CHAPTER XVII
OVER at Ion the family were left alone, all the guests having nowdeparted to their own homes. Zoe was seeing her children in their nestsfor the night; Grandpa and Grandma Dinsmore were chatting togetheron the front veranda, while Grandma Elsie and her sons, Edward andHerbert, a little removed from the older couple, were engaged in asimilar manner—her sons asking questions in regard to their mother’sexperiences during the summer and fall, and she telling a pleasant andinteresting tale in regard to them.
Just then a hack came rolling up the avenue.
“Who’s that now, I wonder,” growled Edward, “coming to interrupt ourfirst private chat with our long absent mother?”
“Probably somebody wanting the doctor,” sighed Herbert, rising andmoving toward the entrance.
At that moment the vehicle came to a standstill at the veranda steps,and instantly out sprang a manly form and came quickly up them.
“Walter!” exclaimed Herbert, reaching out his hand, which the othergrasped and shook heartily.
“Yes, brother mine, it is I. Where’s mother? Mother! mother, dear! Oh,how glad I am to have you in my arms once more!” as she sprang forwardwith a cry of joy.
“Walter, my dear, dear youngest son!” and he caught her in his arms.“My baby boy,” she laughed the next moment; “my baby boy grown tallerthan his mother. Oh, why wasn’t he here to meet and greet me when I gothome?”
“A little business matter, and a misunderstanding as to the probabletime of my mother’s arrival,” he answered, repeating his caresses.
Then they released each other, and joyous and affectionate greetingswere exchanged with the remaining members of the family.
“You should have been here sooner, Walter,” said Herbert when all wereseated again, with his mother in the midst. “She has been tellingEd and me some very interesting things about her recent visit toCalifornia.”
“Perhaps mother will repeat her story to me one of these days,” saidWalter. “At present it seems almost enough to see her dear face,without hearing anything but the sound of her sweet voice.”
“That sounds very much as if my youngest son had been licking theblarney stone,” laughed his mother.
“Not a bit of it, mother,” he returned. “You know I wasn’t brought upto do such things.”
“I hope you were not,” she said, “but you have been under otherteachers than your mother for years past.”
“True, my mother dear, but I hope I have not forgotten your teachings.Now what is the latest news about uncles, aunts, cousins and friends inthis neighborhood?”
“I really think but little has taken place which would be new to you,Walter,” replied his mother.
“I doubt,” laughed Edward, “if he has heard of the good fortune of Evaand Max.”
“Money or estate?” queried Walter.
“Something better than either,” remarked his mother, with a pleasedsmile.
“Oh, I suppose Max has been promoted. Good for him! He’s very happyover it, I dare say.”
“But it isn’t that. You’re wide of the mark,” laughed Edward.
“You may as well tell me. I don’t seem to be Yankee enough to be goodat guessing.”
“A little daughter, as pretty a baby as ever was seen—of course,excepting Zoe’s and mine.”
“Oh, is that it?” laughed Walter. “Well, I’ll congratulate them when Isee them. Am I uncle to it, mother?”
“No,” she replied with a smile; “you are not really related at all toeither parent, so of course not to the child.”
“Yet both the parents and I have been in the habit of calling eachother cousin, so I think I’ll claim kin with the little beauty you tellme of.”
“And I don’t think any one will object,” said his mother.
Zoe now joined them, welcomed Walter heartily, and the talk went on,principally about the various relatives and connections, but with neveran unkind or uncharitable word in regard to any of them.
“And you had them all here to-day,” Walter said at length. “I wish Ihad reached home a few hours sooner.”
“We would all have been glad to see you then, as we are now, my son,”said his mother. “But don’t feel too much disappointed. I have an ideathat there will be a number of other family gatherings before Max isordered away again.”
“Yes,” said Grandma Dinsmore, “I heard several of to-day’s guestsexpress an intention to have such a family gathering themselves beforevery long.”
“And they are the most agreeable kind to have,” said Zoe.
“I think I shall go to-morrow and have a peep at that new relative, aswell as a chat with her parents,” said Walter. “I dare say they feelquite rich. But how funny to think of the captain and Vi as grandpa andgrandma. But, of course, Vi isn’t really that, and nobody will think ofcalling her so.”
“She called herself that,” said Zoe, “but certainly it seems quiteridiculous. They will all be sorry, as we are, that you were not hereto-day to take part in our reception,” she added; “but if you wouldlike to speak to any of them now, you know you can use the ’phone.”
“Thanks,” returned Walter, “but I believe I should prefer to give thema rousing surprise to-morrow by just walking in on them.”
“I think that the better plan,” said his grandfather approvingly.
“And perhaps I can persuade my mother to go along,” added Walter,looking smilingly at her.
“If you get Herbert or Harold to prescribe the ride—or walk; which isit to be?—I will go, expecting benefit from so doing,” she responded inmirthful tone.
“Harold!” exclaimed Walter. “By the way, where is he? Visiting somedesperately sick patient? I know that’s often the case when he fails toadorn the family circle.”
“No,” said Herbert; “at present he is dancing attendance on GraceRaymond, his adored ladylove.”
Walter laughed and said: “Ah, yes, that’s all right; Grace is adear, sweet girl—a beauty, too; and except for the odd mixing up ofrelationships and the fact that she is delicate, I should be delightedwith the prospective match.”
“I also,” said his mother. “I am very fond of Grace; have loved herever since my first sight of her sweet face. I can see that she lovesHarold dearly, yet is perfectly submissive to her father’s will inregard to the time of their marriage. Nor does Harold rebel, though itis plain to be seen that he longs for the time when he may claim her ashis very own.”
“Yes, mother. Well, I hope he will prescribe early retirement for hisladylove to-night and hasten home to greet his youngest brother, whomhe has not seen for nearly a year.”
“I presume he has done so; for here he comes now, walking up theavenue,” exclaimed Herbert, glancing in that direction.
At that Walter sprang to his feet and hastened forward to meet Haroldas he came up the veranda steps.
“Howdy’do, doctor?” he cried with a pleasant laugh. “I hope you’ve leftthat pretty patient of yours doing well.”
“Why, Walter, my man, I’m glad to see you and know that, young as youare, you’ve travelled home safely by yourself,” responded Harold,reaching the top step and grasping heartily the hand held out to him.
“How do you know that I travelled by myself?” laughed Walter. “Are youquite sure I may not have a ladylove and future father-in-law as wellas yourself?”
“Yes, my little man; for if you had I should certainly have learned itbefore this, since my youngest brother has always been communicative tome.”
“Don’t be too sure of that, laddie,” laughed Walter. “But come alongnow and join the family circle, which, with you in it, will be quitecomplete.”
“So you are here again, Harold,” said his grandfather, as they seatedthemselves. “How did you and the Raymonds find matters at Woodburn?”
“Everything in perfect order, sir; at least, so far as I could tell,and all seemed entirely satisfied and full of delight that they had atlast reached their home.”
“That is pleasant
news. I suppose you didn’t go on to Sunnyside?”
“No, sir; I reserved that pleasant visit for to-morrow.”
“Oh,” said Walter, “Chester and Lu, Max and Eva are at home now, Isuppose; and I’m told the latter couple rejoice in owning a beauty of ababy.”
“Yes, she is a beauty, I think,” said Harold; “as sweet a littlecreature as ever I saw.”
“That’s pretty strong, coming from an old bach, isn’t it?” laughedWalter.
“Hardly at an age to be reasonably called old, Walter,” remonstratedtheir mother gently, and with a smile.
“It seems quite well, from a business point of view, for a doctor tobe considered old—or at least not very young, mother,” said Haroldpleasantly, and with a smile.
“Most people are more ready to trust themselves and dear ones to thetreatment of a physician who has had some experience in the practiceof his profession, than to one whose youth proves him to be but abeginner.”
“Quite true, Harold, and very sensible in those who act upon thatprinciple,” remarked his grandfather.