelve. "She lives all by herself,and she doesn't like noise. Her name is Miss Putnam."
Neither, they were to learn, did Miss Putnam like company, especiallythat of boys and girls.
When the last piece of furniture had been carried in, and the van haddriven creakingly off down the street, the old lady, with her head tiedin the towel, was seen approaching the fence.
"That's Miss Putnam," whispered Francis.
"Get off that fence!" cried Miss Putnam, brandishing her broom. "Getoff! I'm not going to have my fence broken down by a parcel of youngones. Go on home, I tell you!"
The children scrambled down and scattered like leaves. Francis, when hewas a safe distance up the street, put out his tongue and made a faceat Miss Putnam. The old lady continued to stand by the gate and shakeher broom threateningly as long as there was a child in sight.
"The Collins house is rented at last," said Daddy Morrison at thesupper table that night. "I came through there on my way home from thestation, and there was a light in the kitchen window. I wonder who hastaken it?"
"I know, Daddy," answered Louise quickly. "An aunt of Mrs. Collins hasrented it. She is a Miss Putnam and she makes lovely braided rugs forthe art and craft shops in the city. Sue Loftis told me."
"Well, she's cross as--as anything!" struck in Brother severely. "Shechased us all off her fence this morning; didn't she, Betty?"
"Yes, she did," nodded Sister. "And we weren't doing a thing 'ceptwatch her move in. Francis Rider stuck out his tongue at her, and shecalled him a 'brat.'"
Daddy Morrison glanced at her sharply.
"Don't let me hear of either of you annoying Miss Putnam in any way,"he said sternly. "I know how children can sometimes, without meaningit, bother an elderly and crochety person. Miss Putnam has every rightto keep her house and yard for herself, and if she is 'cross,' as youcall it, that is her affair, too. My advice to you youngsters is tostay away from the Collins house."
"Now will you be good?" said Ralph, catching Sister by her short skirtsas she attempted to slip past him as he sat in one of the comfortableporch rockers.
The family had scattered after supper, and only Ralph and Jimmie wereon the front porch.
"The day after a party is always unlucky," observed Jimmie, tweakinghis little sister's hair-ribbon playfully. "You and Brother have hadmore than your share of scolding today, haven't you, Sister?"
To his surprise, and Ralph's, Sister's small foot in its patent leatherslipper and white sock struck at him viciously.
"Why, Elizabeth Morrison!" exclaimed Ralph, lifting the little girl tohis lap and holding her firmly there in spite of her struggles. "I'mastonished at you. What are you kicking Jimmie for?"
"Go way!" cried Sister furiously, as Jimmie tried to see her face. "Goway--you're a mean, hateful boy!"
"Quit it!" commanded Ralph, giving her a little shake. "Stop actinglike this, Sister, or I'll take you in and put you to bed!"
Sister knew he was quite capable of doing this very thing and shestopped struggling.
"Jimmie is just as mean!" she sobbed, burying her head in Ralph's coat.
"What have I done?" demanded Jimmie, much surprised.
"You've gone and put a padlock on the barn door!" flashed Sister,sitting up and drying her eyes.
Jimmie laughed, and Ralph laughed a little too.
"Well, I haven't locked the door for the reason you think," explainedJimmie kindly. "It isn't just to keep you and Brother out, Sister. I'mmaking you something nice, and I don't want you to see it until it isall finished."
"All right," conceded Sister graciously. "I thought maybe you didn'twant Brother and me to play in the barn."
"No hard feelings, then?" inquired Jimmie, holding out his hand.
And--"No hard feelings," admitted Sister, smiling after the "salt-watershower."
CHAPTER XI
JIMMIE'S SURPRISE
The "haunted" house continued to be an attraction to the children ofthe neighborhood even after Miss Putnam moved in, and the ghost mightreasonably be supposed to have moved out. Alas, it was Miss Putnamherself who now supplied the thrills.
Miss Putnam, you see, had never had much to do with children, and shethought she disliked them very much indeed. Boys, in her opinion, madea great deal of noise and girls always giggled and were silly. Sowhenever she saw a child hanging over her gate, or even stopping toglance at her house, she was apt to come charging out at them with abroom. The younger ones were afraid of her and the older, larger boysnaughtily enjoyed provoking the poor old lady. So it was soon a commonsight to see several boys flying up the street, Miss Putnam after them,waving her broom wildly.
Brother and Sister, mindful of Daddy Morrison's warning, never actuallydid anything to make Miss Putnam chase them. But it must be confessedthat they used to walk through the street on which she lived, in thehope of seeing her chase someone. Ridgeway was a quiet place in summertime, and any excitement was welcome.
For several days after Sister's outburst because of the locked barndoor, Jimmie worked away busily in his beloved gymnasium. He would notlet either Brother or Sister as much as put their noses inside thedoor, and when they tried to find out from Molly what he was doing--forMolly could usually be depended upon to know what everyone in thefamily was up to--she simply shook her head and said she had promisednot to tell.
"I wish," said Sister for the tenth time one warm morning, "I wishthere was something new to do."
"So do I," agreed Brother. "There's Jimmie--he's beckoning to us."
Jimmie stood in the barn doorway, motioning the children to come in.
Brother and Sister jumped down the three back steps in one leap andraced toward the barn.
"Want to see what I've been making?" asked Jimmie proudly, "Come on in,and look--there!"
The tools from the carpenter's bench which occupied one side of thebarn were scattered about on the floor where Jimmie had been usingthem. All Brother and Sister could see was a wide, rather shallow box,painted a dark green.
"Is it--is it a boat?" ventured Sister doubtfully.
"What's it for?" asked Brother.
"It's for you to play with," explained Jimmie. "I thought maybe youwould help me carry it out under the horsechestnut tree in the sideyard."
"But how do we play with it?" insisted Brother. "Is it a game, Jimmie?"
"Put your hand in that bag back of you," directed Jimmie. "Perhaps thenyou can guess."
A burlap bag, opened, stood close to Sister. She and Brother plungedtheir hands in and drew them out filled with something that trickledswiftly through their fingers.
"Sand!" they shouted. "Seashore sand! Oh, Jimmie, is it a sandbox?"
Jimmie nodded, smiling. He knew they had long wanted a sandbox, andlike the dear, good brother he was, he had spent his mornings sawingand fitting and smoothing off boards to make a nice, strong box.
"What fun!" Sister bounced up and down with pleasure. "Can we play withit right away?"
"Don't know why not," said Jimmie. "You two take one end, and we'llcarry it out under the tree. Mother thought that was the best placebecause it will be shady most of the day for you."
They carried the box out to the tree, and then Jimmie brought the bagof sand on the wheelbarrow and dumped it into the box.
"Just like the seashore!" beamed Brother. "Thank you ever so much,Jimmie."
"Yes, thank you ever so much, Jimmie," echoed Sister, jumping up andstanding on tiptoe to kiss Jimmie. "It's the nicest box!"
Jimmie pretended that it wasn't much to do, but of course he was verymuch pleased that his little brother and sister should be so delighted.Big brothers often pretend that they don't want anyone to make a fussover the presents they give or the nice things they do, but just thesame they are secretly glad when their efforts are appreciated.
"Here's fifty cents for each of you," announced Jimmie, pulling somechange from his pocket and handing two quarters to Brother and a shinyhalf-dollar to Sister. "If Mother is willing for you to go downtown youcan get some sand-toys."
Mother Morrison was willing they should go if they would remember to becareful about automobiles and if they would promise to be back withinan hour.
The Morrison house was not very near the section of Ridgeway whichcontained the shops and stores, but the children often took the longwalk alone. There were no trolleys to be careful about, except the oneline that ran to the city, but the automobile traffic was rather heavyand one had to remember to stop and look both ways before crossing astreet.
"Let's take Brownie with us," suggested Brother, when they were readyto start out to spend their wealth. "We can carry him if he gets tired."
The fat little collie puppy wagged his tail cordially. He loved to gowalking and felt that too often he was neglected when he should havebeen invited. He always wore his silver collar, and Louise had givenBrother a little leather leash that could be snapped on when he tookthe dog outside the yard.
"Want to go, Brownie?" asked Sister. "Want to go out?"
Brownie barked sharply. Indeed, he did want to go!
Brother and Sister took turns leading him, and before they had gonevery far they met Nellie Yarrow. She offered to go with them and shewas much interested to hear that there was a new sandbox in theMorrison yard.
"I'll come over and play with you this afternoon," she promised. "Letme lead Brownie, Roddy?"
Brother gave her the leash, watching her anxiously. Nellie wassometimes careless with other people's property, he had learned, thoughshe was so generous with her own it was hard to refuse her anything.
"Don't let him get away," he cautioned.
Nellie opened her mouth to say "I won't," when with a sudden jerkBrownie tore the leather line from her hand and dashed into the road.
"Here comes a big motor-truck!" screamed Sister. "Brownie will be runover and killed!"
CHAPTER XII
A LITTLE SHOPPING
The foolish little puppy
crouched down directly in the path of thelumbering motor-truck. The children could feel the ground quivering asthe weight of the heavy wheels jarred at every turn.
Brother forgot that he had promised to be careful about automobiles. Heforgot that, bad as it would be for a motor-driver to run over a puppydog, it would be twenty times worse for him to run down a little boy.He forgot everything except the fact that his dog was in danger!
"Look out!" shrieked Nellie Yarrow. "Roddy, come back!"
A huge red touring car, filled with laughing girls, whizzed past him,and after that a light delivery car that had to swerve sharply to avoidstriking him. As Brother reached the dog he thought the motor-truck wasgoing to roll right over him, and he closed his eyes and made a grabfor Brownie. When he opened them, the truck was standing still, twowheels in the ditch, and three men were climbing down and startingtoward him.
"Are you hurt, Roddy?" cried Sister, skipping into the road, followedby Nellie. "My, I thought that truck was going to run over you sure!"
"Come out of the road, you kids!" ordered one of the men roughly,pushing the three children not unkindly over in the direction of theditch. "This is no place to stand and talk--hasn't your mother evertold you to keep out of the streets?"
The driver of the truck, who was a young man with blue eyes and a quicksmile, patted Brownie on the head gently.
"I saw the dog," he explained to Brother. "I wouldn't have run overhim, anyway. Next time, no matter what happens, don't you run into theroad. Cars going the other way might have struck you, and I didn't knowwhich way you were going to jump after you got the dog. No driver wantsto run over a dog if he can help it, and you children only make mattersworse by dashing in among traffic."