CHAPTER XX
THE whole connection seemed filled with a desire to entertain theirreturned travellers, especially Max, whose present stay among themwould be but short. And that the baby might accompany its parents,the gathering together of the relatives and friends was always in theafternoon.
On Monday they took dinner and spent the afternoon at the Laurels, onTuesday at the Oaks, Wednesday at Roselands, Thursday at Beechwood, andthere the younger ones had great sport, Cousin Ronald and Max helpingthem.
They were all on the veranda after dinner, chatting pleasantly amongthemselves, when Ned exclaimed:
“Oh, let’s have some fun on the lawn! We may play there, mayn’t we,Cousin Ronald?”
“You may, Cousin Ned,” answered the old gentleman with a pleased smile,“and mayhap I’ll tak’ a turn wi’ ye, if I’m not deemed sae auld as tospoil the sport.”
“Oh, I think it would be fun for us to have you with us, sir!” criedNed. “Now, how many of you boys and girls would like to join in a gameof ‘I spy’?”
In reply to that query all the children present immediately expresseda desire to take part in the game, and they promptly adjourned to thegrounds. All were familiar with the game.
“Now who shall be the one to hide his eyes?” asked Ned, his look andtone of voice showing a desire to fill the position himself.
That was evident to the others, and two or three of the cousins said atonce:
“You, Ned; you’ll do as well as any other.”
So, the base being chosen, Ned covered his eyes and the othersscattered and hid behind bushes, trees and summer houses. Then fromevery direction came the cry “All Ready!” and Ned’s eyes were instantlyuncovered and away he ran, looking about him searchingly from side toside.
Presently catching a glimpse of a familiar coat worn by his cousin EricLeland, “I spy Eric Leland!” he shouted. “I’ll beat you in to base,”then turned and ran back to the chosen base—the lower step of the frontveranda.
Both boys ran as fast as their young legs could carry them, but Nedreached the base and Eric became “It.”
Directly after these two came all the others engaged in the game, andjust as the last one had reached the goal there came an angry growl,apparently from under the veranda.
“How dare you rude youngsters come tramping and stamping here in thisrude way? It’s enough to kill a man with a headache like mine, and Iwont stand it. Clear out, every one of you.”
For a moment the children seemed thunderstruck, then they began askingeach other in awed, frightened tones:
“Who is it? and where is he? Is there a room for him under there? andwill he come out and fight us?”
Then all at once Ned, Elsie and the cousins from the Oaks and Fairviewbegan to laugh.
“Oh, it’s Cousin Ronald or Max, and we needn’t be a bit afraid,” theysaid.
But at that the voice spoke again:
“I a relation of yours? Think I’d own any o’ you for relations o’ mine?”
“Yes, I do think so,” replied Ned stoutly. “I know you’re either CousinRonald or Brother Max, and whichever you are I’m not a bit afraid ofyou, because you’re both as good and kind as ever you can be.”
“That’s the way to talk,” replied the voice. “You are a pretty goodboy, I perceive. So go on with your play, and if you don’t make aracket here and hurt my head I’ll not interfere with you.”
“Where is your head, cousin or brother, whichever you are?” asked Ned.
“On my shoulders, saucebox,” was the reply.
At that all the children laughed.
“That’s funny,” said Ned. “Mine is at the top of my neck.”
“Well, keep it there,” said the voice. “Now run off to your play, allo’ ye, and leave me in peace to nurse my head and get rid of the ache.”
“Yes,” said Ned, “but first I’m going to look for Cousin Ronald andBrother Max, because I’d like to know which has been trying to cheat usand pretending to scold.”
He straightened himself and looked earnestly along the veranda as hespoke. Evidently the company there had been listening to what was goingon and enjoying the sport, Cousin Ronald and Max among them. CaptainRaymond was there, too, standing at the top of the steps and looking asif he had been having a share of the fun.
“You are having a good deal of fun, aren’t you, my young friends?” heasked. “To hear and see it all makes me rather hungry for a share ofit. Would you object to my joining you?”
“Oh, no! No, indeed!” cried several young voices. “Please come; we’llbe glad to have you.”
So the captain stepped down and joined them.
That started the older people. Not only Mr. Lilburn and Max hastened tojoin the players, but Chester and Lucilla, Dr. Harold and Grace, Dr.Herbert and Dr. Arthur Conly.
They all seemed to renew their youth, entering heartily into the sport,to the great delight of the children, the two ventriloquists increasingit by the use of their peculiar talent. Sometimes the players weresurprised and puzzled by voices, unlike any of theirs, calling fromdifferent quarters, but presently the more knowing ones would give amerry shout that would open the eyes of the others to the fact that itwas only a ventriloquial trick for their amusement.
When they grew tired of “I spy” other games were tried with success,and it was only as the time for going home drew near that they ceasedtheir sport and rejoined the older members of the party upon theveranda.
Evelyn was sitting there with her baby on her knee, and many of thechildren gathered about her, saying they wanted a bit of fun withher—the baby—before going home; wanted to hear her talk.
“But she is too young to talk,” said Evelyn; “she will hardly be ableto say anything for months to come.”
“Oh, her father can make her talk,” laughed Eric; “if he tells her to,she’ll mind him. Won’t you, baby dear?”
“Yes, I will. Babies ought to do what their papas tell them to.”
The words seemed to come from the little lips, and the children turnedto see if Max was near. He was, and smiled in response to theirquestioning glances.
“Doesn’t she do pretty well for so young a talker?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, with her father to help her,” laughed Eric. “But I’m afraidshe won’t be able to do so well when you are away on shipboard. UnlessCousin Ronald is somewhere near,” he added, as an after thought.
“Yes, I like Cousin Ronald,” the baby voice seemed to say.
“And you love your aunties, don’t you?” asked Elsie Raymond, leaningover her.
“Yes, I love you and all the other ones.”
“And don’t you love your cousin doctor, who takes care of you and mammawhen you need him?” asked Dr. Harold, joining the group.
“Yes, indeed! Will you be my uncle some day?”
“I hope so,” laughed Harold. “You will make a nice little niece, Ithink.”
“And I think he will be a nice uncle,” laughed Grace, who was standingby his side.
Captain Raymond, too, was near, the baby being as attractive to him asto any one else—except, perhaps, the parents.
“I should like to be able to prove that very soon,” said Harold with asignificant glance at the captain.
At that Grace blushed and gave her father a loving, entreating lookthat seemed to say:
“Don’t be angry with us, father dear. I love you, and we are notrebellious.”
“‘Patient waiting no loss,’” he said with kindly look and smile. “Ilove my daughter too well to be in a hurry to give her away.”
“What will you do when your papa goes away to his ship, baby?” askedEric.
“Stay at home with mamma,” was the reply, at which the children alllaughed.
But now the carriages were at the door, and they must hasten to preparefor their homeward drive.
It was but a short one from Beechwood to Woodburn, and to thathospitable home went not only the immediate family, but the Sunnysidefolk also, Grandma El
sie and her sons, Harold and Herbert.
An inviting tea was ready for them on their arrival, and after it theyhad a delightful social evening together, music and conversation makingthe time pass very swiftly.
But the guests were all disposed to retire to their homes at areasonably early hour; first, however, they sang a hymn together; thenthe captain read a portion of Scripture, and led them in a prayer fullof love and gratitude for the numberless blessings that sweetened theirlives. Then the good-nights were said and the outsiders departed totheir homes. But there was no sadness in the partings, for all expectedto meet again in a few hours.
When Grace came to her father for the usual good-night caress he tookher in his arms and held her close.
“My own darling daughter,” he said low and tenderly, “you don’t knowhow dear, how very dear you are to your father. Millions could not buyyou from me.”
“Dear, dear papa, it is very sweet to have you love me so,” sheresponded in tones trembling with emotion, “and I think my love for youis as great as yours for me.”
“Yet you want me to give you away?”
“No, sir; only to take another son as a partner in the concern whenyou think the right time has come,” she answered, smiling up into hisface.
At that he gave her a smiling caress.
“So I will when I think that time has come,” he said, “but till then Ihope you can be happy in my home, under my care, and loved and pettedas one of my own God-given children.”
“I am sure I can, papa, and I shall never, never be willing to go toofar away to see and talk with you every day.”
“That is pleasant for me to hear,” he said, “and I hope to keep youin this home with me even after you exchange my name for another; andif you and Harold grow tired of that I think I can find room on thisestate for another dwelling, not inferior to Sunnyside, put it up andfurnish it for my second daughter, who is not to be treated with anyless favor than her elder sister and brother.”
“Oh, papa, how good, good you are to me!” she exclaimed low andfeelingly. “I am so glad and thankful that I was born your child. ButI should love to be that even if you were poor and couldn’t do anythingfor me.”
“I believe you would, my darling,” he returned. “But now bid megood-night and go; for it is time you were resting, after all theexcitement and fatigues of the day.”
“Yes, papa, dear, dear papa,” she said, putting her arms around hisneck and kissing him with ardent affection, “you are so kind to me,and, oh, how I do love you! I wouldn’t marry even Harold, whom I dearlylove, if I knew that he would take me far away from you.”
“Nor could I be willing to give you to him if that was to be theresult. But there seems little or no danger of that, as his home andnear connections are in this neighborhood and he seems to have nodesire to leave it. My greatest objection to the match is the mixtureof relationships it will bring about. You, my own daughter, will be mysister-in-law, and Harold son-in-law to his sister. Still, as thereis no blood relationship between you two, and you seem so devotedlyattached to each other, I have not felt that I had any right to forbidthe match.”
“Yes, papa, and you were very, very kind not to do so; for dearly as Ilove Harold, I would never marry him without your consent.”
“No, I know you would not, my darling, for I have not a more obedient,bidable child than you. But I must not keep you longer from your needednight’s rest.”
Then laying his right hand gently upon her head, he gave her thefatherly blessing Lucilla loved so well: “The Lord bless thee and keepthee; the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious untothee; the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.”
“Dear papa, thank you,” she said with emotion, glad tears in her eyes.“I do love that blessing, and I hope you will have it as well as I.”
“I hope so, daughter,” he said; “nothing could be better for either ofus. And I am exceedingly glad that he who has won your young heart is aChristian man.”