The Merriweather Girls and the Mystery of the Queen's Fan Part 24

Bet recognized the two women. They were newcomers to the town. Mrs.

Lester had a charming home in Crestwood, a new suburb of the village, and Mrs. Carey lived only a few streets away.

"We noticed your pretty shop and thought we would look in and see what you have," said Mrs. Lester.

Bet turned to Shirley but now that she was faced with a possible customer, the girl was panic stricken. She bent her head over her work and left Bet to do the talking.

Bet did not find any difficulty in this, however. She rose quite naturally and invited the women to be seated. Mrs. Carey started toward a bright orange chair, and Bet cried, "Oh not there, Mrs. Carey.

That one is just painted!" and as the woman turned toward another one, she grabbed her by the arm just in time. "That chair is being repaired and would have let you down."

Everybody was laughing by this time and Shirley was on her feet, offering the women the chairs that were usable.

"How long has your shop been open?" asked Mrs. Carey. "I never noticed it before."

"It isn't open yet--that is we planned on opening it next Sat.u.r.day, for the paint on the outside isn't dry, and as you see, the chairs are still wet and rickety." And Bet went on to tell of their plans for a Sat.u.r.day Shop.

As she stopped, Mrs. Lester exclaimed: "That's a splendid idea! I call that clever of you!"

"Oh, I'm not clever. It's Shirley here. She's the one who makes those pretty prints that you see in the window."

"They are lovely. I noticed them."

"They will make nice Christmas presents, don't you think so?" suggested Bet. "Of course it's a little early to think of buying presents, but it's a good idea to have them on hand."

Mrs. Lester smiled at the girl's eagerness and her charming manner.

"I saw one in the window that pleased me very much, but you have everything so nicely arranged I hate to disturb it."

"You needn't worry about that. We'd just love to sell it to you," and Bet looked toward Shirley, who had dropped her work and was already getting the print.

Then Shirley opened her portfolio and the two women looked over the pictures.

"That view of the Hudson is very pretty but I think the print of the gulls suits me better. Yes, that's the one I will take."

Mrs. Carey chose a landscape. Shirley called it "At Dawn."

"This scene is right around here, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes, it's right down there by Ritter's pond."

"I love it!" exclaimed the woman. "You've made it prettier than the real scene."

"I'm not so sure about that, Mrs. Carey. You should see it just at sunrise or on a misty morning. It's perfect!"

"That's one nice thing about Shirley. Her pictures are an improvement on nature," laughed Bet.

Kit and Joy, who had been whispering for some time in the back room now appeared with a tray and teapot.

Bet gave them a ravishing smile of approval, and over tea and cakes the girls amused their callers with a recital of their doings.

"Will every customer get a cup of tea?" laughed Mrs. Lester.

"We haven't quite decided that yet. We want to have it cozy and homey as well as business-like."

"I'm sure after this reception we will always want to drop in when we are down town," said Mrs. Lester. "It's the coziest shop I've ever seen."

So well did their first customers get acquainted with the girls that they knew their plans pretty well and Shirley had been asked to bring her camera to Mrs. Lester's home and get a series of pictures of her two small children.

"I planned on having a man come out from New York, but I'm very sure you can do as well. The children are apt to be shy with grown ups."

An appointment was made and as the door closed behind them the four chums dropped into their chairs and stared at each other without speaking. Then Joy came to life with a dance. "Come on Kit, I just have to dance. If I don't I'll explode into a million pieces."

But Shirley was holding the two five-dollar bills in her hand looking at them as if she had never seen such a thing before.

"Girls, you've all been so good in helping. Let's divide this equally between us."

"Why the idea, Shirley Williams!" exclaimed Bet. "Who made those prints? Who sat up until two o'clock one morning? Did we? --We did not. That money belongs to you and no one else."

"Say girls, that was a good idea about the tea. What made you think of it?" Shirley asked a little later.

"We wanted a share in Shirley's first sale and that was the only way we could think of getting into it," smiled Kit.

"It was a good day's work, young lady!" approved Bet. "For if they hadn't been drinking tea they wouldn't have known anything about Shirley's picture-taking ability and now she has an order."

The door rattled again and the girls stood up, expecting another customer. But it was better than that. It was Colonel Baxter with a big package in his arms. He had just returned from New York, bringing with him some purchases for the shop.

As soon as he appeared, the girls met him, all talking at once, and drew him to a chair.

"Sit down, Colonel Baxter. I'll have a cup of tea for you in a minute," shouted Kit and she and Joy ran to the little electric plate in the back room. "The water is almost hot. It will be ready in less than no time."

While the two girls were busy preparing the tea, Bet and Shirley told of the doings of the day and Shirley proudly waved the ten dollars in her hand.

"And just see, Colonel Baxter, the first sales in Shirley's Shop!"

"And I was planning on having that honor myself. I didn't think you would have anything ready until next week. You've done wonders with this old store."

Colonel Baxter laughed heartily over the description of the boys demanding a handout.

"And here's another hungry man," he said. "I hope that tea will soon be ready."

"We're coming just in a minute, Colonel Baxter," called Joy. Then to Kit she said: "I bet he didn't have a bite of lunch. Let's fix up some cold chicken and apple fritters for him."

"Now that's my idea of afternoon tea," exclaimed the Colonel, as he settled himself comfortably in an easy chair and seized upon the chicken. "Did you feed your two customers as well?"

"Oh no," said Kit with great disdain. "With them we were exceedingly polite. We made those little sandwiches, the two for a penny kind, and gave them only tea and cakes besides. That's all they got."

"Then it's all right. I was afraid you might be treating them better than you treated me and I was getting jealous."

The girls cast many searching glances at the package and finally Bet burst out: "Dad dear, I just can't wait a minute longer to see what you bought for Shirley's Shop."