and the floor and swept down the walls of the parlor and hall.
“Ugly old wallpaper!” said Cornelia, eyeing it spitefully. “That’s got to come off if I have to do it myself and have bare walls.”
“Why, that’s easy!” said Carey. “Give me an old rag!” And he began to slop the water on and scrape with an old case knife.
“Well, that’s delightful!” said Cornelia with relief. “I didn’t know it would be so easy. We’ll do a little at a time until it is done, and then we’ll either paper it ourselves or paint it. I do wish we could manage to get a fireplace.”
“Well, maybe we can find some stone cheap where they’re hauling it away. Harry’ll know someplace likely; he gets around with that grocery wagon. You know I helped a stonemason last summer for a while. Mother hated it, though, so I quit, but I learned a lot about mixing cement and how to lay it on. I know about the drafts, too. I bet I could make as good a fireplace as the next one. Gee! I wish I knew where to get some stone or brick.”
“Stone would be best,” said Cornelia. “It would make a lovely chimney mantel, but I suppose you couldn’t be so elaborate as making a mantel!”
“Sure, I could! But it would take some stone to do all that.”
“I know where there’s a lot of stone!” They turned around surprised, and there stood Harry in the doorway with Louise just behind him, looking in with delighted faces at the newly cleaned room and the hardworking elder brother.
“Where?” Carey wheeled around eagerly.
“Down on the dump. It was brought there yesterday, a whole lot of it, several cartloads. Came from a place where they have been taking down an old wall, and they had no place to put it, I guess. Anyhow, it’s there.”
“I’ll go see if there’s enough,” said Carey, flashing out of the door and up the street.
He was back in a minute with a big stone in his hand.
“It’s just cellar stone,” he said deprecatingly, “but there’s plenty.”
“Humph!” said Louise maturely. “Well, I never thought I’d be glad I lived near that old dump! Do you mean we’re going to have a real fireplace, Carey?”
“That’s the idea, kid, and I guess I can make good. But how are we going to get that stone here?”
“There’s the express-wagon,” said Louise thoughtfully. “Harry has to work, but I could haul some.”
“You!” said Carey contemptuously. “Do you suppose I’d let a girl haul stone for me? No, I’ll go borrow a truck. I know a fella has one, and it’s almost quitting time. I know he’ll lend it to me; and if he does, I’ll work until I get those stones all landed, or like as not somebody else will get their eye on them. Stones like that cost a lot nowadays, even if they are only cellar stones.”
“Cellar stones are lovely,” said Cornelia delightedly. “They have a lot of iron in them and make very artistic houses. I heard a big architect say that once in a lecture at college.”
“Well, there’s nothing like being satisfied with what you have to have,” said Carey. “Here, Nell, you look out for the rest of that baseboard; I’m off to borrow a truck. Next time you see me I’ll be riding a load of stone!”
“I’ll come down at six o’clock and help you load!” shouted Harry from the third story, where he was rapidly changing into his working clothes.
“All right, kid, that’s the stuff. Nell will save us some supper, and we’ll work till dark.”
“It won’t be dark,” said Louise sagely. “It’s moonlight tonight.”
“That’s right, too,” said Carey as he seized his hat and dashed out of the house.
Chapter 8
Y ou’ve got him to work!” said Louise joyously, looking at her sister with shining eyes.
“I didn’t do it,” said Cornelia, smiling. “He came of his own accord and seems awfully interested.”
“Well, it’s because you’re here, of course; that makes all the difference in the world.”
“Thank you, Louie,” said her sister,
“Ugly old wallpaper!” said Cornelia, eyeing it spitefully. “That’s got to come off if I have to do it myself and have bare walls.”
“Why, that’s easy!” said Carey. “Give me an old rag!” And he began to slop the water on and scrape with an old case knife.
“Well, that’s delightful!” said Cornelia with relief. “I didn’t know it would be so easy. We’ll do a little at a time until it is done, and then we’ll either paper it ourselves or paint it. I do wish we could manage to get a fireplace.”
“Well, maybe we can find some stone cheap where they’re hauling it away. Harry’ll know someplace likely; he gets around with that grocery wagon. You know I helped a stonemason last summer for a while. Mother hated it, though, so I quit, but I learned a lot about mixing cement and how to lay it on. I know about the drafts, too. I bet I could make as good a fireplace as the next one. Gee! I wish I knew where to get some stone or brick.”
“Stone would be best,” said Cornelia. “It would make a lovely chimney mantel, but I suppose you couldn’t be so elaborate as making a mantel!”
“Sure, I could! But it would take some stone to do all that.”
“I know where there’s a lot of stone!” They turned around surprised, and there stood Harry in the doorway with Louise just behind him, looking in with delighted faces at the newly cleaned room and the hardworking elder brother.
“Where?” Carey wheeled around eagerly.
“Down on the dump. It was brought there yesterday, a whole lot of it, several cartloads. Came from a place where they have been taking down an old wall, and they had no place to put it, I guess. Anyhow, it’s there.”
“I’ll go see if there’s enough,” said Carey, flashing out of the door and up the street.
He was back in a minute with a big stone in his hand.
“It’s just cellar stone,” he said deprecatingly, “but there’s plenty.”
“Humph!” said Louise maturely. “Well, I never thought I’d be glad I lived near that old dump! Do you mean we’re going to have a real fireplace, Carey?”
“That’s the idea, kid, and I guess I can make good. But how are we going to get that stone here?”
“There’s the express-wagon,” said Louise thoughtfully. “Harry has to work, but I could haul some.”
“You!” said Carey contemptuously. “Do you suppose I’d let a girl haul stone for me? No, I’ll go borrow a truck. I know a fella has one, and it’s almost quitting time. I know he’ll lend it to me; and if he does, I’ll work until I get those stones all landed, or like as not somebody else will get their eye on them. Stones like that cost a lot nowadays, even if they are only cellar stones.”
“Cellar stones are lovely,” said Cornelia delightedly. “They have a lot of iron in them and make very artistic houses. I heard a big architect say that once in a lecture at college.”
“Well, there’s nothing like being satisfied with what you have to have,” said Carey. “Here, Nell, you look out for the rest of that baseboard; I’m off to borrow a truck. Next time you see me I’ll be riding a load of stone!”
“I’ll come down at six o’clock and help you load!” shouted Harry from the third story, where he was rapidly changing into his working clothes.
“All right, kid, that’s the stuff. Nell will save us some supper, and we’ll work till dark.”
“It won’t be dark,” said Louise sagely. “It’s moonlight tonight.”
“That’s right, too,” said Carey as he seized his hat and dashed out of the house.
Chapter 8
Y ou’ve got him to work!” said Louise joyously, looking at her sister with shining eyes.
“I didn’t do it,” said Cornelia, smiling. “He came of his own accord and seems awfully interested.”
“Well, it’s because you’re here, of course; that makes all the difference in the world.”
“Thank you, Louie,” said her sister,
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