At supper Dr. Hillman asked the twins to come to his study, and there he produced a pink slip of paper from a desk drawer and handed it to Laurie. “My sister and I have wanted to help ever since we first learned of Miss Comfort’s—ah—embarrassment, but have been somewhat at a loss to know how to do so. She is greatly averse to anything resembling charity, as you probably know. To-day we heard of your interest in the matter, Laurence, and of your—ah—ingenious solution of the lady’s problem, and it occurred to us that if we handed a small contribution to you you would doubtless be able to use it to advantage and at the same time—ah—consider it confidential.”
“Twenty-five more!” exclaimed Laurie when they were back in No. 16. “Forty from Mr. Starling. Seventy-seven in all! What’ll we do with it?”
“Blessed if I know!” replied Ned, “unless we install steam heat and open plumbing!”
CHAPTER XVIII
MISS COMFORT COMES ABOARD
Behold the Pequot Queen at ten o’clock Saturday morning!
She is freshly painted from end to end on the shoreward side, gleaming white, with bright yellow trim. The other side is to be done later. Just now the painter, a sure-enough professional painter from Joyce & Connell’s, is finishing the upper deck.
The gangway is resplendent, too, for Brose did that himself yesterday, using plenty of drier. The deck is protected by bits of board to walk on, although by evening the buff paint will be hard enough. The doors are to have a second coat later, but as they are they look pretty fine. Wonderful what paint will do, isn’t it? You’d hardly think this was the same old Pequot Queen.
But there’s the cabin yet. Linoleum shining with new varnish, walls and ceiling creamy white, blue and white curtains at the windows, Miss Comfort’s old stove blackened and polished by Kewpie until you’d never suspect it was not brand-new! And that’s a real sink in the corner, even though it isn’t working yet. You just can’t hurry a plumber! There’ll be a pump alongside, of course. Miss Comfort will get her drinking-water at the Parmenter’s across the road. They’re real friendly folks. Mr. Parmenter hauled the coal that’s in the bin in the boiler-room himself. That shelving is all new. Brose and Bob put that up. The hanging lamp in the center is one Mrs. Deane had. Miss Starling sent those flowers. Looks pretty nice, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t mind living here yourself? Well, neither would I! And look at the view from those windows; sun sparkling on the water, boats passing! Think Miss Comfort’ll like it?