her statement was true, she hurried on. “And if Rachel does get into a film, she’ll have to spend all she earns on furs and diamonds, like the rest of them.”
Tim could not be crushed. “It won’t matter. I can do without her help. As a matter of fact, I’m already making arrangements.”
Peaseblossom came back. Inside, she was feeling a little anxious. She did hope it was all right letting Rachel go off that little Miss Fossil like that, but nothing showed in her face. She smiled at Jane and Tim.
“Our side’s doing splendidly. Fancy, only here one day and Rachel at an audition! It’ll be you next Tim, and then we must arrange something special for you Jane. Now, how are those sums going?”
Jane bit her pencil and scowled worse than usual.
“Arrange something for Jane.” That was how they all thought. But wait. Someday she’d show them.
10
A Piano and a Dog
Lunch was over. The children were supposed to read for half an hour on their beds. Tim was reading Treasure Island for the third time. He had just got to the place where blind Pew’s stick is heard tapping outside the inn when the door softly opened and Bella walked in; in view of where Tim’s mind was, she made him jump. Bella put her finger to her lips and nodded at the other door, which led to John and Bee’s bedroom, from behind which came the sound of John’s typewriter. She creaked down on the bed, which made it sag over to one side. She spoke in a whisper.
“I have a friend who works in a drugstore...”
It was a long story as Bella told it. Her friend from the drugstore had been around that morning, delivering bottles. He had told Bella that she was right in thinking there was a piano in the drugstore. He also said his boss was a kind man, and he guessed if Tim asked him, he would let him practice on the piano at a time when customers weren’t eating; then Bella held up a warning finger.
“Miss Cora mustn’t ever know. She’ll figure a drugstore is a trashy, no-account place.”
Tim thanked Bella and watched her leave the room and closed the door. He shut his book and sat up. He did not want a fuss, and there would be a fuss if he went out alone when he was supposed to be taken for a nature walk. Tim did not want anybody with him; this was a matter between himself and the drugstore boss. There was only one person who could help, as Rachel was away at her audition. He slipped out of his room and moved along the passage to the girls’ room. He listened outside the door. There was no talking, so it sounded as if Jane were alone. He opened the door a crack and peered in.
Jane was alone. She was lying face downward on her bed, drawing. She was drawing an exceedingly fancy picture of herself in a circus ring, with Chewing-gum and six other dogs doing amazing feats around her. She hated being interrupted, so she gave Tim one of her most disobliging frowns and said, “You’re supposed to be resting, my boy.”
Tim came in and closed the door and in a whisper told what Bella had said, adding, “Aunt Cora’s not to know because she’ll think drugstores trashy, no-account places.”
Jane got off her bed; she thought better of walking about. She had never heard the expressions trashy or no-account before, but she liked both.
“Which is just what I think of Aunt Cora. You go. I’ll do delaying action. I’ll probably have to tell Peaseblossom in the end, but with any luck not till you’ve finished arranging about the piano with the drugstore man.
Peaseblossom and Bee were lying on a blanket on the sand. It was so lovely and hot that at first Bee was too contented to speak. Then she murmured, “I feel too lucky to be real. In my wildest dreams I never thought of John starting to write the moment we got here.”
Peaseblossom would have liked to go on lying in the sun and doing nothing, but she had gone to the beach not to enjoy herself but to talk about Rachel.
“I couldn’t tell you before, as Cora was there but Rachel has
Tim could not be crushed. “It won’t matter. I can do without her help. As a matter of fact, I’m already making arrangements.”
Peaseblossom came back. Inside, she was feeling a little anxious. She did hope it was all right letting Rachel go off that little Miss Fossil like that, but nothing showed in her face. She smiled at Jane and Tim.
“Our side’s doing splendidly. Fancy, only here one day and Rachel at an audition! It’ll be you next Tim, and then we must arrange something special for you Jane. Now, how are those sums going?”
Jane bit her pencil and scowled worse than usual.
“Arrange something for Jane.” That was how they all thought. But wait. Someday she’d show them.
10
A Piano and a Dog
Lunch was over. The children were supposed to read for half an hour on their beds. Tim was reading Treasure Island for the third time. He had just got to the place where blind Pew’s stick is heard tapping outside the inn when the door softly opened and Bella walked in; in view of where Tim’s mind was, she made him jump. Bella put her finger to her lips and nodded at the other door, which led to John and Bee’s bedroom, from behind which came the sound of John’s typewriter. She creaked down on the bed, which made it sag over to one side. She spoke in a whisper.
“I have a friend who works in a drugstore...”
It was a long story as Bella told it. Her friend from the drugstore had been around that morning, delivering bottles. He had told Bella that she was right in thinking there was a piano in the drugstore. He also said his boss was a kind man, and he guessed if Tim asked him, he would let him practice on the piano at a time when customers weren’t eating; then Bella held up a warning finger.
“Miss Cora mustn’t ever know. She’ll figure a drugstore is a trashy, no-account place.”
Tim thanked Bella and watched her leave the room and closed the door. He shut his book and sat up. He did not want a fuss, and there would be a fuss if he went out alone when he was supposed to be taken for a nature walk. Tim did not want anybody with him; this was a matter between himself and the drugstore boss. There was only one person who could help, as Rachel was away at her audition. He slipped out of his room and moved along the passage to the girls’ room. He listened outside the door. There was no talking, so it sounded as if Jane were alone. He opened the door a crack and peered in.
Jane was alone. She was lying face downward on her bed, drawing. She was drawing an exceedingly fancy picture of herself in a circus ring, with Chewing-gum and six other dogs doing amazing feats around her. She hated being interrupted, so she gave Tim one of her most disobliging frowns and said, “You’re supposed to be resting, my boy.”
Tim came in and closed the door and in a whisper told what Bella had said, adding, “Aunt Cora’s not to know because she’ll think drugstores trashy, no-account places.”
Jane got off her bed; she thought better of walking about. She had never heard the expressions trashy or no-account before, but she liked both.
“Which is just what I think of Aunt Cora. You go. I’ll do delaying action. I’ll probably have to tell Peaseblossom in the end, but with any luck not till you’ve finished arranging about the piano with the drugstore man.
Peaseblossom and Bee were lying on a blanket on the sand. It was so lovely and hot that at first Bee was too contented to speak. Then she murmured, “I feel too lucky to be real. In my wildest dreams I never thought of John starting to write the moment we got here.”
Peaseblossom would have liked to go on lying in the sun and doing nothing, but she had gone to the beach not to enjoy herself but to talk about Rachel.
“I couldn’t tell you before, as Cora was there but Rachel has
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