Читать книгу Beverly Gray's Career - Clair Blank - Страница 5

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Lenora and Shirley stayed a week in Renville during which they visited with Anne and the other members of the Lucky Circle. But finally there came a day in the last week in September when the three piled into Shirley’s big roadster and were on their way to New York and—adventure. They were to drive first to Wildwood to see Lois. They were going to coax her to come along with them. What jolly times the four college friends could have together!

They were sitting on the beach, the four of them, when Lenora informed Lois of their plan. The sun shone down on the splashing waves, turning the foam into little sparkling diamonds, and sending heat waves eddying up from the sand. When Lenora finished, Shirley and Beverly added their persuasive powers to the cause.

“I should say I will go with you!” Lois declared.

They had not expected such an easy victory but nevertheless they were delighted.

“You will?” Lenora echoed. “Whoopee! Three cheers and a pip pip!”

“I have a letter to a man in New York who, I hope, will buy some of my sketches,” Lois explained. “I had planned on going up to the city next week but only for a visit. However, since you are to take up residence there I’ll move in with you for a couple months.”

“We will paint the town red,” promptly declared Lenora.

“We will not,” Beverly corrected. “We are going there to work. I want a job on a newspaper, Lois is going to continue sketching, Shirley is entering dramatics and you, Lenora——”

“Am just an idler,” Lenora sighed pathetically. “Ah, but not for long, my dears. I shall find something to keep me busy, never fear.”

“See that it isn’t mischief,” Shirley murmured, “or you might end up with a policeman.”

“You would think of that,” grumbled Lenora. “Aren’t you going to consult your parents about this, Lois?”

“Oh, they think it is all right for me to go,” Lois said quickly. “I’ve been talking about it ever since I graduated.”

“Well, then, it is all settled. When can you be ready to leave?” Shirley asked.

“Tomorrow,” Lois answered.

“Fine!” Beverly declared, standing up and shaking the sand from her bathing suit. “Let’s take one final swim and then a stroll on the boardwalk. The last one in is a so and so!”

“Eeek!” shrilled Lenora as she plunged into the briny deep.

One by one the girls jumped into the cold, dashing waves for a last frolic.

The next morning they waved good-by to Lois’ parents and Shirley started her car on the last lap of their journey. It was lovely weather, the golden sun warm and pleasant, the trees and flowers in last full bloom already turning red and brown with a hint of approaching autumn. Shirley owned a powerful car and it sped over the roads swiftly and comfortably.

Beverly, from her seat in front with Shirley, looked back at Lois and Lenora in the rumble seat. The latter two waved gayly and she responded with a wide smile. She was happier now than she had been for weeks; ever since the end of college days, in fact. For over two months she had been leading a life of enforced idleness and it had irritated her. She wanted action, her whole being craved to be doing something—anything! The visit of Shirley and Lenora had been like a gift of sudden paradise. Now she seemed in a fair way of realizing her ambition. If she succeeded in getting a position as reporter on a newspaper, she might really develop into a good writer some day. Of course, she reminded herself, it might take days, even weeks, before she did find the position she wanted, but she was determined that by the time the six months allotted her by her parents were up she would have a position and working—at something!

They rode for a long while, but they enjoyed it. When finally they entered the great metropolis the girls were all agog with excitement. Shirley drove them to her home where, it had been decided, they should stay until they succeeded in finding the apartment they planned on having. Shirley’s parents were away and the girls had the house and servants all to themselves. They occupied the same comfortable, richly furnished rooms they had during the Christmas vacation they spent with Shirley two years ago.

They had dinner in style in the huge Parker dining room, servants attending, and afterward retreated to the little upstairs sitting room that adjoined Shirley’s bedroom, to talk over their hundreds of plans. When they retired for the night it was to dream of the days to come when they should have countless adventures and exciting times.

In the morning Shirley brought a pile of papers with her to the breakfast table and the girls immediately started upon their apartment search. They read countless advertisements and after breakfast started on their tour of inspection. Shirley accompanied them to offer advice and comments. At lunch time when they stopped in a little restaurant for a bite to eat they had been unsuccessful in their search.

“I’m in favor of Greenwich Village,” Lois declared for perhaps the tenth time.

“That’s because you are an artist,” Lenora informed her. “I like East Sixty-third Street.”

“Hold on,” Beverly laughed. “We have to find an apartment to fit our pocketbooks. We aren’t all rich, you know, and if we are going to share the rent——”

“Tush!” Lenora waved aside the objection. “I’ve got ten thousand dollars.”

“How long will it last?” Shirley murmured. “Don’t let anyone sell you any gold bricks.”

“Perhaps we should do some of our business first,” Lois suggested.

“And be dumped on Shirley for weeks?” Beverly asked.

“I don’t mind,” Shirley murmured.

“Just the same,” Lenora continued, “we’ve got to find a home first. How many more addresses do we have?”

“Five,” Beverly answered.

“Let’s go,” Lois said eagerly. “I like this home-hunting.”

“The only thing I object to is the steps we have to climb,” Lenora grumbled.

The first two apartments the girls inspected after their luncheon were decidedly not for them! There wasn’t one attractive feature about either of them. But when the girls came to the third on their list they nodded agreeably. This was more like it. There was a large room, bright and sunny, that could be converted into a bedroom most attractive. There was a bath room, a kitchenette, and an extra large room for their living room. The girls were delighted. It seemed just what they were looking for.

Beverly crossed to the window and threw it wide. The room commanded a clear unobstructed view of the city’s skyscrapers thrown in bold relief against the blue sky, and at night the lights of Broadway would dance and flicker almost at their feet.

“The very thing!” Lenora declared, the view clinching the renting in her mind.

“Ideal!” Lois echoed, leaning precariously out the window.

“We’ll take it,” Beverly said, turning to the landlady.

The latter was a plump, ruddy faced Irish woman who beamed on her prospective tenants with twinkling eyes and the widest of smiles.

“We’ll begin to move in tomorrow,” Lenora informed her.

“Would you be havin’ the place cleaned up a bit?” the woman asked. “I’ve in mind a ver’ nice young lady what would be willin’ to do it fer ye very cheap.”

The girls conferred for a moment. None of them were fond of house work.

“Will you tell her to come tomorrow morning?” Beverly asked. “We would like to settle as soon as we can.”

“Sure an’ the place will be ready tomorrow afternoon,” their landlady, Mrs. Callahan, assured them as she ushered them to the door. “Do you have a place now? Or are you newcomers to the city?” she asked conversationally.

“Newcomers,” Lois replied.

“In search of fame and fortune,” added the irrepressible Lenora.

“Ah, tis a shame ye should be disappointed,” Mrs. Callahan said gloomily. “I’m afraid ye’ll not be findin’ them things here in the city. It’s hard nowadays to get jobs.”

The girls were affected not at all by the Irish woman’s discouraging words. They considered it all a great lark.

“Now to buy some furniture,” Lenora said as they all piled into Shirley’s car once more.

“I like your home a lot,” Shirley declared as she started the machine. “You ought to be very happy in it.”

“If you ever get tired of living a life of luxury we shall be glad to take you into our humble abode,” Lois told her.

“By the way,” Lenora said thoughtfully. “The papering of our establishment was quite nice, but I didn’t like the painting effect. What say we get some paint and give the place a treat?”

“Goody,” squealed Lois. “I love to wield a paint brush.”

“You two can paint and I’ll sew some curtains,” Beverly said after a moment.

“I’m to have a part in this!” Shirley declared. “At home we have an oriental rug stored away that would be splendiferous in your living room. I’ll have the chauffeur run it over tomorrow.”

“We will also go shopping for furniture tomorrow,” Lenora continued. “I love this more every minute. I have always had a secret desire to furnish an apartment and believe me we will have a grand time.”

Her prophecy was in a large way coming true. The next morning when they arrived at the apartment it had been thoroughly aired and cleaned. Lois and Lenora were loaded down with paint and brushes while Beverly busily engaged herself in making curtains for the windows. Shirley directed the laying of the rug in the living room and devoted her free time to commenting on the other girls’ labors.

At lunch time their painting was done and curtains were all ready to be hung in the bedroom and living room. They made a list of the things they needed. Each took a portion of the list and went off to make her purchases. Shirley, unhappily, had to go to the station to meet her returning parents and so could not join in the fun of buying things for the apartment.

They spent that night again at Shirley’s, but the next morning, early, they moved officially, bag and baggage, into their own apartment. The furniture began arriving and the girls were kept busy directing the men where to place it, then rearranging it to suit themselves. It was late in the afternoon before they found time to sit down and survey their new possessions.

“At last we are finished!” Lois said thankfully. “I’m going to sit right here and admire our new home.”

“No, you aren’t,” Lenora said. “Run yourself into the bedroom,” she urged commandingly.

“What’s the idea?” Lois wanted to know.

“I’ve got a surprise for you. Oh, there’s the doorbell. It has arrived. Won’t you please go into the bedroom until I call you? And don’t dare to peep!” she warned as, mystified, Lois and Beverly obeyed.

“What do you suppose she is up to?” Lois whispered to Beverly as they waited in the bedroom, listening intently to the strange noises coming from the living room.

“Goodness knows,” Beverly laughed. “What was that?” she cried suddenly as a terrible screech came from the room beyond the closed door.

“Sounds like someone being murdered!” Lois declared. “Do you think we better go in?”

As if in answer to her question to Beverly, Lenora’s voice was raised in a strict command not to dare open the door before she gave them permission. It was quite a while before Lenora finally threw open the door and let them out to survey her surprise. A radio, with the latest dance music emanating from its speaker, stood proudly in one corner of the living room.

“Three cheers for you!” Lois cried, descending on the surprise with whoop of joy.

“It’s grand!” Beverly declared, joining Lois in admiration.

“Just what we needed,” Lois continued.

“And now what do you say to some supper and the movies?” Lenora asked stretching to her full length and rumpling her hair with gusto. “We’ve worked enough for one day.”

“I’ll say we have,” agreed Lois. “And it will take me about two minutes to make myself presentable for that supper you mentioned.”

“I’ll race you,” Beverly cried gleefully, diving into the bedroom.

In exactly fifteen minutes the three of them stood at the door while Beverly turned the key.

“We’ll have duplicate keys made tomorrow so we each can carry one,” said Lenora.

“We have plenty of time to do all the things that still have to be done,” Lois murmured, as they came out onto the street. “Tomorrow each one of us starts out independently to make good. I wonder what chance we have?”

“About as much chance as a peanut in a monkey cage,” Lenora said promptly. “However, never say die! ‘Watch our smoke and learn,’ is our motto!”