chapter 9 a sudden telephone call

berta soon settled down happily with the five. george couldn't bear to think that the girl had to bedressed like a boy, but her jealousy wore off a little as the days went by - though she couldn't helpfeeling annoyed that berta proved to be such a good swimmer!

she could dive well too, and swim under water even longer than the boys could, much to theirsurprise.

'oh well, you see, back home, we've got a pool in our garden,' she said. 'a wonderful pool, gee, youshould see it. and i learnt to swim in it when i was two. pops always called me a water-baby.'

berta ate just as much as the others, although she was not so sturdy and well built. she was loud inher praise of the meals, and this pleased aunt fanny and joan very much.

'you're getting fatter, lesley,' said aunt fanny a week later, looking at her as she sat eating her lunchwith the others. 'and what is better still - you're getting a really good sun-tan. you're almost as brownas the others!'

'yes. i thought so too,' said berta, pleased.

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'it's a good thing you caught the sun so easily,' said aunt fanny. 'now, if any kidnappers come roundlooking for a long-haired pale-faced american girl, they would take one look at the lot of you and offthey would go! nobody would guess you were berta!'

'all the same, i'd much rather be berta,' said berta. 'i still don't like pretending to be a boy. it's silly,and it makes me feel silly. anyway, thank goodness my hair's growing a bit longer. i don't look quiteso much like a boy now!'

'dear me, you're right,' said aunt fanny, and everyone looked at berta. 'i shall have to cut it shortagain.'

'gosh!' said berta, 'why did i say that? you wouldn't have noticed if i hadn't mentioned it. let it growagain, please, aunt fanny. i've been here a week and there isn't even a smell of a kidnapper- and i reckon there won't be either!'

but aunt fanny was firm about the hair, and after the meal she made berta stand still while sheclipped it a little shorter. it was not a bit curly like george's, and now that it was short, the wave hadalmost gone from it. she really did look like a good clean little boy!

'rather a wishy-washy one!' said george, unkindly, but everyone knew what she meant.

sally the poodle was a great success. even george couldn't go on disliking the happy, dancing littledog. she trotted and capered about on her slim little legs, and timmy was her adoring slave.

'she always looks as if she's running about on tiptoe,' said anne, and so she did. she made friendswith everyone, even the paper-boy, who was really scared of dogs.

uncle quentin was the only one who didn't get used to berta and sally. when he met them together,berta so like a small boy, sally at her heels, he stopped and stared.

'now let me see - who are you?' he said. 'yes - you're berta!'

'no - he's lesley!' everyone would say.

'you must not call her berta, dear,' said his wife. 'you really must not. it's a funny thing that younever could remember she was berta, and now that we've made her into lesley, you immediatelyremember she's berta!'

'well, i must say you've made her look exactly like a boy,' said uncle quentin, much to george'sannoyance. george was beginning to be afraid that berta looked more boyish than she did! 'well, ihope you're having a good time with the others, er - er...'

'lesley is the name,' said aunt fanny with a little laugh. 'quentin, do try and remember.'

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another day passed peacefully by, and the five children and two dogs were out of doors all day long,swimming, boating, exploring, really enjoying themselves.

berta wanted to go over to kirrin island, but george kept making excuses not to go. 'don't be mean,'

said dick. 'we all want to go. it's ages since we went. it's just that you don't want to let lesley dosomething she'd like to do!'

'it isn't,' said george. 'perhaps we'll go tomorrow.'

but when tomorrow came something happened that upset their plans for going to kirrin island.

a telephone call came for uncle quentin, and immediately he was in a panic.

'fanny! fanny, where are you?' he called. 'pack my bag at once. at once, do you hear?'

his wife came running down the stairs at top speed. 'quentin, why? what's happened?'

'elbur's found a mistake in our calculations,' said uncle quentin. 'what nonsense! there's no mistake.

none at all.'

'but why can't he come here and work it out with you?' asked his wife. 'why have you got to rush offlike this? tell him to come here, quentin. i'll find him a bed somehow.'

'he says he doesn't want to, while his daughter - his daughter - what's her name now?'

'lesley,' said his wife. 'all right, don't bother to explain. i see now that it would be foolish for him tocome while lesley's here - she'd be calling him pops, and...'

'pops?' said her husband, startled. 'what do you mean - pops?'

'it's what she calls her father, dear,' said aunt fanny, patiently. 'anyway, he's quite right. it would befoolish to hide lesley here so well, and then have everyone hear her calling him pops, and himcalling her berta - if any kidnappers followed him, they would soon find out where his daughter was -here, with our four!'

'yes - that's what i was trying to tell you,' said her husband, impatiently. 'anyway i must go to elburstraightaway. so pack my bag, please. i'll be back in two days' time.'

'in that case i'll go with you, quentin,' said his wife. 'i could do with a quiet two days - and you're notmuch good when you're alone, are you - losing your socks, and forgetting to have your shoes cleaned,and...'

her husband gave a sudden smile that lighted up his face and made him seem quite young. 'will youreally come with me? i thought you'd hate to leave the children.'

'it's only for two days,' said his wife. 'and joan is very good with them. i'll arrange that they shall goout on all-day picnics in the boat - they'll be quite safe then. if any kidnappers were 40around they'd find it difficult to snatch lesley out of a boat! but i'm beginning not to believe that taleof elbur's. he just got into a panic when he heard the rumour, i expect.'

the children were told of the sudden decision when they got back to lunch that day. joan had to tellthem, because aunt fanny and her husband had already departed, complete with two suitcases, onecontaining precious papers and the other clothes for two days.

'gosh!' said julian, surprised. 'i hope nothing horrid's happened.'

'oh no - it was just a sudden telephone call from master lesley's father,' said joan, smiling at berta.

'he had to see your uncle in a hurry - about some figures.'

'why didn't pops come down here - then he could have seen me?' demanded berta at once.

'because everyone would have known who you are, then,' said dick. 'we're hiding you, don't forget!'

'oh yes - well i do believe i had forgotten,' said berta, rather surprised at herself. 'it's so lovely downhere in kirrin with you all. the days seem to swim by!'

'your mother said you had better go off on all-day picnics in the boat,' said joan to george. 'that wasto make things easy for me, of course. but i don't mind what you do - you can come back to luncheach day, if you like.'

'i do so like you, joan!' said berta, giving the surprised cook a sudden hug. 'you're a real honey!'

'in fact, she's quite wunnerful!' said dick. 'it's all right, joan - we'll go out for the mid day meal, andfor tea, till my aunt comes back. and we'll make the sandwiches and pack up everything ourselves.'

'well, that's nice of you,' said joan. 'why don't you go across to kirrin island for the day? masterlesley keeps wanting to go.'

berta grinned at joan. it always struck her as extremely funny to be called master lesley, and joannever once forgot.

'we'll go if the boat is ready,' said george, rather reluctantly. 'you know james is mending one of therow-locks. we'll go and see if it's finished.'

they all went to see, but james was not there. his father was working on another boat, over by thejetty, and he called to them.

'do you want my james? he's gone off in his uncle's boat for a day's fishing. he said to tell you therow-lock's not mended yet, but he'll do it for certain tonight when he comes back.'

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'right. thank you,' called back julian. berta looked very disappointed. 'cheer up,' he said. 'we'll beable to go tomorrow.'

'we shan't,' said berta, mournfully. 'something else will happen to prevent us - or george will thinkof another excuse not to go. gee, if i had a wunnerful - wonderful - island like that, i'd go and liveon it.'

they went back to kirrin cottage and packed up a very good lunch for themselves. berta's father hadsent down a parcel of american goodies three days before, and they meant to try them.

'snick-snacks!' said dick, reading the name on a tin. 'shrimp, lobster, crab and a dozen other thingsall in one tin. sounds good. we'll make sandwiches with this!'

'gorgies,' said anne, reading the name on another tin. 'what a peculiar name! oh - i suppose it'ssomething you gorge yourself with. let's open it.'

they opened half a dozen tins with most exciting names and made themselves so many sandwichesthat joan exclaimed in amazement. 'however many have you made for each of you?'

'twenny each - i mean twenty,' said berta. 'but we won't be back to lunch or tea, joan. i guess we'llbe plenny hungry.'

'plenty!' chorused everyone, and berta obediently repeated the word, a grin on her sun-tanned face.

what a day they had! they walked for miles and picnicked in a shady wood near a little stream thatbubbled along near by, sounding very cool and enticing. they decided to sit with their feet in it asthey ate, and anne gave continual little squeals because she said the water tickled the soles of herfeet.

they were so tired when they got home that night that it was all they could do to eat their supper andstagger upstairs to bed.

'i shan't wake till half past twelve tomorrow morning,' yawned dick. 'oh my poor feet! gosh, i'm sotired i shall probably fall asleep cleaning my teeth.'

'what a peaceful night!' said anne, looking out of her window. 'well - sleep tight, everyone. i don'texpect any of us will open an eye till late tomorrow morning. i know i shan't!'

but she did. she opened both eyes very wide indeed in the middle of the night.