Macdonald Hall #2: Go Jump in the Pool

Everything must go

So it happened that when Mr. Sturgeon and his wife were driving home from a shopping expedition on Saturday afternoon they saw a sign which read: Giant Rummage Sale! Macdonald Hall, 3 Miles.

The Headmaster jammed on the brakes so suddenly that only the seat belts saved them from going through the windshield.

"William, what on earth — " exclaimed Mrs. Sturgeon.

"I have no idea," her husband said coldly. "I can only hope there is another Macdonald Hall."

"Oh, that," said Mrs. Sturgeon with a little laugh.

"You mean you knew?"

"Well, yes," she replied. "The boys came to me for rummage. I can't see any harm in their having a rummage sale to raise money for the swimming pool."

"Why didn't they come and ask me for permission?" the Headmaster demanded angrily.

"Don't be silly, dear," she replied airily. "You know perfectly well you'd have said no. Those boys aren't stupid."

Mr. Sturgeon stomped out of the car, pulled up the sign and tossed it into the trunk. "That's the end of that," he declared firmly.

His wife just smiled. A little farther along she noticed another of Chris Talbot's signs coming up on the right. "That little light on the dashboard," she said hastily, "the one that says 'oil.' It's been flickering. Perhaps you'd better keep an eye on it."

With one anxious eye on the dashboard and the other watching the road, Mr. Sturgeon failed to see the sign. It read: Don't Miss It! Macdonald Hall Rummage Sale, 1 Mile.

* * *

Behind the cash box Bruno Walton took in money and surveyed the campus with great satisfaction. Cars were parked on both sides of the long driveway and along the soft shoulder of the highway, and the sales tables were crowded with people. Bruno had a right to be pleased. His rummage sale had attracted not only the staff and students from both Macdonald Hall and Miss Scrimmage's, but also a good deal of passing trade. There were older people who had been out for a leisurely drive, young people with small children, and many of the families from neighbouring farms and villages. Bruno was doubly happy, for safe and warm in his pocket was his lucky penny — a bargain buy at only thirty-five cents.

Because there were so many small children, Elmer Drimsdale's goldfish and ant colonies were the hit of the sale at one dollar apiece. The enterprising Mark Davies had printed up sheets entitled "The Care and Feeding of your Goldfish" and "How to Care for your Ant Colony." These were selling for an additional ten cents and contained as much technical information as Mark knew, mainly, "Don't take your fish out of water" and "Don't put your ants in water."

No one had thought to put price tags on the merchandise, but Bruno had quickly made up for that by writing "Price Catalogue" on a blank notebook and studiously pretending to look up each item as it was brought to the cash table. Bruno was very agreeable, though, and if a customer complained that the price was too high, he happily dropped it because, as he explained, "Everything must go."

Cathy Burton hurried up to the cash table. "Well, we've sold all the jewellery," she announced happily. "We even sold the tablecloth."

"Boots will be thrilled," replied Bruno. "That was the sheet off his bed."

"How are we doing?"

"We've got a fortune here!" Bruno exclaimed. He pointed to the crowd. "Look. I can see somebody coming with that hideous lamp you girls brought. We should have saved our breakfast garbage! People will buy anything!"

The crowd parted to make way for Miss Scrimmage who was carrying a garishly painted hurricane lamp in her arms.

"It seems a shame to make her pay for it," Cathy commented. "She already bought it once."