up."
"Oh, sure! It won't take long, will it?"
So Melissa rushed into the butcher shop and up to the pleasant-faced butcher. He drew away from the customer he was serving and leaned over so that she would not have to talk loud. "Oh, Mr. Brady," she said sweetly, "may I trouble you to do one thing more for us? My brother was hurt last night in an accident--"
"Yes, the kid told me on his way to school," said the kindly voice gravely. "He said he didn't know whether your ma was going up or not."
"No, she wasn't sure she could. It costs a lot to travel, and you know we are rather poor just now, but I've got a chance to go for nothing, and I'm going. The family of a classmate of my brother's is going up to visit him, and they asked me to go with them. Mother and the rest are all away, and I can't stop to explain, so I'm just leaving the key here. Would you mind watching for them and giving it to them? I've left a short note at the house, but I thought they might feel better about my going so suddenly if you told them you had seen me."
"H'm!" said Brady, eyeing her anxiously. "You know the chap you're going with?"
"Well, not exactly know him, but I've seen his picture, and Steve has of course spoken of his brother, the roommate."
Brady cast an appraising glance out of the door at the expensive car.
"That the chap that came here asking for you?" he asked.
"Why, yes, I guess it is," granted Melissa. She was beginning to feel a trifle out of breath with the suddenness of it all.
"Got any money?" Brady seemed to search down to her very soul for the answer.
Melissa colored uncomfortably.
"Oh, I shan't need money," she said airily. "We're driving, you know, and they are bringing me back day after tomorrow."
"How much you got?"
"Two dollars," said Melissa haughtily, as if she had said two thousand.
"Well, here," said Brady, pulling out a fat roll of bills from his pocket and peeling off a few, "there's fifty. Take that and pin it in your dress somewheres, and don't let anybody know you got it, understand? I can't let your mother's little girl run off alone this way with strangers and no money. Here's a piece of wax paper; wrap it up and pin it inside your dress. You go in the back there by my desk and fix it up. Quick!"
"Oh, Mr. Brady!" said Melissa with very red cheeks. "I couldn't think of taking your money. Mother wouldn't like it at all. You've done altogether too much for us already."
"Nonsense! You're not taking it; you're only having it with you in case of emergency. You don't need to use it unless you have to. You can give it back to me when you get home if you don't need it, but I'll feel safer and so will your mother if you have it along. And don't you let that chap know you got it, hear? He may be all right, but what he don't know won't hurt him, see?" From under the lapel of his coat he produced two safety pins. "Now run along back there and fix it up, and I'll take a look at the car you're going in so I can tell your family about it."
Melissa somehow felt she had to obey, and she hurried back, for she did not want to keep these kind strangers waiting.
Brady was stalking leisurely in from the door as she came out of the little alcove where the desk was, feeling much more confident, truly, with that bit of wax paper pinned safely inside her dress.
"Who's the dame?" he asked Melissa as she tried to thank him with her best smile.
"His mother."
"H'm! Well! You take care o' yerself!" he admonished and then stood in the door and watched her with a troubled frown as the big car started away from the door.
Melissa felt a little like crying as she settled back on the soft cushions and realized that she was really started on a journey in this wonderful car. She looked back at the big troubled butcher there in his doorway and waved a little white hand at him, and then she took a deep breath to choke back those excited tears.
What would her mother say when she got home and read that note? What would they all say?
"Oh, sure! It won't take long, will it?"
So Melissa rushed into the butcher shop and up to the pleasant-faced butcher. He drew away from the customer he was serving and leaned over so that she would not have to talk loud. "Oh, Mr. Brady," she said sweetly, "may I trouble you to do one thing more for us? My brother was hurt last night in an accident--"
"Yes, the kid told me on his way to school," said the kindly voice gravely. "He said he didn't know whether your ma was going up or not."
"No, she wasn't sure she could. It costs a lot to travel, and you know we are rather poor just now, but I've got a chance to go for nothing, and I'm going. The family of a classmate of my brother's is going up to visit him, and they asked me to go with them. Mother and the rest are all away, and I can't stop to explain, so I'm just leaving the key here. Would you mind watching for them and giving it to them? I've left a short note at the house, but I thought they might feel better about my going so suddenly if you told them you had seen me."
"H'm!" said Brady, eyeing her anxiously. "You know the chap you're going with?"
"Well, not exactly know him, but I've seen his picture, and Steve has of course spoken of his brother, the roommate."
Brady cast an appraising glance out of the door at the expensive car.
"That the chap that came here asking for you?" he asked.
"Why, yes, I guess it is," granted Melissa. She was beginning to feel a trifle out of breath with the suddenness of it all.
"Got any money?" Brady seemed to search down to her very soul for the answer.
Melissa colored uncomfortably.
"Oh, I shan't need money," she said airily. "We're driving, you know, and they are bringing me back day after tomorrow."
"How much you got?"
"Two dollars," said Melissa haughtily, as if she had said two thousand.
"Well, here," said Brady, pulling out a fat roll of bills from his pocket and peeling off a few, "there's fifty. Take that and pin it in your dress somewheres, and don't let anybody know you got it, understand? I can't let your mother's little girl run off alone this way with strangers and no money. Here's a piece of wax paper; wrap it up and pin it inside your dress. You go in the back there by my desk and fix it up. Quick!"
"Oh, Mr. Brady!" said Melissa with very red cheeks. "I couldn't think of taking your money. Mother wouldn't like it at all. You've done altogether too much for us already."
"Nonsense! You're not taking it; you're only having it with you in case of emergency. You don't need to use it unless you have to. You can give it back to me when you get home if you don't need it, but I'll feel safer and so will your mother if you have it along. And don't you let that chap know you got it, hear? He may be all right, but what he don't know won't hurt him, see?" From under the lapel of his coat he produced two safety pins. "Now run along back there and fix it up, and I'll take a look at the car you're going in so I can tell your family about it."
Melissa somehow felt she had to obey, and she hurried back, for she did not want to keep these kind strangers waiting.
Brady was stalking leisurely in from the door as she came out of the little alcove where the desk was, feeling much more confident, truly, with that bit of wax paper pinned safely inside her dress.
"Who's the dame?" he asked Melissa as she tried to thank him with her best smile.
"His mother."
"H'm! Well! You take care o' yerself!" he admonished and then stood in the door and watched her with a troubled frown as the big car started away from the door.
Melissa felt a little like crying as she settled back on the soft cushions and realized that she was really started on a journey in this wonderful car. She looked back at the big troubled butcher there in his doorway and waved a little white hand at him, and then she took a deep breath to choke back those excited tears.
What would her mother say when she got home and read that note? What would they all say?
Similar Books
