to make an honest assessment.â Glancing at the children, he again nodded coldly. Holding the door open for Kay, Mr. Smiley followed her out of the room.
Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. âWhew,â she said. âIâm glad thatâs over!â
âDo you think Kay will get the loan?â Violet asked quietly.
âHe looked too fussy to me,â Benny said, lifting his nose in the air, pretending to be Mr. Smiley.
Suddenly, the rain came down in torrents. Henry rushed for a pot to place under the leak above where Bennyâs bed used to be.
Jessie took down a game from the closet shelf. âThis is a good day to play Monopoly,â she said.
âYes, it is,â agreed Violet. âIsnât it nice that Kay has all kinds of games and cards for tourists to check out?â
They played Monopoly for over an hour.
âThe rain has stopped,â Jessie said.
Henry opened the door and drops of water fell from the roof. The dark sky, however, had changed to a light gray, and in the east was a rosy-pink streak, which meant the sun might shine after all.
âLetâs go for a bike ride,â Benny said eagerly, pushing the board away. âViolet won.â
âOkay, Benny,â Violet answered. âWe can stop at the store and buy bread.â
They all helped to put the game back neatly.
Henry went outside and glanced up at Kayâs house. Mr. Smileyâs car was gone. Coming back in, he said, âLetâs swing around by Kayâs and see if she was given the bank loan.â
âOh, yes,â Jessie said, holding up two crossed fingers for luck. âI hope.â
âAnd letâs call Grandfather,â Benny said.
âOh, good, Benny,â Violet said. âWe will.â
Wheeling out the bikes from the nearby shed, they pedaled single file up the narrow path to Kayâs house.
Kay and Aunt Jane were picking roses that grew near the house. The pink blossoms glistened with raindrops.
Aunt Jane turned and smiled. âHi, children. Did you sleep well last night?â
âAfter Willie jumped off the roof,â Henry said, straddling his bike, âwe were fine.â
Kay laughed. âMy cat likes to roam at night.â
âDoes he ever!â Jessie said. âWillieâs yellow eyes gave us quite a scare.â
âWe were wondering what Mr. Smiley had to say,â Violet asked shyly.
Kay said in a deep voice like Mr. Smileyâs, â âAfter much thought, I will recommend that you be granted a loan.â â
âHurrah!â Benny yelled. Jessie laughed in delight at Kayâs imitation.
Now Kayâs voice was lighthearted. âIâve already phoned Rolf, and heâs in Lyndale right now buying shingles to patch the roof. Heâs also bringing fuses. He thinks someone stole the fuses from the fuse box and thatâs what made the lights go out.â
âGood!â Benny said. âNow we can see, but who did it?â
âI wish we knew,â Kay said. âToo many things are happening!â
âWhoever it is, the person will be caught,â Violet said, trying to reassure Kay.
âWhen Rolf fixes the roof, no more rain will drip on my face,â Benny said, his face brightening.
Kay chuckled. âThatâs right, Benny. No more leaks in the roof.â
âMay we call Grandfather?â Jessie asked.
âPlease,â Kay answered, gesturing to the phone on the desk.
Jessie dialed the number and told Grandfather Alden what a good time they were having. Violet said hello and didnât mention any of the mysterious goings on, for fear that heâd worry. Benny eagerly told him about the orange trees and the swimming pool.
After each Alden had talked to Mr. Alden, Henry went over to Kay. âCould we bring you anything?â he offered. âWeâre biking to the store.â
Kay glanced at Jane, who shook her head. âI donât think we
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley