"A plumber shop," she reflected mentally. "Well, one could do worse, for plumbers are necessary and needle-work fiends aren't. Maybe I will take up something practical before I find what would be best for me," she continued to reason. But none of them knew, nor was it possible for them to guess, what Nero had saved in his timely midnight alarm. CHAPTER XXI FOR VALUE RECEIVED It seemed but a very short time later that Nancy was again awakened. But now the sunshine was streaming into her room, and she heard Miss Manners talking down in the hall, in a suppressed voice. "The children are not up yet," she was saying. "But come in, Ruth. You see we were somewhat disturbed--" "Come on up, Ruth!" called out Nancy. "Come up and hear about our par-tee!" Ruth came up promptly, and the story of the broken water pipe was presently being told her, brokenly. "How perfectly--thrill-ing!" she commented in her well known characterization of the affected Vera. "But you should have had Nero turn off the water--" "I'll bet he could too," shouted Ted from his room. Ted never lost a chance to praise Nero. "But just listen to _my_ story," Ruth begged. "I've got a thrilling yarn, too." "Then, wait until I get propped up for it," ordered Nancy. "I can't hear comfortably when I'm down." She put her two pillows under her shoulders and assumed a most affected air of the tired society girl after her dance. Even a cap was improvised from a twisted stocking, a lacy robe was concocted from her thin, soft slip, and the luxurious effect was completed by Ruth piling upon the bed a bunch of mussed up store paper--the morning mail! "There now," said Ruth, "I hope you can hear. Although I must say you are not well cast. The character for you, Nan, is that of a short haired lady at a big desk, her eyes bulging out of goggles and her waist line strapped into a belt. You know--" "Yes, I know," admitted Nancy, "but I like this better--it's more becoming, isn't it?" Another pose and a shift of the lacy robe. Then Nancy appeared ready to hear Ruth's story. "You sold the place!" Ruth blurted out without a hint of its coming. "The place?" "Yes. To Lady Cullen. And she said positively over the long distance last night to Dad, that she never would have bought it but for you." "Of course, she would," scoffed Nancy. "Nope. Dad said that place just wouldn't sell. He and his men have shown it to so many. But dear Mrs. Cullen!" Ruth sighed foolishly. "She told Dad that the young lady was so enthusiastic over the place that she was positive her granddaughter, Naomi, would react in the same way. Notice that Nan, re-act." "Yeah," drawled Nancy. "That's what this is--I'm--re-acting," and she fell further back among her pillows.