Chapter V: - Part of the Secret

CHAPTER V

PART OF THE SECRET

THE NEXT day at school was spent by the twins and many of their friends in putting on a Christmas play. Flossie was an adorable angel, Freddie the innkeeper. Bert was a shepherd, while Nan played the part of Mary.

Danny and his pals seemed very subdued and went out of their way to avoid Bert. Because the bully had been responsible for blocking the school entrance with the huge snowball, there was a good deal of teasing about snowballs.

As the twins met after school, Nan said, “Let’s go past the lumberyard office and see if Dad’s back.” To their delight, he was.

“Oh, Daddy!” Flossie cried, rushing up and throwing her arms about her tall, handsome father. “We’re so glad you’re home!”

“Yes, we have lots to tell you!” Freddie announced.

Everyone talked at once. It was several minutes before Bert had a chance to ask Mr. Bobbsey about the mysterious Mr. Carford.

“What did he mean about a Bobbsey coming into his life five years ago, Dad?”

The twins’ father looked grave for a moment, then said, “Well, Bert—” He was interrupted by the telephone. After listening a few moments, he said, “Will you hold the line, please?”

Turning to the twins, Mr. Bobbsey told them this was an important, long-distance call. “You run along now. I’ll see you all at supper.”

The children waved good-by and filed out. Halfway home they suddenly heard the tinkle of bells behind them. Turning, they saw Mr. Carford’s beautiful old sleigh coming along the street.

The old man stopped his horse as he drew abreast of the Bobbseys and called a hearty “Hi there!”

When they had returned the greetings, he asked, “Would you children like to have a sleigh ride out to my home? I know my sister baked some cookies this morning, and—” he grinned, “there’s a surprise there I know you’ll enjoy.”

“Oh, we’d love to come!” chorused Flossie and Freddie. Nan and Bert also accepted the invitation.

Mr. Carford drove by the Bobbsey home, and the twins’ mother gladly gave permission for the visit.

The older twins climbed into the rear seat of the sleigh, while the young ones took seats on either side of Mr. Carford. Then they were off.

“Whoopee! This is great!” shouted Freddie a few minutes later, as Mr. Carford gave him the reins to hold. Freddie guided the horse importantly along the snowy road.

Shortly they drew up in front of an old farmhouse nestled among majestic pines, which swayed gently in the wind. A wisp of smoke curled from a huge stone chimney atop the shingled roof.

As the children scrambled to the ground, a plump woman came and stood in the front door and called a cheery welcome.

“This is my sister, Miss Emma Carford,” said their host. The maiden lady had gray hair and blue eyes much like Mr. Carford’s.

Miss Carford led the children inside the homey dwelling. While they removed their coats and Mr. Carford put Daisy in the stall, she brought out a snack of sugar cookies and milk.

“Yummy!” exclaimed Flossie. “These cookies are wonderful!”

“You’re a good cook!” burst out Freddie, who considered himself an expert on such matters. The others laughed.

When the Bobbseys had finished, the Carfords took them on a tour of inspection of the house. Nan was interested in the old-time four-poster beds on the second floor, for they were topped by canopies and covered with bright-colored patchwork quilts made by Miss Carford.

Her brother showed Bert his collection of Toby mugs which he had obtained on trips to England. Many of the little containers, which were shaped like jolly figures, dated back before the Revolutionary War.

Finally the group ended up in the kitchen, where there was a wide fireplace with a raised hearth such as those used in olden days. Bert helped Mr. Carford build a fire, and soon the flames gave the room a cheerful warmth.

“What are you children planning to do in your Christmas vacation?” Miss Carford asked.

“We’re probably going to have a hotel Christmas!” Freddie replied mournfully.

“A what?” the white-haired lady asked, and Nan and Bert told her about the furnace repairs.

“I like hotels,” Flossie confided, “but not at Christmastime. We couldn’t have a big Christmas tree in a little bedroom—”

The Carfords looked at each other but made no comment. In a few moments the elderly man said, “I copied this fireplace from one in Snow Lodge. How my brothers and sisters and I loved to sit in front of that one when we were children! It was a wonderful way to spend a long winter evening after a hard day’s work on the farm.”

Snow Lodge! Bert and Nan exchanged excited glances as Mr. Carford paused. Perhaps now they would learn something about the mystery after all!

“Our parents died when we children were small,” Mr. Carford continued. “Snow Lodge had to be sold, and each of us went to live with a different older relative. Over the years all except Emma and me were married. Gradually we lost touch with one another.”

The man’s blue eyes stared reminiscently into the fire. Finally he went on to say that when he had grown up he went to New York, where he had prospered in business. Finally he had retired, however, and decided to return to Lakeport. He had bought back Snow Lodge.

“I was lonely,” he confessed, “and hoped that some members of my family might like to live with me at the lodge. But they all had their own homes and did not want to.”

“That was too bad,” Nan said sympathetically.

Mr. Carford patted the girl on her shoulder and said, “Don’t feel sorry for me, because I’ve had a happy life for the most part. Besides, modernizing Snow Lodge kept me busy for some time. After the remodeling was done, I —”

“Oh, there they are!” Miss Carford interrupted. Glancing at her wrist watch, she added, “Right on time, too.”

She pointed out the wide kitchen window and the children saw an unusual sight—at least ten deer.

“Is this the surprise you told us about?” Freddie asked Mr. Carford, as they all donned coats and hats to go outside.

The white-haired gentleman nodded and smiled. “Yes. They come from the woods beyond my farm. We’ve trained them to eat from our hands.” He asked Bert to get a sack of grain from the pantry and to bring some lettuce from the refrigerator.

Eagerly, the Bobbseys tiptoed out the back door and quietly approached the beautiful, shy animals. Their large brown eyes darted about nervously until the children held out handfuls of grain and lettuce. Then, timidly, the deer edged closer.

A young fawn softly nuzzled Flossie’s palm.

“Oh, mine’s adorable!” exclaimed the little girl. “Please, may I take him home with me?” Without waiting for an answer, Flossie went on, “And I’ll call you Softy, ’cause that’s what you are.” She flung her arms around the startled animal’s neck and hugged him.

Nan smiled and went to Flossie’s side. “I’m afraid Softy would be terribly lonesome at our house, honey,” she said kindly.

“But—but he’d have me!” Flossie insisted. Then she paused. “You’re right, Nan. Softy might run away and get lost.”

Flossie turned back to her fawn. She gave the animal another quick hug, then whispered, “Good-by, Softy. Be a good deer and don’t get hurt.”

The older twins winked at the Carfords. A few minutes later the deer, their hunger satisfied, bounded back into the forest. Everyone returned to the kitchen, and Mr. Carford resumed his story.

“As I started to say, children, after the remodeling was done at Snow Lodge, I received word that my elder sister, Louise Burdock, had been widowed. She was left with a ten-year-old boy, Dave, and had very little money. I invited them to come to Snow Lodge and live with me. They accepted. Not long after they arrived in Lakeport, however, Louise died. So I brought up Dave alone.”

“How wonderful of you!” Nan murmured.

“Dave was a fine boy,” said Mr. Carford. “He became like a son to me. We had grand times studying together, taking hikes in the woods, fishing, hunting, and—”

Suddenly a sad expression flickered briefly on the man’s face as he added, “But then, about five years ago, there was a—a misunderstanding between us. Dave left Snow Lodge. He will not return, unless—”

Nan and Bert looked at each other. Could this be the mystery they were curious about?

Regaining his composure, Mr. Carford concluded, “So I closed Snow Lodge and hired a neighboring farmer to keep it in good shape. When Emma,” he glanced at his sister, “wrote that she would like to stay with me, I bought this farmhouse.”

He stopped speaking, and there was a long silence. Bert decided that the “misunderstanding” between Mr. Carford and his nephew must have been very serious.

“Apparently Mr. Carford isn’t going to tell us what it is,” thought Nan in disappointment She looked at the kitchen clock. It was four-thirty. “We must be getting home,” she said.

“You’ll forgive an old man for talking so long,” Mr. Carford apologized, as his sister went for the twins’ coats, hats, and boots. “But I’ve enjoyed your visit. Will you come again some time?”

“We sure will,” said Freddie stoutly.

As the twins prepared to leave, there was a sudden uproar in the back yard. Chickens squawked frantically. A dog howled. What was going on?