CHAPTER VI
NAMING THE NEW BABY
Luke Shepard was a very friendly person who was bound to make himselfbeloved by the entire Corner House family. Unless, perhaps, Aunt SarahMaltby refused to melt before the sunshine of his smile. He was ahandsome fellow, too--curly brown hair, a good brown and red complexion,well chiseled features, brown eyes set wide apart, and lips that laughedabove a well molded and firm-looking chin.
Cecile was his antithesis--sprightly and small-framed, roguish of lookand behavior, without an iota of hoidenishness about her. She wasinordinately fond of her brother, and she could not understand how theCorner House girls had managed to get on so many years without one boy,at least, in the family.
"Of course, you've got Neale," she said to Ruth and Agnes after they hadreached the house.
"And there's Sammy Pinkney," Tess put in gravely. "I'm sure he's quiteas much trouble to us as a real brother could be."
At this there was a burst of uncontrollable laughter.
The little girls were fond of Luke Shepard, however. He had been verynice to them on that adventurous occasion when they had met him and hissister on the automobile tour; and on coming to the old Corner House forthis visit he had not forgotten Tess and Dot. To the former he hadbrought a lovely, imaginative, beautifully bound story book, "full ofgods and gondolas," Dot said with awe.
To Dot herself he most tactfully presented a doll. Not a doll to takethe place in any way of the beloved Alice-doll. No. Luke was too wise ayouth for that. But it was a new baby nevertheless that Dot was bound tobe proud of.
"Oh," cried Tess, "a boy baby, Dot! And you never had a real boy babybefore!"
"Or such a nice looking one, at any rate," Agnes suggested.
Dot, smiling "big," clasped the manly looking little manikin in its neatsailor suit and cap. She really was too pleased for speech for a minuteor two. Then she said:
"I'm real glad you came to see us, Mr. Luke. I was glad before. Now I'mglad _twice_."
"You can't beat that kid," said Neale admiringly.
But the arrival of the new doll-baby put upon the smaller Corner Housegirls--especially upon Dot--a duty that was always taken seriously. Thenaming of either new dolls or new pets usually needed the heedfulattention of the entire Corner House family.
The children of Sandyface, and her grandchildren, were usually anenormous care upon the little girls in this way. To name so many cats,and name them appropriately, had been in the past a matter of no littlemoment.
Now that Sandyface had found four more eyeless, mewing little mites,only the coming of the sailor-baby, as Dot called Luke Shepard'spresent, made the two little girls agree to Neale's suggestion regardingthe naming of the new kittens.
They were christened briefly and succinctly: "One, Two, Three and Four."
"For we really are too busy, and company in the house, too," said Tessearnestly, "to worry over Sandyface's new family. She _might_ havewaited until some other time to find those kittens."
On that first evening of the Shepards' visit there was much ado aboutthe name for the baby. The whole family took more or less interest init, and suggestions galore were showered upon the anxious young motherregarding the sailor-baby.
Neale suggested that a ballot-box be arranged and that everybody writehis suggestions upon slips of paper and deposit them in the box. ThenDot might be allowed to put in her hand, mix up the slips, and draw one.That name must be the sailor-baby's cognomen.
But there was too great a hazard in this to attract the smallest CornerHouse girl; for Aunt Sarah had already gravely suggested Zerubbabel.
"And suppose," Dot whispered, "she should write that on a paper (do yous'pose such an ugly name can be spelled!) and I should draw that outfirst thing! Why, a name like that would--would make an invalid of thepoor child all his life!"
Therefore when, on Tuesday, the Corner House girls and their guests wentfor a ride in the automobile, the momentous decision regarding the newbaby's name was still to be made.
There was no room for Sammy in the car on this occasion, and he was leftbehind to seek his own amusement with the aerial tramway. And as mattersturned out he certainly was busy with that arrangement before theautomobile party returned.
However, even Tess forgot all things aerial in the enjoyment of theride. The car ran smoothly, the day was fine, and not even a "cluck hen"crossed their path. So there was not the smallest thing to mar theirpleasure.
Luke rode in front with Neale; and the three older girls were so muchinterested in their own chatter that they scarcely thought of Tess andDot. But they, too, were exceedingly busy with their particular affairs.
What interested them most of all through the drive was the naming of thesailor-baby. Dot sat with the Alice-doll in her arms, of course; but thenew doll was hugged up very close to her side upon the seat.
"He is really a very pretty doll for a boy doll," Tess observed. "Youreally should have a very pretty name for him."
"I know," agreed the anxious mother. "But all the nice names seem tohave been used up. Wha--what do you think of 'Brandywine,' Tessie?"
"Goodness! The name of that avenue we just passed? Why, Dot!" ejaculatedthe horrified older sister. "That's a _nawful_ name! And we'retemp'rance."
"Yes. It is kind of liquorish, I s'pose," admitted Dot. "But it soundsdifferent. Tom, and Edgar, and Wilfred, and Feodor, and St. John, andClarence, and Montmorency, and Peter, and Henry, and Vanscombe, andMichael, and all those others, have been used over and over again innaming babies," Dot said with seriousness. "You know we've heard ofsomebody, or know somebody, named by all of those names. Oh, Tess!" sheejaculated suddenly, "look there!"
The automobile party were just passing Mr. Stout's big tobacco barn. Oneleaf of the main door was open and hooked back and Dot was pointingeagerly to some large black letters painted upon the inside of thisdoor.
"What a pretty name that is!" she whispered to Tess, excitedly."'Nosmo'! Did you ever hear of it before?"
"No-o, Dottie, I never did," her sister agreed slowly. "'Nosmo' soundskind of funny, doesn't it? I--I never heard of a boy called that."
"Well, Tess Kenway!" cried her little sister indignantly, "isn't thatjust what we want? A boy's name that hasn't ever been used on a boybefore?"
"That's so, Dottie," agreed the more cautious Tess. "That _is_ so. Noboy has had it and spoiled it by being bad." Tess' opinion of the genusboy was governed largely by the attitude Ruth seemed to hold toward allboyhood.
"It's brand new," declared Dot, christening the sailor-baby on the spot,and without bell, book, or candle. "Nosmo Kenway. Isn't that nice? He'sso cute, too!" and she seized the new doll and pressed her red lips tothe sailor-boy's highly flushed cheek.
"Nosmo Kenway," murmured Tess. "Oughtn't he to have a middle name?"
"Oh, well," said Dot. "We can give him that afterward--if we find a goodone. But middle names don't really count, after all."
The merry party of automobilists ran out as far as Mr. BobBuckham's--the strawberry man, as they called him--a very good friend oftheirs. Mrs. Buckham was confined to her chair and the Corner Housegirls always took her flowers or something nice when they called at thefarm-house.
The Kenways and Neale went in to see the invalid for a minute, leavingCecile and Luke Shepard alone in the car. The keen-eyed girl suddenlyleaned forward and tapped her brother on the arm.
"Hul-lo!" he said, waking from a day-dream.
"Penny for your thoughts, Luke?" she suggested.
"Worth more than that, Sis."
"I know. They were about Ruth Kenway," and Cecile laughed, although hereyes were anxious.
"Witch!" exclaimed Luke, flushing a little.
"Beware, young man!" his sister said, shaking an admonitory finger.
"Beware of the dog?" queried Luke with a smile.
"Just so, Boy. There is a dog. A big one in the path."
"Why, Sis, I don't believe Ruth Kenway has ever even _thought_ of aboy--"
"As you are th
inking of her?" his sister broke in softly. "No. I thinkshe is perfectly 'heart whole and fancy free.' And so ought you to be,Luke."
"Well, she's such a sweet girl," he declared, his eyes shining.
"She certainly is."
"Then what have you against my--my liking her?"
"There is nothing I'd like better in this world, Luke," his sisterdeclared earnestly, "than to see you happy in the friendship of such agirl as Ruth."
"Then--"
"Remember Neighbor," Cecile said, earnestly.
"Oh, bother Neighbor!" muttered Luke.
"No. You would not like to see him bothered. And he is a very goodfriend of yours. He can and will help you get a start in the world afteryou have finished at college. His aid may mean ten years' advantage toyou."
"Do you suppose I care what Neighbor does with his money?" demandedLuke, hotly.
"No. Not for just what the money would bring you," she agreed. "Butthink! What have you to offer Ruth Kenway if you should come to thepoint where you might ask her to engage herself to you? We're just aspoor as Job's turkey after it was picked to the bones!"
"I know it, Sis," groaned the young fellow.
"And without Neighbor's help you may have a long and hard strugglegetting anywhere," Cecile said gravely.
"Too true, Sis."
"Well--then--"
The Kenways and Neale O'Neil reappeared. The visiting brother fellsilent. Luke Shepard scarcely had a word to say during the remainder ofthe automobile ride.