“Will this spoil your plans?” asked his wife. “I mean can you get off to Mount Major to start the store for the lumber camp?”
“Yes, I think so,” answered the father of the Curlytops. “In fact I think this little fire will make it easier. I can’t do any business here because my store will be closed until the loss is settled. And while I’m waiting for that I can go to Mount Major. I’ll leave somebody in charge. How would you like to go along?” he asked.
“You mean all of us?” she questioned. “I couldn’t very well go and leave the children here.”
“Yes, I mean for all of us to go,” was the reply. “I shall have to remain several weeks to get the lumber-camp store well started, and as this is practically the beginning of the summer vacation in the school the children can just as well go as not.”
“Where could we stay in the woods?” asked Mrs. Martin.
“There is a bungalow there—a very good one, I believe. I intended to live in it myself, but there is room for us all.”
“The children will be delighted!” exclaimed Mrs. Martin. “To think of spending a summer in the woods!”
“Yes, the Curlytops will like the woods all right, I think,” chuckled Mr. Martin. “And so will Trouble. We’ll tell them about it in the morning.”
Mr. Martin made an early trip to his store, to look over the damage by daylight. When he came back the Curlytops and Trouble were having their breakfasts.
“Is store all burned?” asked Trouble, pausing in his eating of oatmeal and milk.