“You’re a positive blessing,” Nancy insisted. “The only trouble is—we can’t learn sleuthing in your class and I’ve just got to find out Mr. Sanders’ secret before I’m many days older. I honestly think, Mother, the idea of that foolish story going around without anyone—running it down, as Ted would say, is getting on my nerves.”
And every one enjoyed a good laugh at the idea of Nancy Brandon having nerves.
CHAPTER XIV
A PLEASANT SURPRISE
It was all very exciting, but Nancy didn’t want to think that she was really glad to get rid of her precious Whatnot Shop. Ted openly declared “he told her so,” as boys will, but she politely drew his attention to the fact that she had fulfilled her contract, that she had earned money, quite a lot of money, in fact, and in now turning the shop over to Miss Manners she was following her mother’s advice.
It was a few days later than that evening when she and her mother offered the use of the shop to the little seamstress, and now they were preparing to call on Miss Townsend.
“Suppose she says she wants it back,” faltered Nancy, just patting her dark hair back into the desired soft little bumps. “What would we say, Mother, if she just begged us to let her have it?”
“Why dear, we could let her have a part of it, perhaps. She could come in and sell out what little stock you have, while Miss Manners is getting ready for her class.”
“Oh, but,” pouted Nancy, “I would just hate to have her do that. If you ever saw the way she snooped around, Mother. And the way that dog acted!” Nancy’s manner was very decidedly one of opposition to Miss Townsend and her dog.
“Well, come along, dear,” her mother urged, “we must not stay late. I have some notes to write up and I don’t want to lose sleep over them.”
Whatever else bothered Nancy Brandon, an evening’s walk through the country roads of Long Leigh, in a beautiful summer twilight with her arm locked tightly in her mother’s, was balm enough to soothe and heal every slightest hurt and anxiety.