The news evidently tickled him, so much so that he sneezed and shook his head vigorously; then, as if fearing to be misunderstood, he began to purr softly.
"Come, Frances, Mr. Clark is ready to show us the rooms," her father called; and it is to be hoped Peterkin was not hurt by the sudden manner in which he was dropped.
"This is a nice old place, Jack," whispered Mrs. Morrison as they followed Frances and the Spectacle Man up the stairs. The former was explaining with great animation how they had seen the advertis.e.m.e.nt in the paper and she had recognized it. "You see, father is going away and can"t take us, and mother and I think we"d like to come here, perhaps,"
she said.
"Well, I had a presentiment I was going to find a good tenant, but I did not think it would be you," was his reply.
The rooms proved to be large and light; the paper and paint were fresh and clean, and what furniture there was was simple and new.
"I believe it is the very place for us," Mrs. Morrison said, her housewifely eyes taking in all the possibilities of cosey comfort. "It will be a new and charming experience; and as for the Spectacle Man, he is simply delightful!"
After showing them through, Mr. Clark had left them, and they could hear him singing as he went,
"The bridge is broke, and I have to mend it."
"Yes, this will be a nice sitting room, with its windows where,--to quote Frances--"The little sun comes peeping in at morn!"" said Mr.
Morrison.
"And this bedchamber is lovely, and the little kitchen--"
"We can make candy sometimes, can"t we, mother?" Frances interrupted, dancing wildly about.
"O Jack! if only you were going to be here;" Mrs. Morrison turned suddenly to the sunny window.
"You know I"ll not go one step unless you are willing, Kate," her husband said, coming to her side.
"Don"t be a goose, dear, of course you are going." Her face was hidden against his shoulder for a moment, then she turned brightly to Frances, who was anxiously inquiring where she was to sleep.
"And mother," she exclaimed, "such a pretty young lady pa.s.sed through the hall just now."
"That is something we must ask about,--what other persons are in the house," said her father.
Frances was not a little surprised and indignant when, after carrying on what seemed to her a long conversation with Mr. Clark upon various unimportant subjects, her father left with nothing more definite than that they were pleased with the rooms and would let him know their decision next day.
"Aren"t we going to take them? I thought it was all settled; I don"t understand," she said when they were on the street.
"Now, Wink, let me ask you something. Don"t you honestly think that two persons who have lived more than thirty years ought to have a little better judgment about some things than one who has lived only ten?"
"But I"ll be eleven in February, and--well, father, I suppose so, but grown people do take so long to think!"
"It is an interesting old house, and do you know, I think that is a Gilbert Stuart over the mantel in the back room," remarked Mr. Morrison.
"Why, father, it is a George Washington! I"m sure it is," cried Frances, and couldn"t understand why they laughed, till her mother explained that they were probably both right, as Gilbert Stuart had painted a number of portraits of Washington.
It spoke well for the Spectacle Man"s flat that they looked no farther that day, but there were many things to be taken into consideration that Frances did not dream of. After she was snugly tucked in bed that night, her father and mother sat long talking over their plans.
"I do not like the idea of leaving you here without looking up any of my old friends," said Mr. Morrison.
"But that is just what we want to avoid. I don"t care to meet your friends till you are with me. We shall be perfectly comfortable, and shall enjoy the experience, and Mr. Clark, I know, will be kindness itself," replied his wife.
"You are as infatuated as Frances; you are just two little girls with a new playhouse. But if anything should happen--I don"t know what--it might be awkward."
"I suppose I know what you mean, Jack; but we could not be suspected of any motive in coming here, a certain person being abroad, and nothing is going to happen. Who is likely to find us out? Morrison is a sufficiently common name, and the Spectacle Man"s apartment house is, to say the least, not conspicuous. You forget we are not so important to other people as we are to you. The months will soon pa.s.s, and we shall be together again in some delightful place, and you will write your novel and become famous, and then--"
Her husband lifted to his lips the hand he held, just as he used to do when he was her gallant young lover, a dozen years ago. "For your sake I wish I might. If only I had half your cheerful courage," he said, adding, "I hope Frances will grow up to be exactly like you."
"She is exactly like you, Jack, I am happy to say."
As they sat in silence the song of the Spectacle Man kept repeating itself in Mrs. Morrison"s mind, and it suggested to her the broken bridge which separated Jack from so much that might have been his. Would it ever be mended?
CHAPTER FIFTH.
SOME NEW ACQUAINTANCES.
"I am as sorry as I can be that you are going away, I shall miss you so much;" said Mrs. Gray to Frances and her mother when they came in to tell her about their plans for the winter.
Their rooms were across the hall from hers, and the acquaintance had begun in the elevator, where they often met on the way to the dining room. The old lady was somewhat crippled with rheumatism and moved about with difficulty, so her life was rather a lonely one; and it had given her a great deal of pleasure to have Mrs. Morrison and her little girl drop in every now and then to chat with her and bring her books and papers. Then she could never sufficiently express her grat.i.tude to Frances for taking her gla.s.ses to be mended.
"If I hadn"t, I might never have known the Spectacle Man, and we shouldn"t have found our flat, so I am much obliged to _you_," Frances said, laughing, when Mrs. Gray went over it all for the tenth time, more or less.
"Then perhaps you would have stayed here for the winter. I am sorry I let you go," was her answer.
"We"ll often run in to see you, Mrs. Gray, and sometime you may be able to come to see us," said Mrs. Morrison; adding, "we haven"t many friends, you know."
Mrs. Gray shook her head. "I can"t get out any more; but as for friends, you"ll find them wherever you go."
Gladys did not approve of the move, and frankly expressed her opinion.
"It is such a funny old house, in between the stores. I shouldn"t think you would want to live there," she said.
"But you don"t know how nice it is inside," Frances urged. "It is going to be such fun; and Mr. Clark has some lovely things and the dearest cat!"
"It seems to me you like very funny things," Gladys remarked. She announced, however, that she intended to call.
What with getting the traveller ready to start and moving into their new quarters, those were busy days. They were all three very cheerful indeed, making a great many jokes and talking about next summer, when they should be together again, saying nothing of the long winter that stretched between.
It was a mistake to think of Hawaii as so far away. Had it not been annexed? Two thousand miles from California was simply no distance at all in these days. When it came to saying good-by it was hard indeed to remember all this, but it was gone through with somehow, and one bright October day Frances and her mother found themselves alone in their new sitting room.
"Oh, mother, I wish you wouldn"t cry!" sobbed Frances.
"But you are crying yourself," said Mrs. Morrison, half laughing. At this tearful moment there came a knock at the door, and a long heavy package was handed in.
"There must be some mistake," Mrs. Morrison said, drying her eyes and reading the address, which was, however, unmistakable.