Part 2 (1/2)
”There's Whitefoot, and that dear little boy Mr. Carpenter told us about,” exclaimed a young girl, who was no other than Emma Blagden.
The donkey trotted on until the two carriages met, when a pleasant voice called out:
”Stop a minute, please. Is your name Herbert Curtis?”
”Yes, ma'am.”
”How do you do, Whitefoot?” exclaimed the young girl, springing to the ground and throwing her arms around the donkey's neck.
”Oh, you stupid creature not to know your old mistress!” she went on, as the animal took no notice of her caresses.
”I'm very glad to see you,” Bertie began, his eyes sparkling with pleasure. ”Will you please go and see mamma?”
”Have you moved into the new house yet,” inquired the lady who had asked them to stop.
”No, ma'am. Mamma is over there though; and she would be very glad to see you, and thank you for sending me the bird.”
”Oh, yes!” cried Emma. ”Where is the linnet? I dare say she'd know me.”
”I'm sorry; but I lent my bird to a little girl in the hospital. It does amuse the children there so much to watch it.”
”Did you tire of it, then?”
”Oh, no, indeed! I like it dearly; but they have to be in their cots, you know; and it makes them feel better to have something to look at.”
”Shall we waive ceremony and call at Woodlawn?” asked the lady of her husband.
”Just as you say,” answered the gentleman smiling.
”Well, Bertie, if you think your mamma is not too much engaged, we will call for a few moments. You may drive Whitefoot on, and we will follow.”
”Oh, mamma! Mr. Carpenter didn't tell half the beauties of the scenery,” exclaimed Emma, gazing from the carriage window; ”and we thought that he exaggerated. Only look at the water glistening through the trees; and then the reflection of that weeping willow in the lake is so perfect.”
Bertie drove quickly to the front door, and lifting Winnie from her seat, ran into the house to announce the visitors.
It was a pleasant call, though a short one, the only seats being the stairs. Then Bertie persuaded his sister to stay with Nancy, who was was.h.i.+ng windows; and he took mamma in his donkey carriage and accompanied their new friends over the nicely gravelled road to the lake.
There were a pair of swans, now, which had grown so tame that they would sail up close to the sh.o.r.e and pick up the crumbs the children threw to them.
CHAPTER V.
THE SORROWING FATHER.
In another volume of this series, I have told you about Mr. Cahart who brought the stone steps from the granite quarry. He had a son who gave him great trouble, and whom he promised that that he would send to Oxford for Bertie to take to his mamma, hoping she would do him good.
Every day for a long time the little fellow expected the boy would come up the avenue at Woodlawn. But nothing had ever been seen or heard from him; and now more than a month had pa.s.sed.
One lovely afternoon during the pleasant season called the Indian summer, Mr. Curtis invited his wife, Bertie and Winnie to ride with him to the quarry where he wished to pay the balance of his bill, part of which Bertie had paid Mr. Cahart.