CHAPTER 13
The Party
Mr. Carter had said, “It won’t be long now.” But it was longer than he thought. Nobody saw the man. Benny and Mike were always watching, but they never saw him. There seemed to be no stranger in town.
The pie business was doing well. Every day Mrs. Wood and the girls made sixty pies. The boys sold them all.
“We are making money,” said Jessie. “People are very good to us. And the insurance helped.”
“Yes, my dear,” said Mrs. Wood. “I think I can earn a good living this way.”
“Yes,” said Violet. “We have so much practice, we can make them faster and faster!”
“It was a very good idea,” said Henry, “having Mike’s Mother’s Place. I never get tired of selling pies. The men are so glad to get them.”
Mrs. Wood said, “When you go back to school, I can hire two girls to help me. I know two nice girls.”
“Some day we ought to have a party,” said Jessie. “The people have been so kind.”
“A Pie Party!” cried Benny. “Give everybody a pie.”
Mrs. Wood laughed. “Not a whole pie, Benny,” she said. “We could give everybody a piece of pie, and some coffee.”
“And milk,” said Benny.
“Well, all right, milk,” agreed Mrs. Wood.
“Have it Saturday night, when all the men could come,” said Violet.
“Have it this Saturday night!” shouted Benny.
“We can ask Mr. Carter and Mr. Gardner,” said Henry.
“And we can make pies all day,” said Jessie, “and have the party in the evening.”
Everyone thought this was a fine idea. When they told Mr. Gardner he laughed. He said, “Go ahead. I’ll help you. It will surely be very lonesome here when you four Aldens go back to school in the Fall.”
Mrs. Wood and Jessie and Violet wore white. They made white caps.
They made white caps for the boys, too. They made big white aprons. The boys got a printing set and printed MIKE’S MOTHER’S PLACE on the front of their big aprons. They had many cans of milk and hot coffee.
Then the people began to come to the party. The two dogs ran around having a wonderful time. They loved everybody, and they were good dogs.
There were plenty of chairs, because Mr. Carter had sent them. He sent movies too.
He said, “I have some beautiful pictures of the South Seas. The people will like to see the banana trees and the monkeys.”
When it was dark, the movies began. The people sat in rows and watched the show. They clapped and laughed at the monkeys. Watch had a chair between Jessie and Benny. He watched the picture with the rest. Next came Mike and then Spot. Mr. Carter sat on the end near the door. All the windows were open and the door was open. Benny whispered to Mike, “This would be a good time for somebody to blow up the mine.”
“No, the watchmen are there,” Mike whispered.
Mike put his arm around Spotty’s neck. Everyone looked at the picture except Mike. He never knew why he looked out the door, but he did and Spotty looked too. He saw a man walking slowly by. Then suddenly he felt the hair on Spotty’s neck move. Spotty looked at the door and growled.
Mr. Carter heard Spotty growl. He jumped up, and dashed out of the door. Mike and Spotty dashed after him.
They all saw a man running in the darkness. But Spotty could run faster than the man. Soon he caught the man’s leg. He held him, growling, until Mr. Carter came. Mike never knew how strong Mr. Carter’s hands were.
The watchmen ran up and soon the man was taken away.
“The man in the blue hat!” cried Mike.
“Yes, Mike, I think it is,” said Mr. Carter. “Spotty knew him.”
“Spotty ran faster than he did in the race,” said Mike.
“I guess he did,” said Mr. Carter. “Now, Mike, don’t say a word. Just go back quietly.”
“Can’t I tell Ben?” asked Mike.
“Yes, if you whisper. Don’t let anyone else know about this. It will spoil the party.” |