The boys went through the ordeal fairly well, being amiably desirous of pleasing the proud needlewomen.
Will brought down their scorn upon his head by saying it was pretty, as if it were not "lovely," and Aleck insulted Dora by examining her daisies with a critical air and then asking what sort of flowers they were.
For this stupidity Carl promised to punish him.
"Aren"t you coming with us, Dora?" asked Bess when they reached the street, seeing that she turned toward home.
"I am sorry, but I can"t this afternoon," she said.
They united in coaxing her, but she would not listen, and with a cheerful good-by walked briskly away.
"Mayn"t I carry your parcel for you?" asked a voice at her side.
"Why, Carl, I thought you had gone with the others! It isn"t dark. I do not need anyone."
"Please, ma"m, I"d like to walk with you if you don"t mind."
Dora couldn"t help smiling, though she said severely, "I don"t believe you. It is because you think I am lonely by myself. I am much obliged to you, but I wish you would run after the others."
Carl coolly took possession of the work-bag. "You will have to make the best of it, for I am going home with you."
They walked on in silence for a minute; then he asked meekly, "Are you mad?"
"You know I am not."
"Then you might tell what is the matter. You don"t know how much good, honest confession does one."
"Yes, I do, but I have nothing to confess. I am worried about something, but you cannot help me, and it is not worth speaking of, at any rate."
"Come home, then, and tell Aunt Zelie; she is pretty good at helping."
"I ought to know that; still I don"t know what even she could do. It is not much, after all; I am just rather low in my mind, as Mrs. West says." Dora smiled with an attempt at cheerfulness not altogether successful.
"Don"t fib; brace up and make a clean breast of it, and if you need advice I am full of it."
"Dear me, you are such a goose! I shall not have any peace till I tell you. Well, then, the beginning of it is that Mrs. West is going to Florida to live."
"I am sorry, but it seems to me matters might be worse," Carl answered gravely.
"Of course you don"t understand it. It means that we must find another boarding place, _where_ I am sure I do not know. We can"t afford any that are near here, and Mamma does so hate to board, she is not a bit happy. I would give anything if we could have a little house all to ourselves."
"There is one thing certain, you shall not go away from this neighborhood. Don"t worry about it, it will come out all right."
Dora felt a little comforted by Carl"s sympathy, though she knew he could not help her.
"Are you sure you could not find a small house that would do?" he asked.
"Yes, I know that is quite out of the question. Even a small house would cost too much, and then it would be too lonely for Mamma, when I am at school. You see it was foolish in me to tell you, for it only bothers you for nothing."
"Just wait a minute, I have an idea," said Carl, putting his hands in his pockets and a.s.suming an air of deep meditation.
"It is ever so much better than Mrs. West"s!" he exclaimed presently.
"I am glad the old lady is going. I shall not tell you what it is till I investigate, but I am sure it will do."
He was so interested in his scheme, whatever it might be, that he would not wait a moment, but rushed away as soon as the door was opened.
"Ridiculous boy! What can he be thinking of?" Dora said to herself as she went upstairs, her curiosity much stronger than her faith.
"Aunt Zelie, can"t you come with me over to the bakery?" asked Carl, bursting in upon her five minutes later.
"If it is a matter of life and death I presume I can," she replied.
"What is going on there?"
"Nothing; I"ll tell you about it, only do get your things, or it will be dark."
As she put on her hat and coat he told her about Dora"s trouble, which she could appreciate far better than he.
"She said she knew they could not find a house that would do," he went on, "and that reminded me that there is a "For Rent" sign in the windows over the bakery. You know if they lived there Mrs. Smith would be good to them, and perhaps they could get their meals from her. So I want you to look at the rooms and see what you think. Dora would listen to you."
Very much amused, Aunt Zelie went with him, agreeing that it might be practicable.
Mrs. Smith, the wife of the confectioner, was delighted to show her rooms, and led the way through the store into the entrance hall at the side, and on upstairs. There were two large, bright rooms opening into the hall, with a bath-room adjoining. The rent was very reasonable, and she said she could furnish meals. Aunt Zelie was forced to admit that her nephew"s plan had a good deal to recommend it.
Nothing would do but they must go and tell Dora about it before they went home.
She was very much surprised to see them, and listened with eyes that grew bright as the plan was unfolded.
"Didn"t I tell you it would be better than staying here?" Carl asked triumphantly.
"It sounds as if it would be perfect; how did you come to think of it?" Dora said gratefully.
She could hardly wait till Monday afternoon to go and see for herself.
Mrs. Howard went with her then, and so did Bess and Louise, but they only sat on the window-sill and built castles while the others made calculations and discussed carpets and curtains.
"They are such pleasant rooms, so much more so than the one we have now," Dora said. "I think, and the doctor said so too, that sunshine is the best thing for Mamma. I believe I have thought of everything, and it won"t cost much more than boarding at Mrs. West"s. If it were only on the other side of the street I could see the Big Front Door."
Aunt Zelie offered to take charge of the cleaning and getting ready, so that her lessons need not be interrupted, and nothing remained but to gain her mother"s consent to the plan.
Mrs. Warner made no objection to it when she heard that Mr. Hazeltine and Mrs. Howard thought it wise, but she did not show the interest Dora hoped for.
Once it was decided upon, things seemed almost to arrange themselves.
All her young friends took an interest in Dora"s moving, and Elsie, who doubted the propriety of living over a store,--for as yet "flats"
had not been heard of in this part of the country,--nevertheless confided to Bess that she was going to make her a beautiful pincushion. This suggested an idea to Bess.
"Don"t you think it would nice for each of us to give Dora something for her housekeeping?" she asked at the dinner table that evening.
Uncle William and Aunt Marcia were there, and the Warners had just been spoken of. "A good suggestion," said the first-named; "suppose we do."