The Boxcar Children Mysteries: Books One through Twelve (83 page)

Mrs. Cook helped Jessie heat towels and blankets in front of the gas oven and make a bed with the blankets.

“You’ll have to use my bed for him,” said Mr. Alden.

Henry said, “You may have my bed, Grandfather, and I’ll go up with Benny.”

“I don’t think I’m going to bed,” said Mr. Alden.

“We’ll be all ready for him when he comes,” said Jessie.

“Is there a doctor in this town?” asked Mr. Alden.

“Oh, yes indeed. Someone has gone for him. He is on his way.”

“Well, since there is no policeman,” said Mr. Alden, “I thought there wouldn’t be any doctor either.”

“He is a very good doctor. His name is Dr. Phillips.”

“That big Coast Guard boat can’t land here,” said Henry to a man.

“No, they will come to the beach in the smaller boat. The Coast Guard can run it through the waves. You’ll see.”

Nearer and nearer came the big boat. The storm was still raging. When the boat was quite near it stopped. Three of the men got into the Sea Cook II and rowed for the beach. Larry was lying in the boat.

At last the boat reached the shore. Strong men took hold of it, and pulled it up on the sand. Henry helped. He looked at Larry. He was lying still with his eyes shut.

“He’s alive,” the man said. “But he doesn’t know anything yet. Put him to bed and get a doctor. We saw your dim light.”

“We’re all ready,” said Henry. “Right in the lighthouse.”

“The lighthouse!” said the man.

“Yes, we are living there this summer. We have a bed all made up for him with hot blankets.”

Henry helped the men lift Larry out of the boat. He was soaked and his hair was dripping wet. The men took him into the lighthouse.

“We’ll get him dry first,” they said. Mrs. Cook rubbed Larry’s hair with a hot towel. He was shivering, but he did not open his eyes.

When Jessie went to the door to meet the doctor, the men got Larry’s dripping clothes off and wrapped him in the hot blankets. They laid him in Grandfather’s bed.

Everyone came in with the doctor to see how Larry was. Suddenly Larry shouted, “Feed the world! Feed the whole world!”

Henry looked at Jessie.

The doctor said, “He has a high fever. He doesn’t know what he is saying.”

Violet did not say a word. She was thinking.

Tom Cook was at Larry’s side, begging him to open his eyes.

“Larry, Larry,” he kept saying.

The doctor said, “I don’t think you ought to talk to him. He will wake up himself when he is able. Remember he has been out in that terrible storm. It is better for him to keep quiet now.”

Mr. Cook did not say another word. But he never moved from Larry’s side.

Jessie began to think. “Isn’t it funny?” she thought. “We were sure Mr. Cook didn’t like his own son. And we find he does. Maybe we’ll find out that Larry likes his father, too.”

When Larry could swallow, the doctor gave him some medicine. A little color came back in his face.

“Have you any hot soup?” the doctor asked Jessie. “Soon he will be able to take it. It will do him good.”

“Yes, I have canned soup,” said Jessie.

“That’s all right. Don’t put much water in it. Give it to him strong.”

Larry’s mother was the one to feed him the soup. His eyes opened and then shut. Then he opened them again. He seemed to be hungry.

All this time, Benny had not said a single word. He just watched. Now he sat down quietly in a chair. Watch went over and sat close beside him.

The old dog did not bark once at all the strangers. He seemed to know that they were Jessie’s friends. So they would be his friends, too. Benny put his arm around the dog’s neck and together they sat there.

Violet went and put her arm around Benny’s shoulders. “It’s been too exciting, Benny,” she said. “You’ll feel better soon. Suppose you have some hot soup, too.”

Benny was thankful to eat the hot soup. He almost went to sleep eating it.

“Better lie down,” said Violet. “After all, it’s almost midnight.”

Benny was soon fast asleep.

All the rest stayed up and watched Larry. All at once he said, “Mother, I tried to feed the whole world.”

“What is he talking about?’ asked Dr. Phillips. “Keep him quiet if you can. He will soon be asleep. Don’t try to take him home yet.”

The kind neighbors began to say goodnight.

“I’ll come again early in the morning,” said Dr. Phillips, going out last of all.

Jessie and Violet went up to their room. Henry carried Benny upstairs to his bed without waking him. Mr. Alden and Watch sat quietly with Larry’s father and mother. And for the first time, when the clock struck twelve at midnight, Watch did not bark.

T
he next day was beautiful. The storm had gone. Everyone got up early and went downstairs to see how Larry was. Dr. Phillips came early, too. Mr. and Mrs. Cook were still there, sitting by the bed.

“How is the boy?” asked Mr. Alden.

“He is very much better,” said Dr. Phillips. “But he still doesn’t know what he is talking about.”

“Oh.” said Benny, “I think he does.”

“And I do, too,” said Henry. “What is he saying?”

“Oh, the same old thing, about feeding the world. Will you tell me how that makes sense?”

“We’ll
show
you,” said Henry, “if it’s all right with Larry. That is better than telling. Mr. Cook and Grandfather, you can come with the doctor, too.”

“I don’t need to come,” said Mrs. Cook smiling, “I know all about it. I used to take Larry his supper every night. Here is a key. Your dog always barked and I was sure you’d come out and question me. I’ll stay with Larry now.”

“Eat anything you see,” said Larry, almost smiling.

Then the Aldens led the men down the path to the little white house. Mr. Cook said, “I never guessed a thing.”

Benny said, “Larry comes to work here every night. We thought we smelled fish cooking.” They all went in.

“What is this?” said Dr. Phillips, picking up a little cake.

“Well,” said Henry. “I rather think it is a cake made of seaweed. It was baked in that pan.”

“Try it,” said Benny. “Larry said we could.” The doctor broke off a piece of the cake and tried it.

“How is it?” asked Benny.

“Not too bad, not too good,” said the doctor.

“But why is Larry using seaweed?” asked Mr. Cook.

“There’s a great deal of it,” said Henry. “Anyone can get it free. It could be made into food people could eat. It would help feed the world.”

The doctor said slowly, “I know the Japanese use it, but they like it. They make cakes and candy and puddings.”

“That is exactly right,” said Henry. “If we liked it, we could have all we wanted just for sending boats out after it.”

Mr. Cook looked at Henry and said, “So that is what my boy was doing—trying to make seaweed taste good. He did know what he was talking about all the time.”

“Then Larry is well if he is talking sense,” said Dr. Phillips. “Only he is still weak. He can get up when he feels able.”

Dr. Phillips went on his way, and the rest went back to Larry. He was sitting up eating his breakfast.

“Tell us, Larry, what you were trying to do,” said Grandfather, sitting down beside the bed.

“Oh, it is so interesting!” cried Larry. “I had to do my experiments with seaweed because plankton wouldn’t keep. Uncle Rich Snow always brought me some plankton from the South Seas. He had a refrigerator.”

“We’ve been in that refrigerator,” said Benny, laughing. “We saw your white bags of plankton, but we didn’t know then what it was.”

“I like to look at the plankton under my microscope. But I do wish I had a large microscope. The plankton would be so beautiful. It’s all colors and so many different kinds, and so small you can’t see it at all without the microscope.”

“We saw some plankton when we went to Blue Bay,” said Henry.

“Then you know. If we could only make it good to eat, it would feed the world.”

“Tell us about your experiments,” said Mr. Alden.

“Well, I have tried a good many things. Of course I don’t have much to work with. I mixed the jelly of the seaweed with flour and sugar and made cakes and fried them. They were not very good. Next time I was going to put in flavoring.”

“Good work!” said Mr. Alden. “You have done well all alone. Now you need help.”

Then Grandfather went on talking to Mr. Cook. “If you will let Larry go to Adams College, I will help you pay for it.”

“Oh, no,” said Mr. Cook. “That isn’t it! I have enough money. Captain Snow would have given us money, too. I just made up my mind that he couldn’t go, and I hated to give in. You see I never had a chance for much schooling. I’ve done all right. I couldn’t see why Larry needed to go to college. A waste of money, I thought.” Mr. Cook stopped and then he added, “I guess I’m quick to lose my temper and slow to change my mind.”

“I was like that, too,” said Benny. “I used to howl my head off.”

Mr. Cook laughed. He said, “And you think I am howling now? All right. He can go.”

Jessie looked at Larry. His eyes were shining. He had forgotten his breakfast.

Mr. Alden said, “Let’s all sit down and talk about this. This is wonderful of you, Mr. Cook. You see, I know Adams College. Henry goes there. They have a teacher who could help Larry on this very work. He will work with Larry, I am sure.”

Larry sat up straight. Watch went over and put his paws on the bed and wagged his tail.

“That settles it,” shouted Benny. “Now Larry is one of the family!”

G
randfather sat forward in his chair.

“Another thing,” he said. “We ought to go home soon.”

“Oh, why?” asked Benny.

Mr. Alden laughed. “I have to work, for one thing.”

Jessie said, “Oh, I suppose you do.”

Henry said, “I must get ready for college, too.”

“I shall miss you all,” said Larry.

“You won’t miss Henry,” said Benny. “You’ll see him every day at college.”

“I can go back to my house this morning,” said Larry. “I feel all right—only weak.”

“I’ll take you in the station wagon,” said Henry, “and Mr. and Mrs. Cook, too.”

Suddenly Mrs. Cook said, “Wait! I have an idea. You must all come to our house for supper.”

Mr. Alden shook his head. “Better not, Mrs. Cook,” he said. “You’ll have enough to do taking care of Larry without cooking a supper for eight. But we’d enjoy it all right.”

“I won’t need a thing,” said Larry. “I’ll just lie down once in a while.”

Mrs. Cook smiled. She said, “Larry isn’t the only one in the family who can cook. I do it, too. And I like it.”

The four young Aldens were looking at Grandfather, hoping he would change his mind.

“Very well,” he said. “We’d love to come if you really feel that way.”

“Good!” said Mrs. Cook. “Come about five and see our yard. “We’ll eat at six.”

Benny said, “I won’t eat much lunch, Mrs. Cook, so I can eat a lot of supper. I bet you are just as good a cooker as Larry.”

They all laughed at Benny. “Really,” he said, “I mean it. I’ll eat hardly any lunch at all.”

“I can’t imagine it,” said Henry.

“I’ll get dressed,” said Larry, “and go along home.”

“You’ll have to wear some of my clothes,” said Henry. “Yours aren’t dry yet.”

After the Cook family had gone, Benny said, “Now I wonder what Mrs. Cook will have for supper. It won’t be frankfurters, I’m sure.”

“It won’t be chowder,” said Henry, smiling.

“It won’t be hamburgers,” Benny went on.

“Now, Benny,” said Violet, “don’t be talking about things to eat all the morning. You make me hungry already.”

“What shall I do, then?”

“You might put up the clothes line. Tie it between the houses. We can get Larry’s things dry in the sun.”

“Shoes and all?” asked Benny.

“Yes. Tie the strings together and hang them over the line.”

When the job was done, Benny came in again. “What shall I do now?” he asked.

“Oh, Benny,” cried Jessie. “Go down to the beach and sit and watch the water. We’re very busy.”

Benny went slowly down to the beach. In a minute he shouted, “Oh, come quick! Millions of shells! Heaps and piles of shells! Bushels of shells!”