“I go in every day and so do Mother and the kids. Dad too, if he thinks about it,” Fred answered. “I used to think that it was an awful pity for those houses to be empty in the summer and sometimes I tried to get Dad to talk about it, but he always said that it wasn’t any use, because we had enough money and he couldn’t be quiet if there were a lot of summer people always about.”
“Do you suppose there would be any trouble about renting the island from your uncle?” Breck asked the boy. He had been looking around at the attractive cottages with growing interest and a decidedly ruminating eye, since Jane had suggested the possibility of a flourishing summer colony. Gradually the thought was taking place in his mind that it would be an unusual and remunerative way of spending the following spring and summer. The thought of himself as a rising young business man was amusing to him as he remembered his position as a deck hand on Mr. Wing’s yacht. Then he came to the realisation that such a project would take some capital and he said a smothered “Damn!”
But Jane heard it. “What? Breck, things in general or some person or thing in particular?”
“Me first and next my luck, then things.” Then he told her what he had been thinking, adding that it would give him endless opportunity for copy and also unlimited time to write but, of course, it was a foolish impossibility.
“Breck, you are terribly ignorant about business and I don’t suppose I am much better, but I seem to know that there are such things as companies and, as long as I thought of it, I think I at least ought to have a chance to buy some stock. Besides let’s tell Mr. Wing about it, and when I get home I will talk it over with Daddy. It would be an awful lot of fun even if we didn’t make much off of it the first year. I know lots of people at home that are always trying to find some new place to spend the summer. Dad and I were wondering what I was going to do with myself just before I left this summer. I don’t appear to have been born with any special talents and I couldn’t bear the idea of making my debut. Of course, I couldn’t take the housekeeping over from Aunt Min, because that’s all she has in her life.”
“Weren’t born with any special talent! Why, Jane, you were born with the greatest talent in the world, that of making everybody with whom you come in contact love you. And you just wait till I can offer you a house to keep,” Breck said, entirely forgetting Fred.
“Wouldn’t these houses be enough to start on?” asked Jane. “I’m young yet and not much of a housekeeper.” Jane was blushing and her eyes had a very happy light in them.
“Oh, Jane! What do you mean?” cried Breck, catching the girl’s hands and drawing her towards him.
“I simply mean that you needn’t wait until you can get any more houses before—before—you—before—”
“Before what?”