"Thought I'd just come over and see what you're yowling about," he said pleasantly; "those screeches are enough to kill all the fish in the lake!"
"Come in, Mr. Hickox," cried Leicester; "we have a grand plan on hand, and as usual we shall want your help."
"Oh, yes," said Mr. Hickox, "as usual. Hickox'll make it all right. What's up now?"
"We expect boarders to-morrow; and when they come, we want you to be on hand to look after their trunks and things. The Dorrance Domain has suddenly turned back into a hotel. Dorothy is proprietor, I'm clerk, and you're to be the porter."
"What am I?" said Lilian; "I want a regular position."
"Oh, you can be the elevator boy, or the carriage-door opener, whichever you like," said her brother.
"As we haven't any elevator, and our carriage hasn't any door, I won't be over-worked."
"We girls will all have to be upper servants," said Dorothy; "with so much extra work in the kitchen, we'll have to help a great deal as parlor-maids, and chambermaids, and dining-room maids."
"I'll sweep all the verandas every day," announced Fairy; "I do just love to fly around with that funny big broom-brush."
"Well, Hickox is yours to command," declared that genial gentleman; "whatever you want Hickory Hickox to do, that's as good as done! Excepting, of course, such various times as I might be otherwise employed. But I'll be porter all right, and I'll port them people's trunks right up to their rooms so fast, they'll think I'm an elevator. My! Mrs. Hickox, she'll be surprised to hear you people are going to have boarders! I must say, I'm some surprised myself. Well I must shuffle along now, and I'll be on deck when you want me to-morrow. Hickox will look after things. It'll be all right."