“Fine!” said Peter. “Take your time and become extremely confidential, because the more I look at the location and the more I hear the gay chuckling song that that water sings, the more I am in love with your plan to run it across the lawn and bring it around the boulder.”
“It would be a downright sin not to have that water in a convenient place for your children to play in, Peter,” said Linda.
“Then that’s all settled,” said Peter. “Now, Whiting, come this way and we’ll see whether I can suggest anything that will help you with your problem.”
“Whistle when you are ready, Donald,” called Linda as she turned away.
Peter Morrison glanced after her a second, and then he led Donald Whiting to a nail keg in the garage and impaled that youngster on the mental point of a mental pin and studied him as carefully as any scientist ever studied a rare specimen. When finally he let him go, his mental comment was: “He’s a mighty fine kid. Linda is perfectly safe with him.”
CHAPTER XV
Linda’s Hearthstone
Early the following week Linda came from school one evening to find a load of sand and a heap of curiously marked stones beside the back door.
“Can it possibly be, Katy,” she asked, “that those men are planning to begin work on my room so soon? I am scared out of almost seven of my five senses. I had no idea they would be ready to begin work until after I had my settlement with Eileen or was paid for the books.”
“Don’t ye be worried,” said Katy. “There’s more in me stocking than me leg, and you’re as welcome to it as the desert is welcome to rain, an’ nadin’ it ’most as bad.”