Part 26 (1/2)

After supper the children went out-of-doors and sat on the steps in the sweet night air while Letty sang to them. They grew very quiet and sober in the soft, solemn darkness. Presently Christopher said briskly, by way of breaking what he thought was beginning to be an awkward silence:

”I guess you're some happy to-night, Letty. How does it feel to be somebody's little girl after you haven't belonged to anybody for so long?”

Instead of answering Letty suddenly began to cry. She only now saw how very lonely she had been these past three dreary years.

”There now, you rude boy, you've hurt her feelings. I hope you're satisfied,” exclaimed Jane indignantly. ”How would you like to be told you didn't belong to any one?”

”But I do belong to some one, and I always have. But Letty didn't, until Mrs. Hartwell-Jones took her, and I don't see why she has to cry just because I spoke the truth,” argued Christopher.

”Kit is right,” said Letty, drying her tears. ”I didn't belong to any one before and it makes me so happy now to think that I'm really going to be somebody's little girl again that-that I had to cry.”

”Huh! Had to cry! Why don't you laugh if you're glad? Why, I'd laugh for a week if I was going to belong to somebody that had as many good things to eat as Mrs. Hartwell-Jones always has.”

”Why, Kit, would you like to leave father and mother?” exclaimed Jane, much shocked.

”I didn't say that, but Mrs. Hartwell-Jones certainly does know how to feed a fellow,” and Christopher smacked his lips.

Letty saw the word ”greedy” trembling on Jane's tongue and to check it she began quickly to talk about her good fortune.

”I am not to go to boarding-school, after all, because Mrs.

Hartwell-Jones said she would be too lonely without me,” she said with a happy laugh. ”Oh, just think of having a home to go back to every day after school! And the girls won't snub me because of being a little circus girl!” she exclaimed, and, to Christopher's vexation, began to cry again.

Jane grew very thoughtful all of a sudden. She thought of her own home-coming each day after school. She remembered that sometimes-quite often, indeed-she had not wanted to go home at all; had thought it very stupid to sit in the house and study. She would much rather go to the house of a schoolmate, or bring a friend home to play with her. But mother did not approve of visiting on schooldays, and Jane's good times always had to be put off until Friday and Sat.u.r.day during term-time.

Mother was always at home to welcome her, and to ask about her lessons, quite as much interested in everything that had happened as if she, too, were a little girl. Then Christopher would get home from his school and the twins would have a jolly romp together before study time. Still Jane had found it dull at home at times. She wondered why, when she thought of how much she loved her mother and when she saw how happy it made Letty to think of going home to a woman who was very dear and sweet but who wasn't her own mother after all-not really and truly her mother.

The children had not spoken for some time. Christopher was busying himself with trying how many stars he could count without changing his position. Suddenly a shadowy figure whirled toward them out of the darkness. Letty caught her breath and half rose to her feet. Christopher grasped the step with both hands and e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed:-”Oh, cricky!” He grew very pale for a moment but controlled his feelings bravely. But Jane screamed outright and threw both her arms around Letty's neck.

But the shadowy figure turned out to be only Jo Perkins on his bicycle.

He carried a small envelope which he handed to Christopher.

”It's a cablegram, Kit,” he said. ”Run up to your grandfather with it, quick. It came about supper time and Huldah said she didn't know but it might be something important and that I'd better ride in with it.”

Perk propped his bicycle against the steps and waited while the twins rushed up-stairs.

”It's from father and mother,” shouted Christopher, tumbling up the stairs in the lead. ”What does it say, grandfather, oh, what does it say?”

Jane scrambled up behind her brother.

”They're coming home, they're coming home!” she sang blissfully. ”When, grandfather? When?”

Grandfather looked a bit startled at this abrupt entrance. He fumbled for his spectacles, put them on and unfolded the cablegram carefully, while grandmother leaned over his shoulder, almost as impatient as the children.

”We sail 'Metric' Thursday. All well,” read grandfather.

”I knew they were coming, I knew it!” cried Jane happily. ”When will they get here, grandfather?”

Then grandfather, grandmother and Jane began talking all at once, while Christopher whistled ”The Campbells are Coming” as the most appropriate tune he could think of and Mrs. Hartwell-Jones and Letty stood hand in hand, smiling upon them all happily. A few weeks ago this little scene of rejoicing would have made Letty very sorrowful, but now she had her own unspeakable joy.