Part 23 (2/2)
”I am afraid there may be difficulties in the way,” he said. ”The mother is a music teacher, and I am sorry to say is far from strong. I fancy she has a rather uphill road to travel.”
”Well, she ought to be told of her boy's talent at any rate,” said Lord Carresford, rather impatiently. ”The raising of sufficient money for lessons ought not to be difficult. I am sure I should be very glad to contribute myself to so good a cause.”
”It might not be difficult in some cases,” said the doctor, laughing, ”but I am afraid that in that particular case there would be a good deal of trouble. The mother has the airs and manner of a queen. I should like to see her expression if any one were to propose to her that a fund should be raised in order to give her small boy drawing lessons. I have never yet been able to muster sufficient courage to explain to her that I do not intend sending in a bill for professional services. She was laid up with a sharp attack of pneumonia this spring. When she was taken ill she told her children she could not afford to have a doctor sent for. Fortunately Hamilton's little girl, who happened to be a friend of theirs, took matters into her own hands, in the absence of her mother, and came for me. The poor woman was delirious when I reached there, and we had a hard time to pull her through. I believe that if it were not for the children she would starve rather than accept a penny from any one. She adores them, though, especially the boy, and no wonder, for he is one of the finest little fellows I have ever seen.”
”Poor soul,” said Lord Carresford, with a sigh. ”Well, she must be told of her boy's prospects, and then she can do as she likes about accepting the necessary aid.”
CHAPTER XV
SOMETHING HAPPENS
”Is it finished, Winifred?”
”Ye--yes,” said Winifred slowly, laying down her pencil, and surveying rather ruefully the large sheet of foolscap in her lap. ”It's finished, but it isn't any good; I know your aunt won't like it.”
”Oh, yes, she will,” said Lulu encouragingly, coming over to her friend's side, and surveying the result of her labors with evident satisfaction. The two little girls were together in Lulu's room, and for the past half-hour Winifred had been making a desperate effort to finish her story.
”It isn't as long as mine,” Lulu went on, ”But I think it's a very pretty story. 'The Indian' is a nice name, isn't it? I've called mine 'The Discovery of New Haven.' Of course I don't mean the New Haven where the Boston trains stop. It's just an imaginary place, you know. We must go and read our stories to Aunt Daisy now. I'm just crazy to know how she will like them.”
Winifred hesitated.
”I know she'll think mine dreadfully silly,” she said. ”Don't you think you could possibly read it to her after I go home?”
”Of course not,” said Lulu with decision; ”you must read it to her yourself, the same as I do. Come along.”
Winifred rose rather reluctantly, and the two little girls went downstairs, and out on the piazza, where they found Lord Carresford and Miss Warren sitting together. ”His lords.h.i.+p” was reading aloud to the blind lady, but at the children's approach he laid down his book.
”Well, young ladies,” he said pleasantly, ”and what have you been doing all the morning?”
”Winifred has been finis.h.i.+ng her story,” said Lulu, ”and I've been making a bureau cover for the fair. We came down to read our stories to Aunt Daisy, but if you're reading to her now we can go away, and do it another time.”
”No, indeed,” said Lord Carresford, ”I am sure Miss Warren would much prefer your reading to mine, but may I not be permitted to hear the stories too?”
Lulu hesitated, and glanced at Winifred.
”We don't usually like to have grown-up people read our things,” she said doubtfully, ”but you've been so very kind to us--shall we do it, Winifred?”
”I'd rather go home, and let you read them both,” said Winifred, with a rather wistful glance in the direction of the distant hotel. ”I guess I'd better go home, any way. Mother's very busy sewing for the fair, and she might want me to help her, you know.”
”No, she won't,” said Lulu confidently; ”mamma is with her, and grown-up ladies always like to be by themselves when they sew, don't they, Aunt Daisy?”
”I don't know, I am sure,” said Miss Warren, laughing, ”but I really think Winifred had better stay here. You ought not to mind letting Lord Carresford hear your story, Winnie; think of all the stories he has told you himself.”
”Yes, and remember how kind he was that day on the yacht,” put in Lulu.
”If he hadn't come to help us we might have all been drowned. I think we each ought to do something to give him pleasure.”
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