Strawberry Acres | Page 6

old place, and shall you go there to live?
I suppose I've seen it, but I've forgotten."
"It's a forlorn old place, dreadfully run down, but I want to live in it.
The boys won't hear of it--as yet. We've only been there once. We're
going again Saturday--you know that's the only time they can all get
away."
"What fun. Can't I go, too? There must be something nice about it, or
you wouldn't want to live there."
"There's a locked door in it," said Sally, smiling, as her thoughts turned
to the mystery. She described the finding of the door to Josephine, who
exclaimed:

"I must be there to see it opened! What do you suppose you'll find?"
"Dust and empty shelves, Max says. Blue-beard's murdered wives, says
Bob. Alec guesses a lot of broken-backed chairs and a desk with the
hinges off. Uncle Timothy thinks it merely leads to the roof. But the
steps from the attic do that."
"What do you think?"
"I think everything," admitted Sally, "from antique mirrors and old
clothes to empty flower pots and battered and rons. I'm prepared for
anything--except the empty shelves. Why should the door be locked so
securely if there's nothing behind it?"
"Why, indeed? I don't know why, but my imagination shudders
deliciously at the thought of seeing it opened. May I go on Saturday?
May Jarvis go? He wanted me to ask. He's having a bad time with his
eyes again, can't read, and pines for something to do. A locked closet
will interest him."
"Of course you may both go, if you'll get Jarvis to promise not to throw
any cold water on my schemes."
"He's not likely to discourage any of your schemes, you know well
enough. Hasn't he always taken your part, even against me, since we
used to quarrel over which should have the shady side of the sand pile?
'Sun won't hurt your gipsy face, Joey,' he'd say. 'Give Sally the shade,
like a gentleman.'"
Both girls laughed. Then Sally grew sober. "Seems to me it's only a
little while since Jarvis had his last siege with his eyes," she observed.
"Are they quite as bad again?"
"He's not shut up in the dark this time, but has to wear blue goggles in
the daytime, is forbidden reading and writing absolutely for weeks, and
goes to Doctor Meyer every other day for treatment. He's getting as
rampageous as a caged lion, and vows he'll go off to the South Seas, or
Labrador, or some other place where books and libraries and literary

work won't tantalize him. He'd go to-morrow, I believe, if it weren't for
mother. She can't bear the idea."
"It was that last awful year's work at college," said Sally regretfully.
"Why did he ever conceive the idea of doing two years' work in
one--and why did his friends let him do it?"
"I know--that's what we all say now. So does he."
"Of course he must go Saturday; tell him I particularly want him."
"That will please him. Now do tell me about the whole place," and
Josephine settled herself to listen.
Long before Sally had finished, her friend was as eager as herself to see
the old house, and was planning with all the help of a vivid imagination
what it would be like when it should be "restored." When she went
away, just before Sally set about getting dinner for her family, it was
with assurances that she and her brother would help Sally, to the best of
their ability, to realize her hopes.
This assurance was renewed when, on Saturday afternoon, the Lanes
met the Burnsides at the appointed hour to take the trolley-car. With the
exception of Uncle Timothy, they were all there, even Max, who had
declared his only interest in the place was to sell it. But, hearing that
Jarvis Burnside was to inspect it, he had decided to point out to Jarvis
the impracticability of making a home out of the property--unless for
some rich man who might be induced to buy it at a figure worth while.
He sat beside Jarvis in the car, talking to him, as Sally could see, in a
way intended to prejudice him against the place.
But as the party left the car, Jarvis joined Sally, smiled at her from
behind the ugly goggles which half disguised a face by no means ugly,
and said in an undertone:
"I believe I'm in possession of all the facts. From now on I intend to let
the fancies have full play."

"Good for you! I knew you'd never desert me, no matter how much in
the wrong I might be," answered Sally, gratefully.
Jarvis had been a fourth brother to her for so long that it seemed a
matter of course