When the Aldens drove back to the island they saw Hal and Marie waving to them from the beach. Marie shouted, “Please come over!”
“You go on,” said Grandfather. “You don’t need me.”
The four Aldens ran down to the beach.
Hal said, “Guess who is coming to the island! The Money Man!”
Benny said, “The Money Man? Now who is that?”
Marie said, “Oh, he’s a wonderful man who buys money. Pa had a quarter, and the Money Man gave him ten dollars for it.”
“Whew, that’s a lot of money!” said Benny. “How do you know he is coming again?”
“Somebody saw him in Northport and told Mr. Fenton,” said Hal.
“Does he have blond hair?” asked Benny.
“Yes, he does, and white teeth,” said Hal. “He has a big smile. He smiles at everybody.”
“There you are, Jessie,” said Henry with a nod.
Jessie said, “Yes, Mr. Fenton was right. You couldn’t miss that man.”
Marie said, “My pa says we ought to help you clean up the school. After all, it’s for us. The big boys can help carry water, and there are more children to help if you want them.”
“Good!” said Henry. “Let me see. We do need help, but it’s too late to do anything now. Let’s clean the school tomorrow morning and begin school the next day. That’ll be Thursday.”
“Funny day to begin school,” said Benny. “But what do we care? We bought some paints and things in Northport.”
“Let’s meet at eight o’clock tomorrow morning at the school,” said Jessie. “Eight of us can do a lot of work.”
As it turned out, there were more than eight. Several other children were waiting with Hal and Marie when the Aldens arrived the next morning.
Henry unlocked the front door, and they all went in and looked around.
“The room is dusty,” said Marie.
It was an old-fashioned schoolroom. The desks and seats were fastened to the floor.
“I’d like my children in the front row,” said Benny. “Your big children can sit in the back seats.”
This was really the only way, because the front seats were small and the back seats were large.
Henry set everyone to work. The children took the books off the shelves and washed the shelves. Every book was dusted and set back. The children were delighted with their own work. The biggest boys washed the seats and desks. The teacher’s desk was washed, and a new pink blotter put in the middle.
“Will somebody bring flowers for this desk tomorrow?” asked Jessie.
“Oh, I will!” cried a child named Isabelle. “We have a big vine of pink roses all over our roof.”
There was a wood stove in the back of the room and a woodbox. Hal wiped off the stove. Then he said, “How about the woodbox? It looks all right to me.”
Henry agreed. “Just brush off the top. We certainly won’t have a fire. Leave the wood for winter.”
A little later Benny was standing still, looking at a big picture on the wall. It hung in the front of the room where the big chimney was. He said, “Look at this picture of George Washington. White wig and hair ribbon and all! What can we do about that? It looks dark and dirty.”
The painting showed the first President in his old-fashioned costume, standing beside a table.
“You can’t clean that, Benny,” said Violet. “It would spoil it to wash it. And it’s too high, anyway.”
“Just let it alone, huh?” said Benny. “I’m glad we don’t have to wear fancy clothes like that with all those buttons down the coat.”
“So am I,” said Jimmy. “I’ve got to go home now, Mr. Benny.”
“Don’t call me Mr. Benny. I’m not really a teacher. Why do you have to go home?”
“I’ve got to find some old bottles out in the fish house,” said Jimmy. “The Money Man wants ’em. I’ve got to have them all ready.”
“Yes,” agreed his sister. “He even wants an old olive bottle! I’ve found that already. It says Queen Olives, 1875, on it. Ma says her ma must have bought it. Isn’t he a funny man? To want an old dusty bottle almost a hundred years old?” Then she added quickly, “But he’s wonderful just the same.”
All the children were listening now. They nodded their heads. An older boy named Jeffrey Frost said, “My pa and ma have been waiting for the Money Man to come. He told them to find all the funny old things they could. He likes ’em! Ma found an old glass pitcher and a whale’s tooth with pictures on it.”
Henry said, “Jeffrey, do you know where that whale’s tooth came from?”
“Oh, yes, my great uncle made the pictures when he sailed on an old whaling ship. That tooth is so heavy you wouldn’t believe it!”
Jessie said, “Well, we’ve finished our work here, anyway. We’ll all go home now and start school tomorrow.”
“What time does school begin?” asked Jeffrey.
“Nine o’clock,” said Henry. “You’ll hear the bell.”
“I’m going to ring the bell,” added Benny.
“That’s lots of fun,” said Jimmy.
“Maybe you can be the bell ringer later,” said Benny. “Tell all the other children, won’t you?”
“Tell them?” said Marie, laughing. “Most of the children are here now. The rest will know just as soon as we get home.”
“No school in the afternoon?” asked Jeffrey.
“No, I’m sorry,” said Henry. “You ought to help at home.”
“I suppose so,” said Marie. Then her face lighted up and she said, “I’m going to clean up my room just like this schoolroom. My sister will help me. She sleeps there, too.”
The schoolroom was indeed clean. Henry locked the door, and the children ran off in all directions.
The Aldens found Grandfather waiting for lunch.
When they were sitting down at the table, Henry said, “We are worried, Grandfather, about the Money Man. I’m afraid he is cheating everyone on the island.”
“I’m sure he is,” said Jessie. “You see, he paid ten dollars for an old quarter. That made them all trust him. But who knows? That quarter may be worth a hundred dollars.”
“Or a thousand!” said Benny. “You see, Grandfather, there really is a mystery here. I don’t think the Money Man is as wonderful as he seems.”
Grandfather smiled. “Well, Benny,” he said, “I’m sure you will keep your eyes open. If this man goes too far, we’ll try to stop him. But I agree with you. He isn’t wonderful at all!” |