“I hope they know the train we’re coming on,” said Doris. “I told you, Betty, that we ought to telegraph.”
“They told us the day and the train, Doris,” firmly said Betty. But Betty looked apprehensively at some of the people in the room. There was a much better room upstairs, but Betty did not know that and there was no one to tell her.
Finally Amy Lou began to cry. That was the last straw. Betty hunted for what addresses she had and made her way again to “Information.” She wondered if she had enough money to pay for a taxi. And did you pay for everyone, or was it some other way? Dick was scouting around outside now. He could find out things. Boys always could.
Then all at once darkness changed to light, figuratively speaking. Before she had made an inquiry, she heard a squeal from Amy Lou and turned to see if Doris were having trouble with her. But it had been a happy squeal, not a cross one. There was Father, with his baby in his arms and Doris holding to one hand! A very thankful girl ran back to her family.
“I’m so sorry, Betty,” said Mr. Lee, “that you have had this wait and worry. I had expected to meet you right at the train and take you to our own car. Come on. We’ll talk after we get started. It was an important business conference and I could not leave early. Then traffic was heavy and it was farther to the station from our office that I thought. That was all.”
Watching for trucks, street-cars and machines of all sorts, they made their way to where the new car was parked. Exclamations of delight pleased Mr. Lee. Dick wanted to know all about it. It was not of a highly expensive make, but as their father said, it would hold them all. “I almost need a smaller one, too,” said he, explaining, “though I’m not on the sales end of affairs. They’ve done me the honor to put me among the executives, kiddies, and ask me to tell how I managed to do so well in my little factory. I told the president, that it was nothing, only quality of goods and good management; but he had me discuss products and management at this conference.”
“Good for you, Pop!” said Dick.
“But I’m going to ask you all to help me, children. To make this change and to live in a city is going to draw heavily on what I had saved. In fact, there isn’t any too much left, except some property in the home town. So don’t get any big ideas of what we can do here in the way of living like some of the people you will see.”
“Aren’t there any folks just like us, Papa?” asked Doris, rather bewildered. They had started now and slowly Mr. Lee was driving the car, up a hill and behind an immense truck.
“Plenty of them, Doris, and thousands not half so well off.”