**
Stopping the Rain
Rain can be unpredictable.
-Harry Finkle
Lizzy ran behind the counter. “Jack! Mr. Cornerly is about to sign away his farm. You must hurry!”
Robert stood behind Jack, shifting nervously from foot to foot while he watched Mr. Cornerly, Miss Caroline, Mr. Lowsley, and his two companions. They were all staring at the clock on the wall. It was just a few minutes before noon. If Jack didn’t fix the lever within two minutes, Mr. Cornerly would sell his farm to Mr. Lowsley.
“There! All finished, Robert.” Jack moved aside.
Robert gasped and knelt down, reaching for the lever. “Watch this, Jack.”
Robert’s eyes sparkled and he slowly pulled the lever forward, not wanting to break it.
The rain stopped. The clouds drifted away, and the rays of the sun beamed brightly all around Finkleton, warming the wet grass. A triple rainbow glowed in the sky, showing off its magnificent colors.
Jack was speechless and amazed. The lever truly is magical, he thought, just as Robert said. It really does control the rain.
Robert noticed the look on Jack’s face and grinned. “I told you.”
“Yes, you did,” Jack said, ruffling Robert’s hair.
“The rain stopped,” Mr. Cornerly said. He stared out the window, blinking with surprise.
Miss Caroline looked as if she might burst with happiness. “Yes, it certainly has,” she said. “I told you miracles happen, Mr. Cornerly. You should have a little more faith in Finkleton. This is surely a sign for you to not sell your farm.”
“A sign? You think the rain stopping before noon is a miracle?” Mr. Lowsley laughed again. “I think you’ve lost your mind, Miss Caroline.”
Mr. Cornerly spoke up. “I am a man of my word, Mr. Lowsley. I will not be selling my farm today,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.
“You can’t be serious, Mr. Cornerly. The rain stopping before noon doesn’t mean anything. It certainly doesn’t signify a miracle!”
“Regardless, I did say if the rain stopped before noon that I would not sell my farm. And I am keeping my word,” Mr. Cornerly said, frowning at Mr. Lowsley.
“Now, now, don’t be so hasty, Mr. Cornerly.” Mr. Lowsley suddenly sounded nervous. “My offer still stands. Mother Nature may make it rain again at any moment, and then what will you have? My companions and I will be long gone, and you’ll be left in ruins.”
Mr. Cornerly stood a moment in silence, contemplating what Mr. Lowsley had said.
Mr. Lowsley sensed Mr. Cornerly might be reconsidering, so he started talking again. “I am offering you a generous price for your farm. But when I leave, the offer goes with me.” Mr. Lowsley was obviously very skilled at business negotiations. He picked up the pen and presented it to Mr. Cornerly.
Miss Caroline held her breath, willing Mr. Cornerly not to sign the contract. She tried to keep quiet, but then felt she had to say one more thing. “It truly is a miracle when Mother Nature sends us a sign.”
Mr. Lowsley groaned and gave Miss Caroline a rude look.
“As I said before, Mr. Lowsley, I am a man of my word. I’ll not be signing any contract today.” Mr. Cornerly smiled, picked up the contract and tore it into small pieces.
“You’ve made a huge mistake, Mr. Cornerly,” Mr. Lowsley growled. “I can promise I’ll not be making such a generous offer to you again!”
“If that’s the case, Mr. Lowsley, then I can promise I’ll not be considering any of your contracts in the near future,” Mr. Cornerly said, laughing.
Mr. Lowsley yanked his hat from Peter and grabbed his umbrella from Paul. “Good day to you, sir!”
Mr. Cornerly and Miss Caroline laughed together as Mr. Lowsley and his two companions stormed out of the shop.
Lizzy hugged Robert and twirled him around. “Didn’t I tell you everything was going to be all right?”
Robert laughed.
“Keep it down,” Jack said softly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” Robert asked.
“We don’t want anyone to suspect that we stopped the rain. Or started it, for that matter,” Jack whispered.
“Yes, of course,” Lizzy replied.
Jack knelt down and whispered to Robert. “We must all keep this lever a secret. We must protect it and keep it safe.”
“I know, Jack,” Robert said with a smile. “Nobody can know that it’s magic.”
“That’s right,” Jack said, then stood and patted Robert on the shoulder.
“I bid you good day, Miss Caroline,” Mr. Cornerly said, giving a quick nod of his head. “I must be getting home to my wife now. I daresay she has been beside herself. If I had sold the farm she would’ve had my head on a platter, for sure.” Mr. Cornerly chuckled as he left the store. He was in a much better mood than when he had first arrived.
“Oh, what a wonderful day. Don’t you think so, children?” Miss Caroline beamed with joy.
Jack, Lizzy and Robert all smiled at her.
“Oh, look!” she said, looking out the window again and clapping her hands together. “It’s Miss Baker. And I do believe she’s coming this way.”
The shop door opened and the bell rang as a petite young lady stepped inside the store. She smiled at the Finkle children who all stood behind the counter, and nodded toward Miss Caroline.
“Hello, Miss Baker. How are you on this fine day?” Miss Caroline asked, bustling toward her.
“I’m quite well, thank you. And yourself?” Miss Baker had a soft, sweet voice.
“I’m very well, thank you for asking,” Miss Caroline said with a big smile. “Would you like to come for a visit and have a cup of tea this afternoon?”
Miss Baker tilted her head apologetically. “I’m sorry, but I must decline. I’m here to purchase some much-needed supplies for my parents today. We have a lot of baking to do this afternoon,” Miss Baker said.
“I’m here for the same reason, my dear. I’m going to be baking my famous pies for your parents. They placed a rather large order,” Miss Caroline said happily.
“Yes, of course they did. You make the most wonderful pies in all of Finkleton. Maybe you can teach me one day?” Miss Baker asked, clearly enjoying Miss Caroline’s company.
“Oh, there’s Mr. Sweetly!” Miss Caroline suddenly said. “I do believe he’s coming this way. He’s not married, you know, Miss Baker. And he makes the tastiest sweets in Finkleton. They are absolutely mouthwatering. Have you ever met Mr. Sweetly?”
“Unfortunately, I have not,” Miss Baker said. Her eyes followed Mr. Sweetly as he entered the store.
“Hello, sir,” Jack said, greeting the tall, thin gentleman.
“Hello, young man. My name is Mr. Thomas Sweetly. I’m here to deliver the sweets your parents ordered.” Mr. Sweetly placed several boxes on the counter.
Robert stared at them with great interest. His eyes grew wide when Mr. Sweetly began opening the boxes. “Sweets! I love sweets!”
Jack nudged him. “Make yourself useful, Robert, and go get some glass jars from the shelves.”
“I have several more boxes to bring,” Mr. Sweetly said. “Your parents wanted to stock as many sweets as I could make on such short notice,” he added, grinning.
“Mr. Sweetly, oh Mr. Sweetly, how very nice to see you again,” Miss Caroline said, standing by the wood-burning stove on the other side of the shop. She raised her voice and waved her hand so Mr. Sweetly would take notice of her.
Mr. Sweetly gave a friendly nod. “Hello there, Miss Caroline. It’s nice to see you out and about.”
“Oh yes. Thank you,” Miss Caroline said, smiling. “Have you met Miss Baker?”
“No, I’m afraid I haven’t had the opportunity. Hello, Miss Baker, it’s very nice to make your acquaintance,” Mr. Sweetly said kindly.
“Very nice to meet you, Mr. Sweetly,” Miss Baker said in a soft voice. She began to blush, her cheeks turning a light pink color.
Mr. Sweetly brought in the rest of the boxes. Afterwards, he offered to carry Miss Baker’s sacks for her and escort her to the bakery down the way.
“Ah, young love,” Miss Caroline said with a sigh as the couple left the shop. Then she turned back to the counter. “I must be on my way, children. Jack, if you find the time this afternoon to deliver my purchase, I would be ever so grateful.”
“Yes, of course, Miss Caroline,” Jack replied.
Miss Caroline hummed a cheerful tune as she left the shop. All was well in Finkleton again.
**
After all the visitors had left the store, the Finkle children huddled behind the counter and discussed the day’s events.
They decided it was up to Lizzy to learn all she could about what was grown and raised in Finkleton. She was to discover how much rain each farm needed, and when it needed to plant and harvest. If a customer came in with questions, Lizzy would have the answers just as Uncle Harry had. Lizzy was very pleased that in order for her to do this job well, she’d have to do what she loved most: read books.
It was further decided that Robert would take care of the hourglass room. He would check the hourglasses daily to make sure their calibrations were set properly and all their strings remained sound. If any string needed to be fixed, Jack would assist Robert until Robert felt comfortable doing the repairs himself. Robert would also change hourglass settings based on how much rain Lizzy told him a farm needed.
Last but not least, it would be Jack’s responsibility to keep a log of the rain that appeared on the large map in Uncle Harry’s office.
Each day customers came in and talked about the weather when they purchased supplies. As time passed, the Finkle children’s knowledge of the village farmers and the weather grew. Jack, Lizzy and Robert worked well together, and Finkleton continued to prosper.