Jane opened the door and got to work. She swept the floor, wiped off the bench and even polished the mirror. While she was hanging fresh towels she called to James.
“Why don’t you hurry? Mom will be back from shopping, and I’ll win.”
“Aw, I could win with both hands tied behind my back. I can clean mine in five minutes and still win.”
He lay flat on the pier, idly kicking the boat back and forth, but all of a sudden he realized that his boasting wouldn’t take him much farther, because Jane had almost finished with her side and he still had everything to do. He sauntered over to the bathhouse, being careful to give the impression of great leisure, just as Jane emerged.
“I’ll win,” she said cockily. “You haven’t got a chance. You started too late.”
“Pooh, pooh,” said the master mind, but the minute her back was turned, he hurried as fast as he could. He was almost finished when Mom returned from shopping. All that was left was a pile of dust in the middle of the floor. Jane had taken the dust pan back to the cottage with her. If he swept it out on the brick steps he would be disqualified. He could pick it up in his hands and stuff it in his pockets, but there were no pockets in this suit. Mom was on her way across the lawn for inspection right this minute.
“Aha,” he thought, in a burst of pure mischief, and as quick as a wink he swept the remaining dust under the partition and over to the girl’s side. Broom in hand and eyes dancing, he stepped outside and bowed to Mom.
“Everything is in order, Mom,” he said. “I get the prize.”
Mom stepped inside the boy’s side and looked around carefully. “Very good,” she said. Then she stepped out and walked around to the girl’s side. She looked around carefully again. James giggled, expecting her to see the joke, but her face was grave as she noticed the dust spread fan-wise from under the partition.
“You have the cleanest bathhouse, James,” she said. “You win the prize,” and she gave him a candy bar.