Part 26 (2/2)
Mrs. Ranny grew quite animated talking about it, and forgot the disturbing fact that she had not had a cigarette since dinner.
”Do you know,” she said to Eleanor, as they came back to the window and looked down at the two men talking and gesticulating eagerly in the garden below, ”I believe if Ranny had something like this to work with and play with, things would be different.”
”Of course they would,” Eleanor agreed eagerly--”for him and for you too.
Why don't you try it, Aunt Flo?”
”Oh, it would cost too much to put it in repair. But then, six thousand dollars is very little, isn't it? Ran spent that much for his big car.”
”Yes; and he could _sell_ his big car. You'd lots rather have this than an extra motor. And we could get him interested in fixing the place up, and he could keep dogs and cows and things----”
”But what about his mother?”
”You wouldn't have to tell her. She will be going to Maine in June, and you and Uncle Ranny could be all settled by the time she comes home!”
Eleanor had forgotten all about Papa Claude in her eagerness to get Uncle Ranny his heart's desire.
”I believe we could do it!” Mrs. Ranny was saying. ”The chief expense would be putting in a couple of bath-rooms and fixing up the floors. As for the furniture, I have all my mother's stuff packed away in the warehouse--nice, quaint old things that would suit this place perfectly.”
”Oh, Aunt Flo, let's go down this minute and make Uncle Ranny buy it!”
Randolph Bartlett, whose powers of resistance were never strong, was already lending a willing ear to Quin's persuasive arguments, when Eleanor and Mrs. Ranny descended upon him in a whirlwind of enthusiasm.
They both talked at once, rus.h.i.+ng him from one spot to another, vying with each other in pointing out the wonderful possibilities of the place.
”See here, is this a frame-up?” he asked laughingly. ”You are not actually in earnest, Flo? You don't mean that you would consider the place seriously?”
”But I do. I never wanted anything so much in my life!”
Mr. Ranny looked at her in amazement. ”And you mean you'd be willing to come out here and live four months in the year?”
”I mean, if we could get it fixed up right, I'd live here the year round.
We are only fifteen minutes from town, and all our friends live out this way.”
”By George, I've almost a notion to try it!” Mr. Ranny's eyes were s.h.i.+ning. ”Do you believe I could pull it off, Quin? I've made such a darned fizzle of things in the past that I'm almost afraid to kick over the traces again.”
”The trouble is, you've never given a big enough kick to get loose,” said Quin. ”Here's your chance to show 'em what you can do. I believe if you'd buy this place, and buckle down to knocking it into shape, you could have as pretty a little stock farm as there is in the State.”
”That sounds mighty good to me!” said Mr. Ranny with the look of a prisoner who is promised a parole. ”When do you have to give an answer?”
”My option is up at midnight.”
”Good heaven! You don't mean to-night?”
”Yes, sir: not a minute later.”
”I am afraid that settles it, as far as I'm concerned.”
”No, it doesn't!” insisted Mrs. Ranny. ”If you really want it, there is no reason you shouldn't have it. The ground alone is worth the price asked. Let the others go back to the car while you and I talk the matter over. It's the chance we've been looking for for ten years, and I'm not going to let it slip.”
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