CHAPTER II
THE ARRIVAL
In the dark and somewhat sombre library at Dana Dene, Miss Rachel andMiss Abbie sat awaiting their guests. The room might have been calledgloomy, but for the sunshine that edged in through the long, narrow,slit-like windows, and made determined golden bars across the dark-redcarpet. Both the Misses Dana showed clearly their anxiety to have thechildren arrive and end their suspense.
“If only they’re tidy children,” said Miss Rachel for the fiftieth time;and Miss Abbie responded, as she always did, “Yes, and quiet-mannered.”
Miss Rachel Dana was of rather spare build, and sharp features. Herbrown hair, only slightly tinged with grey, was deftly arranged, andevery curled lock in its right place. Her pretty house-dress of darkblue foulard silk, with white figures, was modishly made and carefullyfitted.
Miss Abbie was a little more plump, and her gown was of a shade lighterblue, though otherwise much like her sister’s.
The ladies had a patient air, as if they had waited long, but thoughthey now and then glanced at the clock, they expressed no surprise atthe delayed arrival. Trains were apt to be late at Heatherton, and theyknew Michael would return as soon as possible. They had not gonethemselves to the station to meet the twins, for it had seemed to themmore dignified and fitting to receive their young relatives in their ownhome. Meantime, the young relatives were drawing nearer, and now, quiteforgetting their own untidy appearance, their thoughts had turned to thewaiting aunts, and the welcome they would probably receive.
“I don’t believe they’ll be as nice as Aunty Helen,” said Dick,candidly, “but I hope they’ll be jolly and gay.”
“I hope they’ll like us,” said Dolly, a little wistfully. She had alwaysmissed a mother’s love more than Dick had, and her affectionate littleheart hoped to find in these aunties a certain tenderness that merryAunt Helen had not possessed.
Dick eyed his sister critically. “I don’t believe they will,” he said,honestly, “until we get some clean clothes on. I say, Dollums, we looklike scarecrows.”
“So we do!” said Dolly, fairly aghast as she realised the state of hercostume. “Oh, Dick, can’t we get dressed up before we see them?”
“’Course we can’t. Our trunks and bags haven’t come yet; and, anyway,they’ll probably be on the porch or somewhere, to meet us. Buck up,Dolly; don’t you mind. You’re just as nice that way.”
“Is my face dirty?”
“Not so much dirty,—as red and scratched. How _did_ you get so choppedup?”
“It was those briers. You went over, but I went through.”
“I should say you did! Well, I don’t believe they’ll mind your looks.And, anyway, they’ll have to get used to it; you ’most always look likethat.”
This was cold comfort, and Dolly’s feminine heart began to feel thattheir appearance would be greatly in their disfavour.
But she was of a sanguine nature, and, too, she was apt to deviseexpedients.
“I’ll tell you, Dick,” she said, as an idea came to her; “you know, ‘asoft answer turneth away wrath’; no,—I guess I mean ‘charity covereth amultitude of sins.’ Yes, that’s it. And charity is love, you know. Sowhen we see the aunties, let’s spring into their arms and kiss ’em andlove ’em ’most to death, and then they won’t notice our clothes.”
“All right, that goes. Let me see,—yes, your face is clean,”—Dick madea dab or two at it with his handkerchief. “How’s mine?”
“Yes, it’s clean,” said Dolly, “at least, there aren’t any smudges; butyou’d better wash it before supper.”
“All right, I will. Here we go now, turning in at the gate. Be ready tojump out and fly at them if they’re on the porch.”
They weren’t on the porch, so the twins went in at the great front door,which was opened for them by a smiling maid, whose smile broadened asshe saw them. Then, repressing her smile, she ushered them to thelibrary door and into the presence of the two waiting aunts.
“Now!” whispered Dick, and with a mad rush, the two flew across the roomlike whirlwinds and fairly _banged_ themselves into the arms of MissRachel and Miss Abbie Dana.
This sudden onslaught was followed by a series of hugs and kisses whichwere of astonishing strength and duration.
What Miss Rachel and Miss Abbie thought can never be known, for they hadno power of thought. Victims of a volcanic visitation do not think,—atleast, not coherently, and the Dana ladies were quite helpless, bothmentally and physically.
“Dear Auntie,” cooed Dolly, patting the cheek of the one she hadattacked, though not knowing her name; “are you glad to see us?”
Miss Rachel stared stupidly at her, but the stare was not reassuring,and Dolly’s heart fell.
“Jolly glad to get here,” cried Dick, loyally trying to carry outDolly’s plan, as he nearly choked the breath out of the other aunt. MissAbbie had a little more sense of humour than her sister,—though neitherof them was over-burdened with it,—so she said to Dick:
“Then do stop pommeling me, and stand off where I can see what you looklike!”
But this was just what Dick was not anxious to do. So he only clungcloser, and said, “Dear Auntie, which is your name?”
“I’m your Aunt Abbie,” was the response, not too gently given, “and nowstand up, if you please, and stop these monkey-tricks!”
Of course, since she put it that way, Dick had to desist, and hereleased his struggling aunt, and bravely stood up for inspection.
Miss Rachel, too, had pushed Dolly away from her, and the twins stood,hand in hand, waiting for the verdict. It was an awful moment. Thephysical exertion of the manner they had chosen of greeting their auntshad made their flushed little faces still redder, and the scratchesstood out in bold relief.
Also, their soiled and torn garments looked worse in this elegantlyappointed room even than they had in the woods or in the carriage.
Altogether the twins felt that their plan of defence had failed, andthey were crestfallen, shy, homesick, and pretty miserable all ’round.
But the funny part was, that the plan hadn’t failed. Though the auntsnever admitted it, both their hearts were softened by the feeling ofthose little arms round their necks, and those vigorous, if grimy kissesthat fell, irrespectively, on their cheeks, necks, or lace collars.
Had it not been for this tornado of affection, the greeting would havebeen far different. But one cannot speak coldly to a guest who showssuch warmth of demonstration.
“Well, you _are_ a pretty-looking pair!” exclaimed Miss Rachel, veilingher real disapproval behind a semblance of jocularity. “Do you alwaystravel in ragged, dirty clothes?”
“No, Aunt Rachel,” said Dick, feeling he must make a strike for justice;“at least, we don’t start out this way. But you see, we had hardly everseen a brook before——”
“And it was so lovely!” put in Dolly, ecstatically.
“And wild flowers to it!” cried Dick, his eyes shining with the joy ofthe remembrance.
“And pebbly stones!”
“And ripply water!”
“And birds, flying in big bunches!”
“Oh, but it was splendid!”
“And so you went to the brook,” said Aunt Rachel, beginning to seedaylight.
“Yes’m; on the way up from the station, you know.”
“Did Michael go with you?”
“No; he sat and held the horses, and hollered for us to come back.”
“Why didn’t you go when he called you?”
“Why, we did; at least, we went in a minute. But, Aunt Rachel, we neverhad seen a real live brook before, not since we were little bits ofkiddy-wids,—and we just couldn’t bear to leave it.”
“We waded in it!” said Dolly, almost solemnly, as if she had referred tothe highest possible earthly bliss.
The Dana ladies were nonplussed. True, the affection showered on themhad tempered their severity, yet now justice began to re
assert itself,and surely it would not be just or fair to have these semi-barbaricchildren installed at Dana Dene.
“Did your aunt in Chicago let you act like this?” asked Aunt Abbie, byway of trying to grasp the situation.
“Well, you see, there never was a brook there,” said Dick, pleasantly.“Only Lake Michigan, and that was too big to be any fun.”
“Oh, isn’t Heatherton lovely?” exclaimed Dolly, her big, dark eyes fullof rapture.
She had again possessed herself of Miss Rachel’s hand and was pattingit, and incidentally transfering some “good, brown earth” to it, fromher own little paw.
Though Dolly had planned their mode of entrance, she had forgotten allabout it now, and her affectionate demonstrations were prompted only byher own loving little heart, and not by an effort to be tactful.
In her enthusiasm over the beautiful country-side, she fairly bubbledover with love and affection for all about her.
“Are you both so fond of the country, then?” said Miss Abbie, a littlecuriously.
“Yes, we love it,” declared Dick, “and we’ve ’most never seen it. AuntieHelen always liked fashionable places in summer, and of course in winterwe were in Chicago.”
“And we were naughty,” said Dolly, with a sudden burst of contrition,“to go wading in the brook in our good clothes. Mrs. Halkett told us_’spressly_ not to get soiled or even rumpled before we saw you. Andwe’re sorry we did,—but, oh! that brook! When can we go there again?To-morrow?”
“Or this afternoon,” said Dick, sidling up to Aunt Rachel; “it isn’tlate, is it?”
The twins had instinctively discerned that Miss Rachel was the one ofwhom to ask permission. Aunt Abbie seemed more lovable, perhaps, butwithout a doubt Aunt Rachel was the fixer of their fate.
“This afternoon! I should say not!” exclaimed Miss Rachel. “It’s nearlysupper time now, and how you’re going to be made presentable is morethan I know! Have you any other clothes?”
“In our trunks,—lots of ’em,” said Dick, cheerfully. “But these are ourbest ones. Mrs. Halkett put them on us purpose to come to you. I’m sorrythey’re smashed.”
Dick’s sorrow was expressed in such blithe and nonchalant tones, thatMiss Rachel only smiled grimly.
“Are you hungry?” she said.
“No’m,” said Dick, slowly, and Dolly added, “Not _very_. Of course we’realways _some_ hungry. But Aunt Rachel, can’t we go out and scoot roundthe yard? Just to see what it’s like, you know. Of course, this roomis,—beautiful, but we do love to be out doors. May we?”
“No,” said Miss Rachel, decidedly, and though Miss Abbie said, timidly,“Why don’t you let them?” the elder sister resumed:
“Go out on my lawn looking like that? Indeed you can’t! I’d be ashamedto have the chickens see you,—let alone the servants!”
“Oh, are there chickens?” cried Dolly, dancing about in excitement. “I’m_so_ glad we’re going to live here!”
She made a movement as if to hug her Aunt Rachel once again, but as shesaw the involuntary drawing away of that lady’s shoulders, shetransferred her caress to Dick, and the tattered twins fell on eachother’s necks in mutual joy of anticipation.
“You are a ridiculous pair of children,” said Aunt Abbie, laughing atthe sight; “but as I hope you’ll show some of your father’s traits, youmay improve under our training.”
“If we can train such hopeless cases,” said Miss Rachel. “Has nobodyever taught you how to behave?”
“Yes,” said Dick, growing red at the implication. “Auntie Helen is alovely lady, and she taught us to be honourable and polite.”
“Oh, she did! and do you call it honourable to go off wading in yourbest clothes, while we were waiting for you to come here?”
Dick’s honest little face looked troubled.
“I don’t know,” he said, truly, but Dolly, who was often thequicker-witted of the two, spoke up:
“It may have been naughty, Aunt Rachel, but I don’t ’zackly think it wasdishonourable. Do you?” Thus pinned down, Miss Rachel considered.
“Perhaps ‘dishonourable’ isn’t quite the right word,” she said, “but wewon’t discuss that now. I shall teach you to behave properly, of course,but we won’t begin until you look like civilised beings, capable ofbeing taught. Just now, I think hot baths, with plenty of soap, will bethe best thing for you, but as you have no clean clothes, you’ll have togo to bed.”
“At five o’clock! Whew!” said Dick. “Oh, I say, Aunt Rachel, not tobed!”
“Anyway, let us go for a tear around the yard first,” begged Dolly. “Wecan’t hurt these clothes now; and I don’t believe the chickens willmind. Are there _little_ chickens, Aunt Abbie?”
“Yes, little woolly yellow ones.”
“Like the ones on Easter souvenirs? Oh, _please_ let us see themnow,—_please_!”
More persuaded by the violence of her niece’s plea than by her owninclination, Miss Rachel said they might go out for half an hour, andthen they must come in to baths and beds.
“And supper?” asked Dick, hopefully.
“Yes, bread and milk after you’re clean and tucked into bed.”
“_Only_ bread and milk?” said Dolly, with eyes full of wheedlesomeness.
“Well, perhaps jam,” said Aunt Abbie, smiling, and somehow her smileaugured even more than jam. Out they scampered then, and soon foundMichael, who introduced them to the chickens and also to Pat, who wasthe gardener.
“I like you,” said Dolly, slipping her little hand into Pat’s big one,both being equally grimy. “Please show us all the flowers and things.”
There was so much to look at, they could only compass a small part of itin their allotted half-hour. Dana Dene covered about thirty acres, butit was not a real farm. A vegetable garden supplied the household wants,and the rest of the estate was park and flower beds and a bit of woodsand an orchard and a terrace, and the poultry yard and stables, andother delights of which the children could only guess.
“Aren’t you glad we came?” said Dolly, still hanging on to Pat’s hand.
“I—I guess so, Miss,” he replied, cautiously; “but I can’t say yet, forsure. Ye’re rampageous, I’m afraid. Ain’t ye, now?”
“Yes,” said Dick, who was always honest, “I think we are. At least,everybody says so. But, Pat, we’re going to try not to make you anytrouble.”
“Now, that’s a good boy. If ye talk like that, you ’n me’ll be friends.”
Dolly said nothing, but she smiled happily up into Patrick’s kind eyes,and then, with their usual adaptability to circumstances, the twinsbegan to feel at home.