Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:09:20 GMT From: "tedmack@juno.com" Subject: The Vanderkill Legacy chapter 3 Please do not read this if you are not supposed to be here. Thank you The Vanderkill Legacy by Ted Macklen chapter 3 The morning sun was barely visible in the eastern sky as little Sammy opened his eyes. He did not know where he was but he did know that he was in a warm and comfortable bed. He was scared at first until he noticed his brother sleeping beside him. Looking around he noticed a stocking hanging from the bed post. He also saw another stocking next to Danny. He looked at the stocking on his side of the bed and it had a label attached to it. Sammy could not read very well but Ronny had been teaching him and his brother. He looked at the label and could make out an "s" and an "a." He knew that was the beginning of his name. Then it dawned on him and a smile lit up his face. Saint Nicholas had come just like Ronny said he would. He took down the stocking and excitedly grabbed a small box which he ripped open. THERE IT WAS! A tin whistle! He lovingly held it in his hand. It was shinier and brighter than the one he had seen in the store window. What he didn't know was that James could not find a tin whistle so he had gotten a silver one instead. Little Sammy wanted to blow the whistle very badly but he was afraid that he would wake up Danny. Could this be Heaven. Would he see his Momma? He found an apple in the stocking. Suddenly he felt hungry and he bit into it. It was then Danny started to come awake. Sammy could hold himself no longer. "Look, Danny! Saint Nicholas did come! There's a stocking for you too!" "Good morning sprite. Merry Christmas." "Where are we Danny? It seems so nice here." "Well Sammy, this is Ronny's house." "Ronny has a house?" "Would you believe that idiot was running around on the streets when he had a home to go to all along. This is his father's house and his daddy came and got us last night and brought us here. Now you be a good boy and maybe he'll let us stay tomorrow too." Just then the door to the room opened and Ronny came in. "Hello boys, Merry Christmas!" he said. Soon Ronny had his friends dressed. Danny was in some of Ronny's old clothes but since Sammy did not fit into anything he had the small tot had to wear his dirty clothes from the streets. Next Ronny led them to the dining room. On the way they passed the best parlor with its door closed and a sign that said "Do not enter." on it. In the dining room Mary pulled Sammy into a hug and then proceeded to hug the other twp boys as well. "Sammy, this is Mary. She took care of you last night. " "And a sweet little angel you were my boy. I hope you lads washed your hands. Patrick and May Martha should be here with their father soon and then we can all have breakfast. I didn't tell Patrick you were home Ronny. It will be a surprise." Harry and James came in followed shortly after by Mary's husband Sean and their two children. Patrick saw Ronny and his eyes lit up. He came running over to meet him. "Ronny, you're home! Where have you been. We've been looking all over for you. I thought I saw you once when we were looking for you downtown but you were gone before we got there." "You were out looking for me?" "Of course we were. We all were. We spent almost every Saturday and free day out looking for you. We were afraid something happened to you, but now you're home." "You were all looking for me?" Ronny asked. Everyone nodded their head. "I'm sorry. I was such a fool. Please forgive me?" After a big breakfast Harry led everyone across the hall to the closed door. Then he turned around, picked Sammy up and told him, "Since you are the smallest you get to open the door." Sammy opened the door and let out a gasp. There was a huge Christmas tree surrounded by presents. Most of the gifts were wrapped but there in plain sight were five sleds of varying sizes. Danny and Sammy were surprised to see that two of the sleds had their names on them. Harry then had Ronny hand out the wrapped gifts. To the kids there seemed to be so many. Little Sammy was sure now that he had died and gone to Heaven. He received so many toys! And then at last Ronny took an envelope off the tree and said to Danny, "This is for you and your brother from Saint Nicholas" Danny looked at the envelope and said, "But I can't read it. Can you read it to us." "Sure," said Ronny opening the envelope. " It says- Dear Daniel and Samuel Murphy. You are my best friends and my father wants us to be brothers. We want you to come and live with us and be part of our family. We hope you will stay and live here from now on. Merry Christmas from your brother Ronny." There was a moment of silence. Then all of a sudden Danny and Sammy were in Harry's arms and Ronny joined them in a four way hug. Meanwhile the Clancy clan looked on. They were happy for the boys but so unsure about their own future.After the pandemonium died down harry pulled another envelope out of his pocket and handed it to James. "This is for all you've done for us. It isn't as much as I would have liked but it is the best I could do- since you control the funds." The envelope contained cash. James protested wondering where the money had come from but he was over ruled. Then Harry told Ronny to get the last envelope from behind the tree. Ronny looked at it and then handed the heavy envelope to Sean and Mary. When they opened it they found a key inside and the following instructions: "Follow the string outside the front door." So they all went to the front door and sure enough there was a string. They followed the string as it went around the house. Some of them were slipping and sliding in the snow and the children did not even seem to notice at first how cold it was. At last they came to the rear of the house and there was a Christmas wreath on the door. There was also a sign on the Door that said "Clancy" on it. Sean took the key and opened the door. Mary gasped as where there used to just be an unused storage area there now was a sitting room fully furnished. On one table there was a small Christmas tree. Patrick and Mary Martha rushed in and found the bedrooms. Mary Martha came out calling, " Mommy, Daddy look. Even Patrick and I have our own room." But that was not all. There were two more envelopes on the tree. One was for Patrick telling him he had a full scholarship to the Saint Patrick's Cathedral School for boys and one awarding a scholarship for Mary Martha to the Cathedral school for girls. Sean who had not been able to work for months dues to an industrial accident was over come. "How can I ever repay you?" He asked Harry. "Don't worry about it." Harry responded. " You can work here as our caretaker and Patrick can help you when he is not in school.You and your family can eat with us upstairs." With that they all traipsed back up to the house. Soon the children were out using their new sleds and the adults were relaxing. At one point Ronny came running in the house and finding Harry sitting alone in the front parlor he closed the door and went leaping onto Harry's lap and kissed him full on the lips. Soon their tongues were playing tonsil hockey. After they broke apart Ronny said. "I love you!" and jumped off his father's lap and ran back out side. It had been a full day but more was yet to come. At two o'clock everyone sat down for Christmas Dinner. After they all said grace the door bell rang. Harry looked at James as if to say "What now." James said, "I will get that." he got up and went out into the hallway to answer the door. He was gone for some time and Harry was beginning to worry when James returned and said that something has come up and would Harry join him in the hall. When Harry got to the hallway he was surprised to see two persons he had not seen in over ten years and who he had not ever expected to see again. "As I live and breath, Culver and Drin. What brings my father's butler and footman over here on Christmas day. "We are so sorry to bother you sir but I am afraid that we are the bearers of sad tidings. You see sir, your father passed away this morning and we thought that you should know. I know that the two of you were not on the best of terms but there are decisions that must be made and only you can make them." "Well, since my father disinherited me I don't see where I fit in here." "You see sir when your father passed on it seems that the only copy of his will was "accidentally" tossed in the fire and a big fire it was too, wasn't it Drin." "Oh, yes, a rather big fire. I lit it myself." "Anyway it turns out that your father actually was not in complete control of the whole estate. The "Commodore" your grandfather actually left most of the estate to you and your father only held it in trust. You see sir we were all rather upset with the way your father treated you. Anyway it is all yours now." Smiling he added, "We have seen to that. Drin and I have brought you some cash from the safe as we thought you could use it. If there is anything else we can do for you just let us know. " "Thank you. I now have three children and need to get some decent clothing for them if that is possible on Christmas Day. Also if you could make reservations for dinner for us at Delmonico's I would appreciate it. Oh, yes one more thing. What about the farm up at New Point?" "I will see to the reservations." Culver said. " As to the farm no one has been there for years. I will check into it." "All right. If the private train car is still working arrange to have it hooked up tomorrow afternoon and we will go upstate to see the farm ourselves. I am sorry about my father. Now I am sure you want to get back to your families. Merry Christmas to you both. Send a Coach over here at about six o'clock." Harry and James then went back into the dining room to be met with inquisitive glances regarding their long absence. Harry told everyone what happened and was met by silence followed by a lot of questions. After dinner he told Sean that he was in charge of the house and that Harry, James and and the boys would be going out for a while. Ronny asked where they were going and was told it was a surprise. He then called on James expertise to find a place where he could get good clothes for the boys on Christmas day. He also gave James money to pay back what was owed for the Christmas presents. Then he told James to ask Mr. Corbett if he could spare a few moments to talk. Suddenly there seemed so much to do and on a day that nothing was usually done. What a Christmas.