Part 9 (2/2)

They reached the high hill of Gracie's desire, and rapidly climbed it.

The sun had pa.s.sed over to the far west and had already begun to dip ere they reached the summit.

”Now we'll all stand in a row and race down,” announced Gracie, when they reached the top. ”Aunt Avery will start us. We'll run as far as that big oak-tree on the edge of the wood. Now line up, everybody!”

”I'm not going to do anything so silly,” said Olive decidedly. ”Mrs.

Denys and I will follow quietly.”

”Oh no!” laughed Avery. ”You can do the starting, my dear, and I will race with the others.”

Olive looked at her, faintly contemptuous. ”Oh, of course if you prefer it--” she said.

”I do indeed!” Avery a.s.sured her. ”But I think the two big boys and I ought to be handicapped. Jeanie and Gracie and Pat must go ten paces in front.”

”I am bigger than Gracie and Pat,” said Jeanie. ”I think I ought to go midway.”

”Of course,” agreed Ronald. ”And, Aunt Avery, you must go with her. You can't start level with Julian and me.”

Avery laughed at the amendment and fell in with it. They adjusted themselves for the trial of speed, while Olive stationed herself on a mole-hill to give the signal.

The valley below them was in deep shadow. The last of the sunlight lay upon the hilltop. It shone dazzlingly in Avery's eyes as the race began.

There had been a sprinkling of snow the day before, and the gra.s.s was crisp and rough. She felt it crush under her feet with a keen sense of enjoyment. Instinctively she put all her buoyant strength into the run.

She left Jeanie behind, overtook and pa.s.sed the two younger children, and raced like a hare down the slope. Keenly the wind whistled past her, and she rejoiced to feel its clean purity rush into her lungs. She was for the moment absurdly, rapturously happy,--a child amongst children.

The sun went out of sight, and the darkness of the valley swallowed her.

She sped on, fleet-footed, flushed and laughing, moving as if on wings.

She neared the dark line of wood, and saw the stark, outstretched branches of the oak that was her goal. In the same instant she caught sight of a man's figure standing beneath it, apparently waiting for her.

He had evidently just come out of the wood. He carried a gun on his shoulder, but the freedom of his pose was so striking that she likened him on the instant to a Roman gladiator.

She could not stop herself at once though she checked her speed, and when she finally managed to come to a stand, she was close to him.

He stepped forward to meet her with a royal air of welcome. ”How nice of you to come and call on me!” he said.

His dark eyes shone mischievously as they greeted her, and she was too flushed and dishevelled to stand upon ceremony. Pantingly she threw back her gay reply.

”This is the children's happy hunting ground, not mine, I suppose, if the truth were told, we are trespa.s.sing.”

He made her his sweeping bow. ”There is not a corner of this estate that is not utterly and for ever at your service.”

He turned as the two elder boys came racing up, and she saw the half-mocking light go out of his eyes as they glanced up the hill.

”Hullo!” he said. ”There's one of them come to grief.”

Sharply she turned also. Pat and Gracie were having a spirited race down the lower slope of the hill. Olive had begun to descend from the top with becoming dignity. And midway, poor Jeanie crouched in a forlorn little heap with her hands tightly covering her face.

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