Chapter Thirteen
An Honest Reward
IT was Saturday morning and James lay full length on the wicker davenport reading Boy’s Life and yearning for a really sharp pocketknife so that he could whittle. “Just look at those penguins,” he said to Jane. “Boy, I’d surely like to make some like that.”
Mom was sitting at the end of the long table. She was making her grocery list. “I’ll give a prize,” she announced, “to whichever side has the cleanest bathhouse, the boys or the girls.”
“What is it going to be,” demanded James. “Candy?” Mom continued to write, and answered without raising her eyes. “I don’t know yet what it’s going to be, but I do know that if it’s going to be, there’ll be a clean bathhouse first. My prize goes to the cleanest side.”
“Oh boy,” said Jane. “This is easy. I’ve got the cleanest side to start out with, because Mom and Aunt Claire don’t toss stuff on the floor like you boys do.”
“That’s no fair,” yelled James. “It’s a cheat!”
“It’s not a cheat,” retorted Jane. “I had all sorts of company on my side during the week and they left hairpins and face powder all over the place.”
Mom finished her grocery list and stood up to leave. “Well,” she said. “I’m still offering a prize. If you two would rather argue about it than win it, I’ll give the job to Davey and Bill instead.”
“No, no, Mom. We’ll take it. We’ll go right away,” and they ran in the direction of the bathhouse.