Janie’s face fell. She knew what Mom said was true. There was danger of a shock if they crawled up there, but what about the purse? Now they’d have to wait until Saturday to get it. As soon as Billy led Buick away, Butch shinneyed down the porch pillar and Jane carried him to the big cottage.
Mom greeted her with some good news. “I expect Grandma and Aunt Claire out here one of these days, perhaps tomorrow. We’ll have to air out the little cottage, and get it ready for them.”
The children were glad. Grandma was a great favorite. She was one of those rare persons who had energy and enthusiasm to spare, and though her curly hair was white, and her knees were a bit stiff, she knew all kinds of tricks and games. She could hold a sick child on her lap, and sing to him and tell him stories until the pain would go away. She could end a quarrel by telling a funny story, and she never forgot a child’s favorite dish.
She always carried a large black purse, and what wonders it contained! There were rolls of caramels and fruit drops, peppermints and gum. There was a coin purse that jingled with pennies and nickels and dimes for children who had been especially good.
Aunt Claire was Grandma’s only daughter, and she lived with her. She was a jolly little person with twinkling brown eyes. She could paint beautiful pictures, and she knew just where to catch big fish. She didn’t invent stories like Daddy did. She read aloud, which pleased the children just as much, and she won the undying respect of her nephews by being able to bait her own hook.
Just at that time the nephews would rather be baiting hooks than preparing for their Aunt’s arrival, but off to the little cottage they marched with brooms and mops and dust cloths.
Billy took off a screen and climbed through the window. His brothers followed him. They, might have to clean house, but nothing so common place as walking through a door to do it. Oh no. They dusted with vigor, if not with care. James slyly tripped Billy with a wet mop, and Davey hid under the bed while Mom scolded about it.
In less than an hour everything was bright and clean. Janie ran to the garden and picked a bouquet of pansies to put beside Grandma’s bed and Davey fixed a glass of lemonade to stand beside Aunt Claire’s bed. No one told him that it would be warm and stale by the next day. It was his contribution, and he was seriously praised for his thoughtfulness.
Mom walked out on the pier just as Janie, Billy and James were leaving to go fishing.
“I am the bearer of sad tidings,” she said.