CHAPTER II

 After the papers

“Hello, is this you, Will?”

“Yes, this is Grace.  What did you do with my chocolates?  The girls are here, and—­ Never mind about the chocolates?  The idea!  I like——­ .  What’s that?  You want to go to the ball game?  Will I do your errand for you?  Yes, I’m listening.  Go on!”

“It’s this way, Sis,” explained Will over the wire from a down-town drug store.  “This morning dad told me to go over to grandmother’s and get those papers.  You know; the ones in that big property deal which has been hanging fire so long.  Grandmother has the papers in her safe.  The deal is to be closed to-day.  I promised dad I’d go, but I forgot all about it, and now the fellows want me to go to the ball game with them.

“If you’ll go over to grandmother’s and get the papers I’ll buy you a two-pound box of the best chocolates—­ honest, I will.  And you can get the papers as well as I can.  Grandmother expects one of the family over after them to-day, and she has them all ready.

“You can go just as well as I can—­ better, in fact, and dad won’t care as long as he gets the papers.  You’re to take them to his office.  Will you do it for me, Sis?  Come on, now, be a sport, and say yes.”

“But it’s so hot, and Betty, Amy, and Mollie are here with me.  I don’t want to go all the way over to grandmother’s after some tiresome old papers.  Besides, it was your errand, anyhow.”

“I know it, Sis, but I don’t want to miss that game.  It’s going to be a dandy!  Come on, go for me, that’s a good fellow.  I’ll make it three pounds.”

“No, I’m not going.  Besides, it looks like a thunder storm.”

“Say, Sis, will you go if I let you ride Prince?”

“Your new horse?” asked Grace, eagerly.

“Yes, you may ride Prince,” came over the wire.  Will was a good horseman, but for some time had to be content with rather an ordinary steed.  Lately he had prevailed on his father to get him a new one, and Prince, a pure white animal, of great beauty, had been secured.  It was gentle, but spirited, and had great speed.  Grace rode well, but her mount did not suit her, and Mr. Ford did not want to get another just then.  Will never allowed his sister to more than try Prince around the yard, but she was eager to go for a long canter with the noble animal.  Now was the chance she had waited for so long.

“You must want to see that ball game awfully bad, to lend me Prince,” said Grace.

“I do,” answered Will.  “But be careful of him.  Don’t let him have his head too much or he’ll bolt.  But there’s not a mean streak in him.”

“Oh, I know that—­ I can manage.”

“Then you’ll get those papers from grandmother for me, and take them to dad?”

“Yes, I guess so, though I don’t like leaving the girls.”

“Oh, you can explain it to them.  And you can ’phone down for the chocolates and have them sent up.  Charge them to me.  The girls can chew on them until you come back.  It won’t take you long on Prince.  And say, listen, Sis!”