There, they found another car pulled into the parking area. Two men were waiting inside the office. Before entering, Bill and Ronnie collected their fees and said good-by to the first group. “We enjoyed the tour very much,” the man told Ronnie and Bill. “It was well worth the stop.”
“Thank you, sir!” Ronnie beamed. “Tell your friends about it.”
Mr. Caldwell was still in the office, chatting with the two men. He introduced them to Ronnie and Bill. “This is Mr. Perkins, and this is Mr. Brown.” Ronnie and Bill shook hands with the men.
“They’re interested in learning more about the business you’ve started,” Caldwell went on to explain. “You see, they’re from the Massena Sunday paper, and they’re thinking about writing a story for next Sunday’s edition.”
“That’s right,” Brown broke in. “We feel that more people will take an interest in the fate of this place if they’ve heard about what you two boys are doing. Besides, it’ll help bring you business!”
“Gee, that’s swell of you!” Ronnie exclaimed. “Bill and I are awfully anxious to do everything we can to save the village.”
Mr. Perkins pulled out a notebook and seated himself at the desk. “Let’s make that our first question,” he said. “Just how do you expect to save the old village by taking tourists through it?”
Ronnie explained how they hoped to raise some of the money to build a dam across the narrow gap in the valley through which Goose Brook ran down to the river. “My dad says it could be done,” Ronnie continued. “’Course, we won’t get enough money ourselves to do it. But we’re hoping maybe other people will get worked up enough to want to help out.”
“People are beginning to wake up already,” Mr. Brown said. “I happen to know that your father saw Steve Mercer the other day and put a bug in his ear about the village. Steve wrote to the Seaway Authority, trying to convince them to use your plan and save the village. He got some kind of a letter back—but they didn’t commit themselves one way or the other. It’ll take time, but I’m sure it can be done.”
Mr. Brown’s remark gave Ronnie some of the encouragement he needed. Sure, he’d had his doubts, right from the beginning when he’d first thought of opening the village to the public. They would need public support, and perhaps more money too—unless the Seaway agreed to foot the bill.