The Waltons 2 - Trouble on the Mountain by Robert Weverka

have his story all typed up in a day or two, and he’ll be bringing it back first thing.”
    “Oh,” they said, but quickly recovered from the disappointment. “Well, do come in, Mr. Walton. It’s just ever so nice to see you, anyway. And, Sister, shall we all have a little Recipe while we’re visiting?”
    “No, no, ladies. Your kindness and hospitality is most generous, and for that I thank you. But my visit is strictly business.”
    “Business? Oh, dear, I’m afraid Emily and I just aren’t too familiar with business. Now, Papa, he was just ever so clever about such things.”
    Miss Emily nodded. “Papa put all his money in United States Government Bonds. After the war with the Yankees, he said they were a fine investment because all the industrious people in the South would make this the strongest nation in the entire world.”
    “Your daddy was a wise man, Miss Mamie.”
    “Yes, and I do hope John-Boy will bring his typewriting machine back just as soon as he can.”
    “He will, Miss Mamie, I promise you. Now, the . . . uh, business about which I wanted to speak to you, is your drainpipes.”
    “Our drainpipes?”
    “Yes. I believe it was in April you spoke about the drains being clogged up?”
    “I declare, Mamie, he’s right! Don’t you remember, the last time it rained? The drainpipes all stopped up, and we had a leak directly over the Recipe room.”
    “Yes, we did! And that rainwater just fell straightaway onto the evaporating pipes and ended up in the dripping crocks.”
    “And didn’t Mr. Hollander like that batch! Why, he just raved and raved. Said it was the finest we’d ever made!”
    “Perhaps we should add a little rainwater to every batch, Mamie.”
    “What I was proposing,” Zeb said before they got carried off again, “is that I fix those pipes for you. Now we’re just likely to be having some summer showers right quick, and I know you don’t want any of your papa’s equipment to be getting wet and rusty.”
    Miss Emily smiled.
    “Why, now, isn’t that nice of Zebulon, Sister? Times being what they are, with most everyone having all kinds of troubles, and Zebulon Walton thinks about us!”
    “I’ve said ever so many times, Mamie, you can always count on a Walton man. Don’t you remember just this spring when we had our big reunion party? It was the Waltons who helped us out and made the party such a success!”
    “Now, what I was thinking about, if it sounds agreeable to you ladies, was something in the neighborhood of three dollars to get them pipes straightened out and running right.”
    “Oh, I think that sounds just as agreeable as can be, don’t you, Mamie?”
    “I surely do, Sister. And Mr. Walton, we’ll just be ever so grateful to you.”
    “It’s a deal then.”
    Miss Emily sighed happily. “Well, now, that wasn’t so very difficult, was it? I do think we’re rather good at business affairs after all. Don’t you, Mamie?”
    “There’s one thing,” Zeb said, “that is, if you lovely ladies don’t think it’s too much of an imposition. The electricity bill over at our house has come due. And if you don’t mind, after I finish the drains, I’d appreciate borrowing your car so I can go over to Charlottesville and pay it.”
    “Oh, dear. You mean Papa’s car?”
    Miss Emily shook her head. “Oh, no. We don’t ever let anyone use Papa’s car, Mr. Walton. Since Papa died we’ve cleaned and polished it every week without fail.”
    Miss Mamie nodded solemnly. “It’s a Franklin, you know.”
    With that explanation the matter seemed to be settled, and the two ladies smiled.
    “Well,” Zeb said, “I reckon I can get John to drive me over.” He had hoped to earn the money and secretly pay the bill, so the electricity coming back on would be a big surprise to everybody.
    “Mamie,” Miss Emily suddenly said, “you know what we could do? We could just drive over to Charlottesville ourselves, and take Zebulon along. It’s just been ever so long