School had been in session for two weeks before Bet and Kit were allowed to go. Although Kit was a year and a half older than her friends, she was in the same grade. The little mountain school which she had attended in Arizona, had not been of the best. Her friendship for her chums made up to her for the fact that she was taller than any other girl in the class and for that reason had to bear many taunts from spiteful and thoughtless schoolmates. Kit became a favorite with most of the class, her quaint sayings amused them. But Edith Whalen took a violent dislike to her, as she was apt to do when she saw another girl made much of.
"Isn't she terribly crude!" exclaimed Edith with curled lips. "I don't see why she had to be in our class. I know mother wouldn't want me to associate with her."
"Bet Baxter seems to like her," said Vivian Long, who was always to be seen at Edith's heels.
"Well her taste isn't to be imitated. I think she's horrid."
"Why Edith Whalen, how can you say a thing like that? We all think Kit is so pretty and sweet. And she's very clever!" exclaimed Shirley Williams, coming to the defense of her chum.
"But who is she? The daughter of a cowboy or a miner! She's just common white trash!"
Bet was coming toward Edith, her eyes blazing. "Why Edith Whalen you are nothing but a horrid snob. I hate you!"
This was what Miss Elder heard as she came quietly into the class room.
"Bet!" Miss Elder's voice was stern. "I'll see you after school tonight. I'm surprised to hear you talk like that to anyone."
Bet was overcome with shame and anger. She went to her place at once and bent over her books, knowing that Edith was preening herself over her success in getting others into trouble. It seemed as if Edith could always do something mean and get away with it.
"And if I so much as,—well lose my temper a wee little bit like I did this morning—I get punished." Bet was receiving the sympathy of her chums at noon.
From a distance Bet heard Edith talking to a group of girls about her, "Miss Elder will make her apologize to me, and I hope it will be before the whole school. Bet thinks she can say anything, just because Colonel Baxter is rich and popular."
Bet had started toward the corner of the room where Edith was standing, but Shirley laid her hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, Bet," coaxed Shirley. "Don't listen to her. You'll only get into more trouble."
"I don't care, I'm going to tell her what I think of her."
"Aw forget it, Bet!" exclaimed Joy. "What's the matter with you today, anyway? Usually you can laugh at anything mean Edith has a mind to say to you."
"If it were about me, I could stand it. But I'll fight to the death for Kit!"
Luckily the bell rang at that moment and Bet was restrained from further quarreling.
Bet was not asked to make a public apology, as Edith had hoped. Miss Elder in her kindly way talked to the girl and made her see that to lose her temper and say unkind things was not living up to the best that was in her.
"And why did you get angry? What did Edith do?"
"Miss Elder, don't ask me to tell on her. I've never told on anyone in my life. I'll take all the punishment."
"I'm not going to punish you, Bet. I think by the looks of your unhappy face this afternoon that you have been punished enough."
"I always get sick when I get angry," said Bet shamefacedly.
"Then my advice to you is, don't get angry any more." Miss Elder had her arm about the girl and was half laughing at the serious face of the child. "Now run along home, Bet, and don't let me ever hear of you getting angry again. Promise!"
"Oh Miss Elder, I couldn't promise that. You know I get cross over the slightest thing. Dad says so! But I'll promise to try hard. Will that do? Besides I'll never be able to keep good natured when Edith is around."
"Dear girl, you must get over your habit of becoming so tense over unimportant matters. If you can't learn to like Edith, learn to be indifferent."
"I'll try ever so hard, Miss Elder but just now she's a thorn in my flesh, and oh, how she hurts!"
And Bet did try in the weeks that followed to be indifferent to Edith, but it seemed to her as if Edith went out of her way to say and do unkind things.
"It's no use," Bet often said to herself. "I'm as indifferent as I can be, but oh! how I despise that girl!"
Antagonism against Kit Patten grew daily in the heart of Edith Whalen. That Kit could come into Lynnwood and immediately get into the set that she would like to be in, was sufficient reason for Edith's enmity.
Kit was liked by all the girls and boys. Her ready smile, a knack of getting a quick and appropriate answer back when they tried to tease her, made her a popular girl. In the class club she was appointed on committees and soon was taking an active part in the organization. And what Kit did, she did well and her natural charm made new friends for her daily.
Then when Kit suddenly pushed ahead in her studies and became a leader, this seemed the spur that made Edith display her enmity toward the girl. For Edith was so self-centered that any charm she might have possessed was being smothered and her sly and treacherous ways, kept her acquaintances either indifferent to her or decidedly against her.
Kit seemed to have a natural talent for languages. From the first she excelled in Latin. Her translations were being held up as examples in class work and she was receiving praise from Miss Owens, the Latin teacher, and even from the principal.
"Oh Bet, think of me leading in anything! I don't know half as much as the rest of you girls!"
"Why shouldn't you lead? We know you're just as clever as you can be."
"No, it's not that, Bet. It's just because I have mastered one language besides my own. I've spoken Spanish ever since I can remember, first with the little Mexican children around the ranch, and later I learned it properly with a teacher who wanted to pick it up. And I think it makes it easier now in Latin."
"Which shows you're clever just the same," laughed Shirley. "Imagine being able to speak in Spanish and knowing some of the Indian dialects as well."
"Huh! I'd call that smart," exclaimed Joy. "I'll never be able to do anything in languages. Why can't they have dancing and give scholarships for that?"
"Never mind, Joy," soothed Bet. "Maybe they'll invent a way to study Latin on tiptoe, then you'll be at the head of the class."
"Those examinations next week give me heart trouble," shivered Joy. "I just hate exams!"
The dreaded quarterly examinations came, however. The Latin test was hard: most of the pupils sighed, bit their pencils and the ones who were unprepared, gave up in despair.
But Kit turned in a paper that afterwards proved to be almost perfect. Just at the close of the test when Miss Owens was picking up the test papers, she passed Kit's seat and saw a book protruding from her desk.
The order had been that all books were to be turned in and anyone found possessing a book would be given zero in the test.
Miss Owens stopped short. "Why Kit Patten!" she exclaimed in amazement. "Give me the book that you have in your desk!"
Kit started in surprise looking in her desk and handed the book to the teacher, her face white.
"Where did you get that book?" exclaimed Miss Owens. Raising the book above her head she announced to the class. "This book is a Latin Key. I'm surprised Kit Patten, that a girl like you could do such a thing."
Kit sprang to her feet. "Miss Owens, I never saw that book before." Her voice was clear and strong, no sign of guilt or embarrassment. "There must be some mistake."
"Come with me!" ordered Miss Owens, hastily picking up the rest of the test papers, and led the way to the office.
Miss Owens blurted out the story to Principal Sills. She was too outraged to be just to anyone at the moment and even the principal felt no inclination to be lenient.
"You know," said Mr. Sills, facing the girl, "that this is a serious thing you have done. It means only one thing, that is expulsion from the school. No pupil is allowed to have a key."
It was some time before Bet had a chance to state her case. Then she said quietly, "Mr. Sills, I have heard of key books but I have never seen one."
"Then how did the book get into your desk! Don't make matters worse by trying to lie out of it. Make a full confession and take the punishment. Since you are away from your parents, we will make an exception in your case and not expel you if you say you did it."
"Mr. Sills, I cannot make a confession of something that I never did. I tell you I never saw that book until Miss Owens took it from my desk."
"Let me see her test paper, Miss Owens. Then you may go back and dismiss your class, but come here again."
The principal took the test paper in his hand and commenced to go through it. He did not look surprised when he came across sentences that usually proved stumbling blocks to the pupils, to find them perfectly translated by Kit. He tapped the paper as if he were saying to himself, "I told you so!"
"Have you ever studied Latin before?" he asked her just as Miss Owens returned.
"No sir, this is my first year."
"Then I do not believe that you could have turned in such a good paper without help. It has never been done before and we do not expect anyone to answer more than half of the questions. Your mistakes are so slight that the paper may be counted perfect. That seems to me evidence enough of your guilt."
Kit did not answer for a moment, but her eyes were blazing. "You accuse me of copying without real proof! How dare you!"
The principal flushed. "Don't you think the fact that you had a key book in your desk during examination period is proof enough?"
"I know it looks bad, Mr. Sills, but it isn't proof. It can't be proof because I never saw the book before."
"Yet where the name is erased, it looks strangely like your initials."
Mr. Sills passed the book to Kit. The tracings of the first letter although dim, certainly looked like a "K."
"It doesn't make any difference. Even if my name was written in full on that page, I still tell you I never saw the book before."
And through all the questioning, Kit remained firm. Every moment Miss Owens became more excited and indignant against Kit. She felt that the good papers the girl had passed in daily, had been copied, and she disliked the idea of having had such a thing put over in the class.
Kit stood the grilling with patience for a long time, then suddenly she jumped to her feet:
"I have a right to have a friendly person to defend me," she exclaimed. "I want Miss Elder to come in!"
"We are both your friends," said Principal Sills.
Miss Owens' face flushed at the criticism. "And you know Kit, I have always been friendly."
"You are not being friendly now and you are not being just, that is certain. I need someone who will believe me in spite of this, and will help to straighten it out."
Miss Elder was sent for and came in, her eyes smouldering with sympathy for the girl. And right behind her came Bet. The three girls had gone to Miss Elder as soon as class was dismissed, Joy and Shirley in tears, but Bet, stamping up and down the room in a rage.
"Let me go to Mr. Sills!" she cried. "I'll tell him something. Why Kit wouldn't cheat. She just couldn't!"
"Now Bet, keep calm. If you want to help Kit, you must."
So when the call came from the office, Bet begged to be allowed to accompany Miss Elder.
Kit smiled when she saw Bet's troubled face. Stepping forward, she grasped the hand of her friend. "Don't you worry, Bet. I didn't do it and just as long as you and Miss Elder believe in me, I'll win out."
Mr. Sills handed the test paper to Miss Elder. "I have marked the few trifling errors on the margin. Do you think it possible that a girl who has studied Latin only a few months could write such a paper? Do either of you believe it?" he asked, looking toward Bet.
Bet was about to deliver a speech in defense of her friend, but Kit frowned and put her finger to her lips and Bet kept quiet.
Miss Elder spoke: "I have taken a particular interest in Kit Patten and I do not believe it possible that she would cheat in any way!"
Bet's eyes were shining: "Why not give her another chance? Keep her right here in the office and let her do another exam. Then you can watch her every second."
Mr. Sills went quietly toward a filing cabinet and selected an old examination paper. "Here is one that is almost as difficult. Sit over there and begin."
Miss Elder looked her sympathy. "Do you think it quite fair? After a hard day at the examinations and then all this emotional strain of the last hour, how can she do her best now?"
"Oh please, Miss Elder, don't stop me," cried Kit. "I feel sure I can do it. Yes, I can do it better than the other, for now I'm fighting for my very life."
"Dear old Kit! You show them!" said Bet with a smile of encouragement.
In a few moments Kit had a place at the long library table and was writing for all she was worth. Miss Owens and Mr. Sills never left the room while Kit's pen flew over the paper. Spurred on by the excitement, the girl never seemed to hesitate even for a word.
Miss Elder and Bet met the girls outside. "Oh I think Miss Owens is terrible!" exclaimed Joy.
"Why no, Joy. Miss Owens looks heart-broken. She is harder hit than any of us. She had taken such pride in Kit's work. Then to find the key in her desk! You know that's a terrible shock." Miss Elder tried to soothe the girls.
"But just the same she ought to know that Kit couldn't do it," protested Shirley.
"Whose book is it, anyway? Who put it in Kit's desk?" asked Joy.
"No one seems to know or if they do, they won't tell," said Bet. "But it's up to the Merriweather Girls to find out."
"Let's go into the club meeting, we almost forgot it!" Shirley led the way.
The three girls arrived just in time to hear a discussion regarding Kit Patten's behavior. Vivian Long, Edith Whalen's friend, was talking.
"I think after such a disgraceful thing, Kit Patten should be asked to resign from the club."
"Don't you think she should be allowed to defend herself?" asked Shirley, not waiting to be seated.
At a nudge from Edith, Vivian was again on her feet. "If we are to keep up the standards of our class club, we should not overlook this for a minute. The book was found in Kit's desk and that is enough."
Bet somehow got to the middle of the room, her face red and her hair tousled.
She frowned on Vivian, and the girl dropped to her seat without another word.
"That must not be put to a motion. Nothing has been proved and I do not believe Kit did anything wrong. Mr. Sills is giving her a new test now and I'm sure she'll prove that she didn't get any help anywhere."
"But if a girl had such a book in her possession! You don't want us to let a thing like that go by without notice. The club is for questions of this kind."
Bet's quick glance seemed to take in everything. She knew just the attitude that each girl was taking. Some were against Kit, and others were willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Bet caught a look of triumph on Edith's face and in a burst of temper exclaimed: "Someone planted that book there to get Kit into trouble. I have my suspicions as to who did it."
"Then you had better speak out," exclaimed Vivian Long after a nudge from Edith.
"I will accuse no one—that is at present," answered Bet.
"You are accusing someone, and unless you give names, you have no right to make that statement. Now you are accusing everyone about us, after what you just said." It was Edith's sneering voice.
"Then Edith, for the present I apologize." She looked the girl straight in the eyes. "But you will hear from me later.—And what's more, if I am mistaken about it and have made this accusation falsely, then I'll send in my resignation as well."
Even Joy and Shirley had to laugh at Bet's apology. One minute she took back her accusation and the next made it stronger than ever.
The result of Kit's test in the office was even better than the other one had been. Mr. Sills put out his hand and said, "At least you have proven that you did not need a key to do your work." He hesitated a second: "But we will have to find out who put the book there before you are entirely free from suspicion with the class."
Miss Owens threw her arms about the girl. "Forgive me for doubting you for a moment. I know you didn't do it."
And when Kit heard of the loyalty of her chums in the club she was happy. "But you shouldn't have done it, Bet, you'll only get yourself in bad."
"Right-O!" cried Joy. "If you're in bad, Kit, then all the Merriweather Girls are in bad. We stick together."
"In sunshine and storm! Isn't that right, Shirley!" exclaimed Bet impulsively.
Shirley answered by putting her arm around Kit.
And when Bob and Phil heard of the trouble they were indignant. "There's only one girl in that class mean enough to do it," said Bob. "I wonder if she would!"
"I'm not only wondering, but I'm going to find out!" snapped Bet vindictively.
"We're on her trail!" laughed Joy.
"And remember if there is anything we can do, let us know. We believe in Kit!" declared Phil.
The next morning Miss Owens made a point of meeting Kit outside the door and bringing her into the room. After the class had assembled, Miss Owens said simply: "I want you all to know that Kit Patten has proved to me and to Mr. Sills that she did not use a key in her examinations. Just how the book got into her desk, we do not know, but we are making every effort to find out."
"The idea!" whispered Edith Whalen to the girl ahead of her. "How beautifully they shield her!"
"They would!" agreed Vivian Long. "It does seem as if Bet Baxter and her crowd can do anything they like."
"I never did believe Kit did it," said little Annie Randall, a meek timid child who rarely took a stand in anything.
"What do you know about it?" asked Edith contemptuously. And Annie Randall was subdued.
Although most of the class received Kit back with kindly thoughts, still the girl felt the humiliation of being doubted by others. Rather pointed jokes were flung out in her hearing occasionally. Kit was even-tempered and therefore able to endure it, but to Bet it was like a lighted match to tinder. Sparks flew and sputtered while Bet told the annoyers that Kit was worth a dozen of them, which only urged them on to further annoyance.
But Bet's heart ached for Kit, who felt these slights more than she would own. In the club, although someone would propose her name for committee work, there was always a protest, until Kit begged her friends to cease their efforts, for it only embarrassed her and kept the subject before the class all the time.
"If we could only find the one who did it!" It was on Bet's mind continually and finally she went to Principal Sills and talked the matter over with him. What she suggested was a trap to catch the one who had played such a mean trick on her friend.
"Whoever owns that book wants it back worst way or she would never have bought it. If we put it on Miss Owens' desk, sooner or later the guilty one will try to get it. No one else will want to touch it."
Mr. Sills was rather skeptical about the success of the plan.
"We can try it, anyway. I'm always here until after the school is locked at night."
Miss Owens was taken into the secret between Mr. Sills and Bet, but no one else was told about it.
"I can't even tell you Merriweather Girls," confided Bet. "But I'm sure I'll be able to tell the whole story before long, and you'll all be glad."
And the girls feeling sure that it had something to do with Kit's trouble, did not urge her to confide in them.
Bet, in a quiet way, saw to it that everyone in the class knew that the key book was on Miss Owens' desk.
And her three chums found Bet a very unsatisfactory companion for the next few days. Every night after school she excused herself by saying that she had to see Mr. Sills. If they could have seen her hiding away in one of the lower grade rooms where she could see the only unlocked door of the building they would have wondered what she was up to.
On the third afternoon she was rewarded. Just as she was about to give up and go home, she saw a figure dart around the building and come in the door.
It was Edith Whalen.
Bet wanted to go herself and confront the girl, but thought better of it and kept to the plan she and Mr. Sills had made. She ran to the office and called the principal.
Edith had tiptoed into the classroom, selected the book she wanted and turned to go. At the door she met Mr. Sills.
"I would like to see you in the office, Edith," he said quietly.
Edith clutched the book and quickly hid it under her coat, wishing she could find a place to drop it when Mr. Sills was not looking. But there was no chance to get rid of it.
When they reached the office, the principal said quietly, "Edith, give me the book you have there."
The girl hesitated. He extended his hand.
"It's the Latin key from Miss Owens' desk. I want it." Then as Edith hesitated still, he demanded: "Pass it over at once."
"Now sit down here and tell me the whole story. Why did you put that book in Kit Patten's desk?"
Edith started to deny that she had done so, then decided to be perfectly silent.
Finally after an hour, during which time the principal made threats of expulsion, the girl finally broke down and confessed.
In the meantime Bet had gone to the phone and called Miss Owens and Kit, according to the understanding with Mr. Sills.
It was Kit who begged for Edith. "Don't expel her, Mr. Sills. I'm sure she won't do such a thing again." Kit even objected to a class apology for the girl but Mr. Sills was firm in this.
And when school opened the next day Edith had to face the class and say that she had put the book into Kit's desk in order to get her into trouble.
Kit was thankful that the suspicion against her was gone, but she pitied Edith.
"I don't understand her!" exclaimed the girl to her friends later. "I'm anxious to be friends and she won't let me."
Several days later when she met Edith face to face in the dressing room, Edith exclaimed: "Get out of my sight, I hate you!"
Although Kit made every effort to be friendly with Edith Whalen, she had to acknowledge herself beaten. As Merriweather Girls, the four chums felt that they should be able to win her, but Edith refused to notice any advances made by the girls and while she was not aggressively unpleasant, they felt her smoldering dislike.
"We'll just have to give up and let her alone," advised Bet. "If we appear too anxious, she may break out again and do something else. One can never be sure of Edith."
"It does seem a shame," sighed Kit. "I'd truly love to be friends in spite of what she did. I want everybody to like me."
"And she probably would have liked you, too, if you hadn't been a friend of mine. She has always disliked me."
"Well girls, let us console ourselves with some of Auntie Gibbs' fudge. She just made it on purpose for us," cried Joy, dancing into the big entrance hall where Shirley, Bet and Kit were curled up on the divan. Shirley had brought a box of prints that she had promised to show Kit, and today was a rainy Saturday afternoon and just the time to do it.
The Merriweather Girls were having their weekly meeting at the Manor.
A little later Colonel Baxter joined them and demanded the right to be included in the club.
"Here you are having a good time, and I'm out of it."
"But Dad, you can't be a Merriweather Girl, you know that."
"Well I might be Legal Advisor or something of the sort. Give me a fancy title and I'll be happy."
"All right," exclaimed Kit, clapping her hands. "Legal Advisor it is, and we'll ask your advice right this minute on a very important problem. How do you make people like you? Turn hatred into love or something like that?"
"One way is to shut your eyes to the hatred, forget it's there and everything will come out all right in the end."
"And that's that," said Bet. "Dad knows."
"All right Shirley, he's given us his first valuable legal advice. Now he might be permitted to have some fudge and also look at your snapshots. He's getting impatient," pleaded Kit, as she and Bet wandered away into the drawing room and Joy danced out to the kitchen for more fudge.
The Colonel was always interested in the progress Shirley was making in photography. She seemed to have a decided talent for taking pictures. Every print was looked at carefully and praised and sometimes criticized by the Colonel as they talked of the methods of taking, the style of finish and all the other details of the work.
"Some of these days you'll be having a gallery of your own and hanging out your sign." The Colonel smiled and patted the little hand of Shirley. His daughter's chums were very dear to him.
"I'm afraid I'm not clever enough for that. There is a lot to learn about taking pictures. I've always been glad I had some training with Mr. Colby before he retired. You know I just love photography, I could take pictures from morning till night and never be tired."
"What's that one in the envelope over there? You didn't show me that one."
Shirley flushed. "Well that's an experiment. I had the nerve to try an art print. I wanted to see what I could do."
Colonel Baxter gave a low whistle when Shirley held up the print. "Now you have done something, Miss Fixit. That's very good." He held it at arm's length. "I should say it's very good! And these others are fine, too."
"Now you're teasing me. I know you are."
"No of course I'm not teasing. They're lovely. I don't know which I like best, the gulls, or the Palisades and that tree with the river in the background. They are all very pretty."
Shirley had taken six different views and the Colonel now advised her to make some prints of each and he would send them to an art shop in New York where he was acquainted. "We'll fix them up in a narrow gilt frame and they'll make a very nice gift."
"Oh, do you really think so? Why I'll be so proud just to have them exhibited I'll pretty nearly blow up even if I don't sell any at all."
"I've an idea, Shirley. You are always anxious to earn money and do things, why don't you start a shop of your own?"
"You're funny, Colonel Baxter. How would I start a shop? Bet, come here and listen to your father."
"What's he planning now, Shirley," exclaimed Bet as she threw her arm around her father's neck. "Don't oppose my Dad in anything he wants to do. I found that out years and years ago when I was young. Whatever he says, do it."
"But this is impossible!"
"Not if Dad says it's possible," she laughed. "Oh Dad, you are a most wonderful man!"
"And you are a most wonderful daughter, Bet!"
"And here comes old Smiley Jim for his share," exclaimed Bet patting the dog's head. "Yes Smiley Jim, you are a most wonderful dog!"
"It's a wonderful family!" announced Joy with a dance.
"And if no one else believes it, we do!" said the Colonel. "But come now Merriweather Girls, call a council or a pow-wow or what ever you call it! Blow your horn and get the clan together."
"Toot—toot—t-o-o-o-o-o-t!" Joy blew on an imaginary bugle and at that moment Kit came into the room from the kitchen where she had gone to ask Auntie Gibbs a question.
"Auntie Gibbs says——" Kit started to tell something.
But Bet interrupted: "We don't want to hear what Auntie Gibbs says. The Merriweather Girls are in council. Grave matters are about to be discussed. The Legal Advisor is present and all members are called for an immediate consultation."
Kit dropped into a chair laughing. "Proceed!" she announced.
"The Legal Advisor has the chair!" laughed Shirley.
"The question under consideration," began the Colonel, "is one of very great importance. It is that Shirley Williams should open an art and photographic shop right here in Lynnwood!"
"Whoopee!" shouted Kit, swinging her arm around her head as if she were waving a sombrero.
"Why of course," said Bet. "I'm surprised that we didn't think of that ourselves. I move that the shop be opened at once, immediately! Where is it to be?"
"Well I was thinking," said the Colonel.
"But listen. To run a shop a person must have money and must know how to sell things and I don't know how or anything." The prospect was alluring to Shirley, but the difficulties seemed too great.
"She has to go to school," Joy reminded them.
"You leave it to Dad. He's thinking of something, I can see that."'
"Yes, I have a plan and we will want to talk it over with Shirley's mother before we do anything. Now if you girls will keep quiet, I'll tell you my plan."
"Do let us hear it," cried Joy.
"Hurry, Dad, we can't wait! Please don't be so slow, say it right this minute!"
"Suppose you keep quiet long enough for your father to say a word," suggested Kit. "Let the poor man have a chance!"
"What I was trying to say is that I have that little corner store next to old Peter Gruff's place. Supposing I give that to Shirley for a year and let her open a Saturday Shop; that means that it would only be open on Saturdays."
"Dad, you're a wonder! I'm proud of you!"
Colonel Baxter shook his head at his daughter.
"No interruptions!" Then he continued: "With the Christmas season ahead, I'm sure that Shirley could sell plenty of these art prints alone to make it worth while. I'll get her the frames in New York at a wholesale place where I've dealt for years."
"But Colonel, I haven't any money to start things."
Again the man put up his hand for silence. "Now I believe this is going to be a good business proposition for anyone who goes into it, so I am going to back you. It will not take much money. For furnishings for the shop I would refer you to our attic. Auntie Gibbs hates to throw anything away, or give it away for that matter, and you will find chairs and tables and that sort of thing. You girls can decorate the place to suit yourselves. Now what do you think about it? Don't all speak at once."
For a moment no one spoke. The prospect that spread out before them, leading them on into future joys, left the girls quite overcome. Even the lighthearted Joy, who usually had a song or dance for every occasion, was silent and thoughtful.
"It's too good to be true!" laughed Kit. "I can see all sorts of wonderful adventures in Shirley's Shop." Kit's eyes were sparkling as she thought of all the fun ahead.
"And that's a good name for it," cried Bet. "We'll paint a sign for the window:
'SHIRLEY'S SHOPMARVELOUS PICTURES AT A BIG PRICE.'"
"Oh no, Bet, that won't do! That would frighten people away," exclaimed Shirley.
"Well, we'd get rid of the people who want a picture for two cents, anyway."
The Colonel laughed heartily at his young friends. "Miss Fixit has the right idea. You're developing a real business head already."
"Couldn't we go down and look at the shop this afternoon so we could make plans and have something to dream about next week?"
"I think we might. Let's stop in and see if Mrs. Williams won't come with us. We'll need her advice on lots of things." And thus did Colonel Baxter enlist the co-operation of Shirley's mother.
"The possibilities of this place are simply uncountable," cried Bet enthusiastically.
"And say, Shirley, any time you want a little exhibition dancing for your afternoon callers, I'm at your service," and Joy Evans made a few fancy spins on the tips of her toes, in the center of the room.
"Not a bad idea! Keep that in the back of your heads," advised the Colonel. "In fact, never throw an idea away. Keep it in storage where you can bring it out if needed."
The store contained two rooms. The large one in the rear started a plan in Shirley's head. "Wouldn't this make a dandy place for a photographic studio. And here is a lovely big closet which will be a good dark room. And there is running water in that corner. Why everything is complete."
"It's just made to order, Shirley," exclaimed Kit. "Really you are a lucky girl!"
"There you are, young lady! Appointments made every Saturday morning!"
"The first thing to do is to decide on the color scheme for the shop," said Mrs. Williams who was noted as a good manager.
"Let's have plenty of orange. Gold always means success, doesn't it?"
"Maybe so," laughed the woman, enjoying the enthusiasm of the girls. The years seemed to slip away when Shirley brought her friends near.
A large bay window covered almost all the front of the store.
"That's a good show window you have there," observed Colonel Baxter. "Already I can see Shirley's photographs on display?"
"And those blue and gold drapes in the attic will just be fine for a back curtain," suggested Bet.
"That is, if they are not dropping apart from age," replied the Colonel.
"They'll probably do us for a while until we make our fortune."
"Ourfortune! Since when do you own the shop, Bet Baxter?" teased Joy. "Is this Shirleyand company?"
"Of course not. It's Shirley's. But we're all going to help her to get started," promised Bet.
"What is Shirley's good luck is ours. We're all Merriweather Girls," said Kit quietly.
Shirley was in a happy daze and hardly heard her mother's plans. "You can bring down that large blue rug in your room, Shirley, and I'll put something else in there."
"That's just the thing, it has lots of orange in it," exclaimed Bet.
"And as a name for the shop, I'll suggest 'Fixit's Factory,'" teased Colonel Baxter.
"Oh no! That wouldn't sound nice. I don't like factories." Shirley looked troubled.
"Of course it wouldn't and Daddy knows it, too. He's just a big tease!"
Shirley laughed now with the others. She was inclined to be serious and never quite knew when the Colonel was in fun.
"'Shirley's Shop' sounds much nicer. It's aristocratic!"
Suddenly Kit saw two boys coming down the street and she had the door open in a flash: "Come right in, Bob and Phil. The Merriweather Girls are in council and having decided some very important matters, they want your approval."
"Flattery, you mean! You girls just feed on flattery, and you expect us to supply it like boxes of candy."
"Candy makes me think that we might have homemade candy here. Joy could do that and Kit and I will paint some boxes for it! That's the first idea supplied by the Consulting Advisers, Bob and Phil!"
"And where does the boss come in, and what is left for her to do?" laughed Shirley.
"Oh you are to supply the art. We will do the things that appeal to the common people."
"Say, Colonel, what's the matter with these girls? Are they crazy?"
"Not any more than usual I think."
"Why Daddy Baxter, if you talk like that you just won't be allowed to take part in our plans at all. We'll discharge you as Legal Adviser."
"Oh then I'll be good! I'll be good! I could never stand that."
"So it's secrets and things!" suggested Phil.
"Just the opposite of that! It's something we want you to shout from the house tops."
Bob gave a bound to the seat of an old chair and flapping his arms up and down wildly he crowed, "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Don't know what I'm crowing about, but I'm crowing!"
"And that's what we want you to do. The Merriweather Girls are starting in business!" announced Kit.
"You don't say so!"
"It's to be known as Shirley's Shop!" Kit exclaimed.
"Oh you mean Shirley is going into business. That sounds more sane. Shirley has some sense," laughed Bob.
"Out you go, Bob Evans!" and without giving him time to catch his breath the girls shoved him outside the door.
"When you promise to be good, you may come back, Bob, and not until," threatened Joy.
Finally after many promises to be good, they opened the door and let Bob come in. The boys got a somewhat jumbled account of the business venture of the Merriweather Girls and they approved to such an extent that they rolled up their sleeves and wanted to get to work at once.
"Where's a broom and we'll sweep the place out for you," suggested Phil.
Shirley objected, saying that the following Saturday morning would be time enough, then if they wanted to, the girls would be glad of their help.
"And they'll want flattery before they start the work and flattery after it's done just the way Smiley Jim does," said Kit with a laugh.
"Why Kit Patten!" exclaimed Bob. "And we thought you were our friend!"
"Meow, meow! What a kitten to scratch!" teased Phil.
"Deny it, if you can," said Bet.
Colonel Baxter looked from one young face to the other, enjoying the friendly bickering and feeling happy that he was no dampener to their fun, for they accepted him as one of themselves. Mrs. Williams' hearty laugh urged them on to further efforts at cleverness.
"Wish we had a broom, I'd really like to see this place swept out!" Bet was impatient to see results.
"Why not go over and borrow one from your neighbor, Peter Gruff? He's so friendly he'll give you the shop."
As old Peter Gruff was notoriously stingy, everybody laughed at the joke.
"We'll do better than that," exclaimed Bet. "Come on Kit, let's go over and buy a broom. We'll need it!"
In a few minutes Bet and Kit came running back, each with a large broom.
"And here's where we are supposed to shine!" laughed Phil, as each captured a broom and started right in where they were standing.
"Not that way!" shouted Kit, for a cloud of dust rose about their heads.
"This way!" suggested Shirley and the boys stopped and paid attention to her, as they usually did. "Stand on those old chairs and sweep off the ceilings and walls and in that show window while the brooms are nice and clean; then you can do the floors."
"That tan shade of the walls isn't bad at all. I think we can make that do, don't you, Shirley?" asked Bet.
"Yes. We don't want to do any more than we have to," Shirley answered.
"I don't like those high walls," pouted Bet.
"We'll have them lowered," teased Bob.
"If I may be allowed to suggest, Miss Fixit," said Colonel Baxter, addressing Shirley with great ceremony, "I would say that a band of contrasting color could be painted around the walls just about at the height of your head. That will give the effect of a lower ceiling at once."
"Oh yes, Dad, the way you had it done in your den! And that room always looks so cozy."
"After a while when the shop begins to pay, you could buy burlap and run that around under your border. That would make a backing for displaying your pictures."
Everybody liked that idea.
The girls felt at home in Shirley's Shop even before it was cleaned up. And they closed it reluctantly until Friday afternoon when they were to meet and clean the windows and wood work.
It was hard for the girls to keep their minds on their school work during the next week. Visions of the shop, as it was to look some day, filled their thoughts to the exclusion of history dates and right angle triangles.
Shirley had to be industrious. After her home work was finished she donned her old smock and made her art prints, enough for the gift shop in New York and for her own place as well.
Her mother remonstrated at the late hours, but Shirley said, "Oh Mother, it won't be this way often. And I do want to get started soon."
"It may develop into something worth while," said her mother. "Who knows but this may be the open door that leads to college?"
"Oh, if only it is! How I wish it! I'll be willing to work hard if only I can help you and Dad, and get a good education at the same time."
"The future can always be bright with our hopes and plans for success," replied the mother as she clasped Shirley's hand understandingly.