Part 12 (2/2)
”You've come to play with me,” she stated in a tone of a.s.surance.
”I've brought Janey to play with you,” he rejoined, indicating his little companion. ”If you'll get in the wagon, I'll drive you up to the house.”
She held up her slender little arms to him, and David felt as if he were lifting a doll.
”My name in Carey Winthrop. What is yours?” she demanded of Janey as they all rode up the shaded, graveled road.
”Janey Brumble,” replied the visitor, gaining ease from the ingenuousness of the little girl and from the knowledge that she was older than her hostess.
”And he's your brother?” indicating David.
”He's my adopted brother,” said Janey; ”he's David Dunne.”
”I wish I had a 'dopted brother,” sighed the little girl, eying David wistfully.
David drove up to the side entrance of the large, white-columned, porticoed house, on the s.p.a.cious veranda of which sat a fair-haired young woman with luminous eyes and smiling mouth. The smile deepened as she saw the curiously disfigured horse ambling up to the stone step.
”Whoa, Old Hundred!” commanded David, whereupon the smile became a rippling laugh. David got out, lifted the little girl to the ground very carefully, and gave a helping hand to the nimble, independent Janey.
”Mother,” cried Carey delightedly, ”this is Janey and her 'dopted brother David.”
David touched his cap gravely in acknowledgment of the introduction.
He had never heard his name p.r.o.nounced as this little girl spoke it, with the soft ”a.” It sounded very sweet to him.
”I'll drive back for you before sundown, Janey,” said David, preparing to climb into the wagon.
”No,” objected Carey, regarding him with apprehension, ”I want you to stay and play with me. Tell him to stay, mother.”
There was a regal carriage to the little head and an imperious note--the note of an only child--in her voice.
”Maybe David has other things to do than to play with little girls,”
said her mother, ”but, David, if you can stay, I wish you would.”
”I should like to stay,” replied David earnestly, ”but they expect me back, and Old Hundred is needed in the field.”
”Luke can drive your horse back, and we will see that you and Janey ride home.”
So Carey, with a hand to each of her new playmates, led them across the driveway to the rolling stretch of shaded lawn. The lady watched David as he submitted to be driven as a horse by the little girls and then const.i.tuted himself driver to his little team of ponies as he called them. Later, when they raced to the meadow, she saw him hold Janey back that Carey might win. Presently the lady was joined by her husband.
”Where is Carey?” he asked.
”She is having great sport with a pretty little girl and a guardian angel of a boy. Here they come!”
They were trooping across the lawn, the little girls adorned with blossom wreaths which David had woven for them.
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