“Nevertheless, if she cannot sleep she is in a very uncomfortable state,” said Mrs. Belding.
“Let Laura try her magic, then,” laughed Chet. “Lance and I will help. I’ll go down to the opera house and borrow that stuff all right. I know Mr. Pence, and he’ll let us have it.”
“It seems to be carried by the majority,” said his mother. “I will not object. But get back as early as possible, children. Late hours are becoming prevalent in this family, and it must not continue.”
So after supper Lance came over and the three young people went off in the automobile, first stopping at the stage entrance of the opera house on Market Street. It was not quite dark when the car rolled into Colonel Swayne’s grounds. The old gentleman was on the lawn waiting for them.
“Now, what sort of a play are you going to act, Miss Belding?” he asked quizzically.
“You’ll see,” laughed Laura. “Is Mrs. Kerrick up yet?”
“She is just about to retire.”
“Then you will have to play a deceitful part, sir,” said Laura. “Go and tell her that you think there will be a thunder storm. Put down the shades at her windows so that the lightning will not frighten her.”
“You must have a better hold on the weather department than anybody else,” declared Colonel Swayne, looking up into the perfectly clear sky. “There isn’t a sign of a storm.”
“That’s all right,” said Laura. “Is your gardener about?”