"I'll save it for Ted," Nancy concluded. "But I hope it isn't dangerous.
It takes boys to find out the worst of everything. Just before we moved,
most of our furniture is in storage you know," she put in to explain the
scarcity of things at the country place, "Ted went up to the attic and
found an old wooden gun. It would shoot peas, and what those boys didn't
shoot peas at wasn't worth mentioning. I'll put the freak windmill away
for him, though. It looks quite harmless."
"Oh, I think it's just joyous to have a shop," exclaimed Ruth, "and if
you'll let me, Nancy, I'll come in and 'tend sometimes."
"I'd love to have you," replied Nancy earnestly. "I did expect my chum,
Bonny Davis, to visit me, but she's gone down to the shore first.
Bonny's lots of fun. I'm sure you'd like her if she does come," declared
Nancy, loyally.
"I like her name," Ruth answered. "What is it? Bonita?"
"No, it's really Charlotte, but she's so black we've always called her
Bonny from ebony, you know. Now Vera, what have you discovered?" broke
off Nancy, looking over to the comer in which Vera was plainly
interested. "Anything spooky?"
"Not spooky," replied Vera, "but I never saw such odd looking fishing
things. No wonder the Townsends went bankrupt. Here are boxes and boxes
of wires and weights, and I don't know what all. Oh, I'll tell you!" she
exclaimed, in a rare burst of enthusiasm. "Let's have a fishing sale?"
"And sell fish!" teased Ruth.
"No," objected Nancy, taking Vera's part. "I think a special sale of
fishing and sport supplies would be great. Let's see what we've got
toward it."
"It would draw the boys and that's something," joked Ruth. "But I'll
tell you what, Nancy, you had better be careful what you try to sell to
the young fishermen around here. They're pretty particular and rather
good at the sport. I like to fish myself."
"Oh, I'd love to," declared Nancy. "Where do you go?"
"Dyke's pond and sometimes the old mill creek," replied Ruth. "But we
only get sunnies there. There's perch in the pond, though."
This led to discussing the fishing prospects in brooks, ponds and other
waterways around Long Leigh, until it was being promptly decided that
Ruth and Vera should very soon introduce Nancy to the sport. The idea of
having a sale of the outfit at the shop was also entered upon
enthusiastically, until the afternoon was melting into shadows before
the girls realized it.
"But what ever you do," Ruth cautioned Nancy, "don't let any one induce
you to take the Whatnot out of the window. That's the sign of this old
shop that's known for miles and miles."
"I think a cute little windmill would be lots nicer," suggested Vera.
"That Whatnot is--atrocious."
"Windmill!" repeated Ruth. "But we don't sell windmills."
"Certainly not. Neither do we sell Whatnots," contended Vera.
"But we sell the things that are on the Whatnot," argued Ruth. "And
besides Whatnot stands for _What Not!_"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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