“You don’t want to forget,” reminded Nell, “that you may get the things cheaper than we estimated them. I dare say we’ll have quite all the money we need. Wouldn’t it be splendid if we did and I hadn’t to pay my three dollars and a half after all?”
The others howled at that and Dick demanded his penny back. Gordon asked where the furniture was to be kept until they could smuggle it into the office, and Morris explained that they were going to have it taken to the school late in the afternoon, after Mr. Grayson had gone, and stored in a room in the basement. He had arranged with the janitor for that. “And then, the night before, Louise is going to get the key to Mr. Grayson’s room and we’re going to move the old furniture out into the hall and put the new things in.”
“I shall be very busy at home that evening,” murmured Gordon.
Louise regarded him indignantly. “Indeed you’ll not, Gordon Merrick! Every one has got to help. Some of the things will be frightfully heavy.”
“The janitor is going to help us,” said Morris.
“As near as I can make out,” remarked Dick, with a smile, “almost every one in town has been taken into the secret except Mr. Grayson. If he doesn’t know of it already it’s a miracle!”
“We had to tell the janitor,” said Morris. “And Miss Turner. She’s going to borrow his key for us.”
“Oh, I’m not objecting,” replied Dick. “But you’ll have to acknowledge that the chances of keeping it from Mr. Grayson until the twenty-fifth are mighty slim.”
“Anyway, I’m pretty sure he hasn’t heard anything yet,” said Louise. “And—and I don’t believe he will. It would be too frightfully mean if anyone told him!”