AT NAVESINK
"I think the sea is the most beautiful thing in the world," said Jack,
laying down his drawing pencil, and settling himself comfortably in the
warm sand. "I could just sit and look at it all day long."
"Is your sketch finished?" inquired Winifred, looking up from the sand
fort she was building.
"Yes, do you want to see it?" And Jack held out a sheet of foolscap for
his friend's inspection. Jack was a very different-looking boy from the
pale little cripple of two months before. There was a light in his eyes
and a color in his cheeks that no one had ever seen there since the day
of his babyhood. The healthy outdoor life in the bracing sea air was
doing wonders for him. Winifred examined the sketch admiringly.
"It's perfectly lovely," she announced. "That fishing boat with the man
in it looks as natural as can be. I think you will be a splendid artist
when you grow up, Jack."
Jack flushed with pleasure at this frank praise.
"I hope I shall," he said, "I want to be. You know my father was an
artist."
"You will be an artist and Lulu will be an authoress," said Winifred
reflectively. "I wish Betty and I could both be something nice too."
"I'm afraid I shall never be anything in particular, unless it's a
housekeeper," remarked Betty from her seat on the bathing house steps.
"I like to sweep and dust and cook better than anything else."
"You'll be a greater sewer, I think," said Winifred, with an admiring
glance at the stocking her friend was darning. "Mother says she never
saw a little girl who could sew as well as you can."
"Perhaps I shall be a trained nurse. I think I should like being a
comfort to sick people. I heard Lulu's aunt say the nurse she had when
she broke her knee was a great comfort to her."
"Miss Clark was a great comfort to us when mother was ill," said Betty;
"mother had a letter from her yesterday. What's the matter, Jack--are
mosquitoes biting?"
"No," said Jack, frowning, "it isn't the mosquitoes, it's only I don't
like to have you talk about being things when you grow up."
"Why not?" inquired Betty in astonishment.
"Because if I'm an artist I can take care of you and mother. I want you
just to be ladies."
"Well, mother's a lady, isn't she? and she works; and Lulu's aunt writes
books."
Jack looked puzzled.
"I don't know quite how to say it," he said slowly, "but I want you to
be the kind of ladies that mother was when she lived in England; the
kind that live in castles, and have parks and things. They never work,
do they?"
Both little girls laughed, and Betty said practically:
"I guess even queens work sometimes, but I know what you mean, Jack,
only I think I'd like to be a housekeeper better."
"Here comes Lulu," exclaimed Winifred, rising to meet her friend, who
came hurrying along the sand from the direction of her own home. "I've
brought some ginger-snaps," announced Lulu, when she had greeted the
others, and seated herself beside Betty on the bathing house steps. "I
thought we might be hungry before luncheon time. I could have come
before, but I was very busy writing my story. Is yours done yet,
Winifred?"
"No," said Winifred, blushing; "I don't think I can write stories very
well. When I get the ink and paper, and everything ready, I never can
think of anything to say."
"Oh, but you must go on trying," urged Lulu. "It's the easiest thing in
the world when you once get started. Does Betty know about what we're
doing?"
"No," said Betty, looking interested, "tell me about it."
"Why, you see," Lulu explained, "Aunt Daisy is writing a book, and in it
two little girls have to write compositions, and she thought it would be
so nice to have original ones written by real little girls. So she asked
Winifred and me to write some for her, and if she likes them well
enough, she will put them in her book, and they will be published. Won't
that be fun?"
Betty and Jack were both much impressed, and Winifred, who did not find
authorship come at all easy, was struck with a bright idea.
"I don't suppose your aunt cares who writes the stories, so long as she
gets them, does she, Lulu?"
"Why, no, I don't suppose so," Lulu admitted, "but you really must try,
Winnie. Think how grand it will be to have something published."
"I was only thinking that perhaps Betty or Jack could do it better,"
said Winifred, with an appealing glance at her two little friends, both
of whom, however, declined to enter the compact, declaring that they
couldn't write a story to save their lives.
"I can't see why you all find it so hard," said Lulu a little
patronizingly; "it seems very easy to me. I was only five when I made up
my first story, and Aunt Daisy wrote it down on her typewriter. It
wasn't very long, only 'Two little girls went to see two little boys.
They played hide and seek and blindman's buff. Then they had ice cream,
and went home again.' Aunt Daisy said it was a beginning, and I've been
writing stories ever since. Oh, by the way, Aunt Daisy says if you'll
come over this afternoon she'll tell us all stories on the piazza."
The children looked pleased, and accepted the invitation with alacrity,
for Lulu's blind aunt was a famous story-teller and a great favorite
with them all.
"Papa and mamma have gone to the city for the day," said Lulu, "and Aunt
Daisy's very busy this morning, writing on her story, but she's promised
to devote the whole afternoon to us."
The conversation drifted to other things, and the next hour passed very
pleasantly in building sand forts, making mud pies, and doing other
delightful things only possible at the sea shore. The ocean was very
calm, and the little girls took off their shoes and stockings, and let
the little waves splash over their feet. Jack lay on the sand, watching
them and making sketches by turns. Some of the people from the hotels
and cottages came down to the beach to bathe, and almost every one had a
pleasant word for the little boy.
At last the ginger-snaps were produced, and they all sat down to enjoy
them before going home.
"I wonder what makes people so dreadfully hungry at the sea shore,"
remarked Jack, helping himself to his third ginger-snap. "At home I
never used to eat very much."
"It's because you're so much better than you used to be," said Betty,
regarding her brother with happy, loving eyes. "What's the matter, Lulu?
you've dropped your cake."
"My goodness," exclaimed Lulu, clasping her hands in dismay. "I declare
I forgot all about telling you the most important thing. A lord is
coming to stay with us."
"A what?" inquired Betty and Winifred both together.
"A lord," repeated Lulu impressively, "a real live English lord. He's
coming on his yacht. Papa got a letter from him yesterday, and he's on
his way now."
"Where is he coming from?" Winifred asked.
"I don't know, but he's traveling in his yacht. He has a castle in
England, and he's awfully rich. Mamma thinks he will bring a valet with
him."
"How did your family happen to know him?" inquired Betty, much
interested.
"He and papa went to college together in England. He wasn't a lord then,
though; he only got to be one about a year ago, papa says, because his
uncle and his cousin, who were lords, both died, and he inherited the
title."
"Just like Little Lord Fauntleroy," said Winifred; "I wonder if he
minded it the way Fauntleroy did at first."
"Of course not," said Lulu, with superior wisdom. "Fauntleroy was only a
silly little boy. I guess every man would like to be a lord if he had
the chance. He and papa were great friends at college, and papa says he
used to be very jolly and full of fun. I think he must really be rather
nice, for when I asked papa whether I should say 'my lord' or 'your
lordship' when I spoke to him, he only laughed, and said he didn't
believe it would make much difference. I always thought a lord would be
very angry if people didn't say 'my lord' or 'your lordship' whenever
they spoke to him."
"Perhaps it's because he's such a new one that he isn't so very
particular," Winifred suggested. "What made him come over to this
country?"
"I don't know; I suppose because he wants to see it. He cruises about in
his yacht, and mamma doesn't think he will stay very long with us,
though she hopes he will on account of papa's being so fond of him. I
hope he won't make a very long visit, for I suppose it can't help being
rather solemn having a lord in the house."
"Lords in books are just like other people," Betty remarked practically.
"Perhaps you'll like him ever so much, and be sorry when he goes away."
"I hope I shall see him," observed Jack, with unusual animation.
"What for?" inquired Betty, with some scorn. "I don't believe he looks a
bit different from any one else."
"Well, we're English, you know," Jack explained, "and I should like to
see a real English nobleman. It would be the next best thing to seeing
the queen."
"I don't think I should be so very anxious to see the queen," declared
democratic Betty. "I don't believe she's any different looking from
other old ladies."
"Mother says we're subjects of the queen," Jack maintained, "and ought
to love her, and you know if you have to love a person you would
naturally like to see her. I don't know whether we have to love lords or
not, but I should like to see one any way."
"There's mother on the bluff," said Winifred. "She's beckoning to us; I
guess it must be time to go in."
The children scrambled hastily to their feet, Jack was helped into the
go-cart, and the little party started in a homeward direction.
"Oh, mother, dear, we've had a lovely time this morning," exclaimed
Winifred enthusiastically, as they joined Mrs. Hamilton on the bluff,
"and Lulu has asked us all over to her house this afternoon. Her aunt is
going to tell us stories."
"That will be very nice," said Mrs. Hamilton, smiling. "One of the
ladies at the hotel has asked me to drive with her this afternoon, and I
was rather doubtful about leaving you at home alone, but if Miss Warren
wants you it will be all right."
"Mamma has gone to New York," Lulu explained, "but Aunt Daisy wants them
all. I must run home now, for it's nearly one. Be sure you all come by
half-past three. I have to do my lessons right after lunch, but I shall
be all through by then."
"Jack and I have to do some lessons too," said Betty, "but we'll be at
your house by half-past three. We'll stop for you, Winifred, as we pass
the hotel."
Mrs. Randall was standing on the piazza of the boarding-house as Betty
and Jack approached, and her tired face brightened wonderfully at sight
of the two children. Betty was pushing the go-cart, and Jack waved his
hand joyfully to his mother. Both little faces were radiant.
"Aren't you back earlier than usual, mother?" Betty asked, as they went
into the house together, Jack moving slowly and cautiously on his
crutches, but walking as neither his mother or Betty had ever expected
to see him walk.
"Yes, rather earlier. Miss Leroy was going to a luncheon, and didn't
take her full time. I shall be busy all the afternoon until six o'clock,
though, for I begin with two new pupils to-day."
"Lulu Bell has asked us over to her house," said Betty; "her aunt is
going to tell us stories. You don't mind our going, do you?"
"Oh, no, indeed, only don't tire poor Miss Warren out telling you
stories, and if you get home before six, you may take Jack down on the
beach for a little while. Dr. Bell wants him to be in the open air as
much as possible."
"Mother," said Jack suddenly, as his mother was making him comfortable
in the big wicker armchair by the window of their pleasant room on the
ground floor, "did you ever see a lord when you were in England?"
"I think I have seen several in my life," said Mrs. Randall, smiling;
"why do you want to know?"
"Because one is coming to stay at Lulu Bell's house, and I want to see
him very much."
"Lords don't look any different from other people, do they, mother?"
questioned Betty.
"Not in the least. I have an uncle who is a lord."
Mrs. Randall spoke rather absently, as though she were thinking of
something else, but the astonished exclamations from both children
quickly recalled her thoughts.
"You haven't really, have you, mother?" gasped Jack. Betty's eyes grew
big and round with astonishment.
"Yes, my father's older brother was a lord, or is one if he is still
alive. We never knew him very well, for his place was in a different
county, and he and your grandfather were not good friends. I don't want
you to mention this to any one, though," she added, flushing; "it would
sound like bragging, and you know it is never right to do that."
"I always knew we had ancestors," said Betty thoughtfully, "but I never
supposed any of them were lords. Is that the reason why you hate to
accept things from people, mother?"
"I scarcely think that has much to do with it," Mrs. Randall said,
laughing in spite of herself.
"Is your lord uncle in England now, mother?" Jack asked.
"I suppose so if he is still alive. He must be a very old man now, for
he was several years older than your grandfather."
"And if he is dead, who is the lord now?"
"The title would naturally descend to his only son, my cousin. I never
saw him, but I remember hearing that he was a rather promising boy.
There is the bell for luncheon. Remember, children, you are not to
mention this subject to any one, not even to Winifred or Lulu. I shall
be displeased with you if you do."
Both children promised readily, but all through luncheon they were
unusually silent, and when they had gone back to their room, and Mrs.
Randall had started out on her afternoon rounds, Jack remarked suddenly,
as he was turning over the pages in his English history:
"Now, Betty, you know the kind of lady I want you to be. I don't believe
lords' relations ever work; not the lady relations, I mean, of course
the men do."
"I don't see any use in being related to people if we don't even know
them," said Betty, a little discontentedly. "Anyhow, I don't want to
think about it, because if I do I shall forget and tell people, and then
mother will be displeased. I don't care anything about lords, but if we
could find Uncle Jack, that's what I should like."
"Don't you think mother might write to him some time?" Jack inquired
wistfully.
"I know she won't, not unless she should be ill again, and I don't want
that to happen. Now let's hurry and do our lessons, or we sha'n't be
through in time to go to Lulu's house with Winifred."