She breathed again but her veins1 felt as if bursting. That was consciousness coming back. She had fainted in the cellar and she was now—
“Tommy!”
“Glory!” The voice was like a murmur2 through the trees and it was Tommy’s; Tommy Whitely. He was there, bending over her!
Struggling back as from a hideous3 dream she remembered. There was Trixy too, holding her head and that was Ben. But Marty!
“Oh, get him! Get Marty!” she begged, springing upright from the friendly arms.
“In the cellar! Oh, that awful cellar. But the door—the front door is open!”
Her voice sounded miles away, and her eyes, they burned like fire. She brushed a hand. “What’s that!” she gasped5. It was dark and wet.
“You cut your hands. But don’t worry. You’ll be all right. Poor little Gloria.” Trixy kissed away the mud smudge from the darling face now ghastly white from that horrible fainting spell. “We had to drag you out the window.”
“Oh, it was awful,” she breathed. “But I’m all right now. I must get Marty.”
“Are you sure you can walk?”
“I feel better moving. It was just fright, panic!” declared Gloria, actually getting to her feet, noting the auto6 robe she had been resting upon and remembering Marty’s hurt ankle.
“Oh, he can’t walk!” she exclaimed. “We must bring the robe—”
But when they got there Ben Hardy was on the little landing in the cellar, with Tommy Whitely astride the rail, and Marty Gorman was talking a blue streak8.
The handy pocket light was flashed at the guilty pool that still bubbled, and swirled9 and even splashed against the wall occasionally.
“Sure as you live!” exclaimed Ben, the young student.
Trixy and Gloria stood at the top of the stairs. The spring lock was now securely fastened back.
“What—is—it?” asked Trixy.
“A lost river. An underground river!” replied Ben triumphantly10.
“Dreadful! It’s wonderful! Fixed? You bet it can! Sherry always declared this was some magic influence. Well, I’m jiggered.” The pocket light seemed to flash like a head light in the darkness as he directed it from one spot to another.
“And y’u kin drain it?” eagerly asked Marty, apparently12 forgetting the ankle.
“Nothing to it,” replied Ben. “With a gang of men and one of dad’s machines! Oh, say,” he was too jubilant for words. “Won’t this be great. Say, Glo!” (it didn’t seem too familiar now) “Let me have the contract? I’ll turn this into the finest little park ever. And the land will be worth oodles!”
“Now, easy, Ben,” cautioned Trixy pleasantly. “My own ‘paw’ is interested here!”
“And so’s mine. He has shares—” interrupted Marty, cracking his voice explosively.
“Well, I’ve got the deeds,” Gloria managed to recall. She was almost inarticulate.
“And don’t I figure?” asked Tom, shyly.
“You’ll have too,” declared Gloria. “But do let us rescue poor Marty. He’s hurt.”
“Not much now, it don’t,” declared Marty. “It’s most better. I could walk, maybe.”
“You don’t have to. What am I here for? Of course Gloria had to come to. She was afraid I might carry her,” teased the overjoyed Ben.
To find an underground river! And to turn it into a beautiful lake! To drain the little settlement! How wonderful!
“I knew I’d strike luck out here,” Ben said in Marty’s ear as he carried him, although the comment was meant for the girls. “But, Gloria, you had a mighty13 close call.”
“Don’t talk of it, not yet, at any rate,” Gloria begged. “Marty, why didn’t you let them know you were in the cellar?”
“Let them know. I couldn’t speak. I thought—I thought you was dead!”
“Poor Marty.”
Gloria smiled. “Tommy Whitely, tell me how you got here?” she asked.
“Came out with Ben.”
“And growled15 all the way because he hadn’t come before,” said Ben. “Well, our picnic is spoiled, Tom, but this isn’t so bad.”
“Surest thing,” agreed Ben. “And we were all loaded up for a jolly time. Just look at that basket of apples! Tom’s contribution.”
“And be careful of the other stuff. That’s Ben’s contribution,” mocked Tom.
“Wait until I deposit the patient. Here, Trix, please—”
“Oh, say! I’m all right. I kin sit right on that basket—”
“No, you can’t either. Sit here,” ordered Ben. “We may make camp yet.”
There was plenty of room in the four seated town car, one of those open-sided, covered-topped, bright yellow wagons18, that always look so jolly and have no passenger limit.
The fragrant19 fruit, fresh from Barbend, the bag of hickory nuts, Gloria knew so well the trees that contributed these—then the little flower pot with a pink bloom sticking out of a paper bag under the front seat—that would be a potted slip of Jane’s house geranium.
The two discarded bicycles were tied on the roof of the car as they started off.
“We’ll stop at Dr. Daly’s with that ankle,” announced Trixy. “Glo, you must be miserable20 in those wet things, but just think of the good times coming!”
“I do!” The thought must have been overwhelming for Gloria seemed to choke on it.
“I tell you, honest, Miss Travers, I don’t need no doctor,” protested Marty.
“In that side street. That lamp post. Here we are!”
The doctor was in, although Marty hoped he wasn’t. He hated to have those muddy feet of his overhauled23.
“Just a strained ligament,” pronounced the big friendly man. He patted Marty fondly. “Keep off the foot all you can for a few days.”
Outside Gloria was pacifying24 Tommy. She felt guilty of desertion but couldn’t he see? Wasn’t there an awful lot for her to do out in Sandford?
“And you’re very good friends with Ben now, aren’t you?” she asked.
“You bet. He’s taught me a lot. Ben’s awful smart What he says he can do he does. Just you wait and see him drain out your muddy cellar,” enthused Tommy, his eyes as blue as ever.
“I believe he will,” agreed Gloria. Trixy and Ben were leading Marty back now. His smile sent the verdict on ahead.
“’Tain’t nuthin’,” he elucidated25.
“Just a strain,” appended Trixy.
“Then please, let’s hurry back to Auntie’s,” begged Gloria. “She’ll think I’m lost and have—”
“Another fit!” laughed Trixy. “But I’m going to wait for you this time,” she insisted. “We can wait until you change into dry things. I’m not going to have this celebration postponed26 an hour longer.”
It was decided to let the boys wait out in the car.
“I don’t know how to tell Aunty about it all. She always declared ‘Echoes’ was a beauty spot and worth everything promised,” faltered27 Gloria.
“If only Sherry could know,” sighed Trixy, holding back by the honeysuckle to whisper it.
“Can’t Ben write to him?” asked Gloria.
“No address. He just cut everything and traveled. There’s your aunt.”
At the sight of Gloria her Aunt Hattie stifled28 a little squeal29. The muddy shoes and bedraggled skirt!
“I was afraid you would get stuck in the mud on that wheel,” she suggested, smiling most hospitably30 to Trixy. “We’ve had such a lot of rain.”
“Aunty, it isn’t that,” almost cried Gloria, forgetting everything but the history of Aunt Lottie’s money. “But I’ve been out to Echoes! And it’s a gold mine!”
“What do you mean, Gloria! Come inside!”
Then she tried to tell her, while Martha fetched dry things. Her Aunt Hattie would not let Gloria pause long enough in the fairy story to put on her own shoes, although she had insisted upon changing the other garments.
The little woman’s face was like a newly trimmed lamp, with a fresh wick, shining chimney and a pretty shade. It shone!
“And you know, Mrs. Towers,” murmured the complacent31 Trixy, “it was my friend Sherry Graves, who planned all that!”
“Sherry Graves! Of course, I remember! Gloria, I’m a stupid woman. Where’s that telegram, Martha?”
It was produced by Martha, the yellow telegraph sheet with its transcribed32 cable message. Gloria read aloud:
“Arrive New York Sunday
with friend Sherwood Graves.”
“I didn’t know. Dad said he had met a young man—traveling for his health, but he gave no name.”
Trixy had snatched the message and was out the door rushing to the waiting car.
“Ben!” she cried. “It’s a message from Sherry! He’s coming back with Mr. Doane.”
It was well for Marty Gorman that the injured ankle needed no further attention for some hours. What with running back and forth35, from Trixy’s to Gloria’s, to the telephone booth for Ben to phone home, and for Tommy to send a message to his mother (he had to wait for Ben to get back to Barbend), of course Gloria had to phone Jane, who promised to be out early next morning, and then Mrs. Towers begged that they run over to Layton to tell her husband, there was no phone in his boarding place; altogether it was very late indeed before the intense excitement subsided36.
They were at Mrs. Towers now. Martha had given the boys supper, while Ben and Gloria were served at Trixy’s.
“And Marty Gorman, how is your mother?” asked Aunt Hattie considerately.
“Fine,” said Marty indifferently.
“Getting on, I mean?” explained the surprised questioner.
“All right,” flung back Marty. “They’re goin’ to op’rate.” There was pride in his voice easy to translate. Hadn’t they always hoped for that operation?
Mrs. Towers smiled knowingly. “Of course,” she said, “she will be all right after that. And there’ll be plenty of money now if this thing goes through.”
The others were back. Ben had talked to his father on the phone, and the experienced contractor37 readily agreed with all his son’s suggestions.
“There is no doubt of it, dad says,” he told Mrs. Towers. “In fact, he can see even bigger things than I grasped in the excitement. But depend upon it, you will all be drawing dividends38 from Echo Park stock before three months’ time.”
“And when the water is all gone from that cellar we’ll have a big housewarming,” declared Gloria, rather proudly.
“You bet chu!” chimed in the jubilant Marty.
THE END
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1
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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auto
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| n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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7
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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8
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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9
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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11
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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12
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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13
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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14
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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15
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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16
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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17
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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18
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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19
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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21
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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22
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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23
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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24
pacifying
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的现在分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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25
elucidated
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| v.阐明，解释( elucidate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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27
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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28
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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29
squeal
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| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
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30
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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31
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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32
transcribed
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| （用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的过去式和过去分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音） | |
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33
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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35
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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36
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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37
contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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38
dividends
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| 红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金 | |
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39
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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40
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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41
freckles
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| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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