At Ion Rosie was pacing the veranda as her mother and Harold drove up.
She hailed them eagerly as they alighted.
"At last! I began to think you must have yielded to a most urgent
invitation to stay to dinner at Roselands, Beechwood, or Woodburn."
"No," said her mother; "invitations were not lacking, but were steadily
declined for the sake of my daughter Rosie, who I knew would be sadly
disappointed if her mother failed to keep her promise not to remain long
away from her to-day. So here we are; and I see you have news to
impart," she added with a smiling glance at a letter in Rosie's hand.
"Yes, mamma," returned the young girl, smiling and blushing as she
spoke. "It is from Will, and incloses a little note from his
mother--such a nice, kind, affectionate one--saying she is glad she is
to have a daughter at last, and she wants to make my acquaintance as
soon as possible."
They had seated themselves, and Harold, having given his horse into the
care of a stable boy, now followed them, asking in a gay, bantering
tone:
"Am I intruding upon a private conference, Rosie? I know mother may be
intrusted with secrets which you might prefer not to give into my
keeping."
"Certainly that is so, but this is not one of that kind, and you may
listen if you care to," returned Rosie with a light laugh; then she
repeated the item of news just given her mother.
"Ah! I wonder if she does not want an invitation to pay us a visit,"
said Harold.
"Wait," laughed Rosie; "I have not told you all yet. She goes on to
speak of Cousin Arthur as a physician in whom she has great confidence,
and to say that she would like to be in his care for at least a time; so
if we can recommend a good boarding place somewhere in this
neighbourhood she, her husband, and son will come and take possession
for weeks or months; at least until after the wedding."
"By the way," said Harold, "I thought I had heard that Mrs. Croly had
nearly or quite recovered her health while in Europe a few years ago.
You know at the time Will was so nearly drowned they had just returned
from a visit there."
"Yes," replied Rosie; "she had been greatly benefited, but her health
has failed again within the last year or two--so Will has told me. I do
hope she may come here--into this neighbourhood--and that Cousin Arthur
may succeed in helping her very much."
"Yes, I hope so," said Harold. "He will be glad indeed of an opportunity
to make some return for their very liberal treatment of him in
acknowledgment of his service to their son. They feel that they owe that
son's life to Arthur's persistent efforts to resuscitate him when he was
taken from the sea apparently dead."
"Will himself is very grateful to him," said Rosie. "He has told me that
he feels he owes his life to Doctor Arthur and that nothing can ever
fully repay the obligation."
"Yes; he has talked to me in the same strain more than once or twice,"
said Harold. "Now I think of it, I should not be at all surprised if
they would be willing to take the Crolys in at Roselands for a time.
There is a good deal of unoccupied room in the house, and having her
there would enable Arthur to watch the case closely and do everything
possible for her restoration to health."
"Oh, that would be a grand plan!" exclaimed Rosie. "Though perhaps it
would make too much care for our lady cousins--Mary and Marian."
"Well, we won't suggest it," returned Harold, "but just tell Arthur her
wishes--Mrs. Croly's, I mean--and let him give his opinion in regard to
possible boarding places. Would not that be the better plan, mother?"
"I think so," she said, taking out her watch, as she spoke. "Ah! it
wants but five minutes of the dinner hour. I must go at once to my rooms
and make ready for the summons to the table."
It was not thought worth while to make Mrs. Croly's request a secret
from any member of the family, so the matter was talked over among them
as they sat together on the veranda that evening, and the different
boarding places in the vicinity were considered. It was feared none of
them could furnish quite such accommodations as might be desired without
placing the invalid farther from her physician than would be convenient
for the constant oversight of the case which they supposed he would want
to exercise.
"Well, evidently," remarked Herbert at length, "we will have to refer
the question to Cousin Arthur himself. And here he comes, most
opportunely," as a horseman turned in at the avenue gates.
He was greeted with warmth of cordiality and speedily installed in a
luxuriously easy chair.
"I was passing," he said, "and though I don't like to be long away from
my wife and boy, I felt an irresistible inclination to give my Ion
relatives and friends a brief call."
"And omitting that ugly word brief, it is just exactly what we are all
delighted to receive," laughed Zoe.
"Yes," said Mr. Dinsmore, "we were talking of you and wanting your
opinion on a certain matter under discussion."
"Ah, what was that?" Arthur asked in return, and Mr. Dinsmore went on to
explain, telling of the desire of Mrs. Croly to put herself under his
care for at least a time, and asking his opinion of the various boarding
places in the vicinity.
"Boarding places!" he exclaimed. "We would be only too glad to receive
her as a guest at Roselands; for as you all know I feel under great
obligation to Mr. Croly, her husband; besides, it would make it much
easier for me to take charge of her case. Poor dear woman! I hope she
may be at least partially, if not entirely, restored to health."
"That proposal is just what one might expect of you, Cousin Arthur,"
said Grandma Elsie, giving him a look of affectionate appreciation; "but
are you quite sure it would suit Cal's convenience, and that of your
wife and his?"
"Knowing all three as I do, I can scarcely doubt it," replied Arthur;
"but perhaps I would better consult them before sending the invitation
to the Crolys. I will do so, and you shall hear from me early to-morrow
or possibly to-night," he added. "Marian, I am sure, will feel very
much as I do about it," he went on presently, "but just now the burden
would fall more upon Sister Mary; so that I think I must not give the
invitation unless she is entirely willing."
"Which I feel almost certain she will be," said Rosie. "But I will wait
to hear from you, Cousin Arthur, before answering my letters."
"You shall hear at an early hour," he returned.
"Mary is hoping to have her parents here for the wedding and for a long
visit afterward," remarked Grandma Elsie, "but you have room enough to
accommodate both them and the Crolys, I think."
"Oh, yes!" replied Arthur, "there need be no difficulty about that. Our
house is large and the regular dwellers in it are far less numerous than
they were in my young days. Ah, how widely scattered they are," he
continued half musingly--"my sisters Isadore and Virginia in
Louisiana--Molly and Dick Percival there too, with Betty and Bob
Johnson; my brothers Walter and Ralph--the one in the army, the other
in California. Sister Ella, the only one near at hand, living at
Beechwood; Cal and I the only ones left in the old home."
"Where you are very happy; are you not?" asked his cousin Elsie in a
cheery tone and with an affectionate smile into his eyes.
"Yes," he answered, returning the smile; "Cal with his charming wife and
two dear little children, I with my sweet Marian and a baby boy of whom
any father might well be proud and fond. And I must be going back to
them," he added, rising, and with a hasty good-night to all, he took his
departure.
He was scarcely out of sight when the Beechwood and Woodburn carriages
turned in at the gates, the one bringing Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Lilburn,
the other Captain Raymond, his wife, and his daughters Lucilla and
Grace.
All were received with warm and joyous greetings. They had started out
for a drive, met and exchanged salutations, had then decided to call
together upon their Ion relatives; a not very unusual proceeding.
And scarcely were they seated when Mr. and Mrs. Leland and Evelyn were
seen coming up the drive, having walked over from Fairview, tempted to
do so by the beauty of the evening and the prospect of the pleasure of a
chat with the very near and dear dwellers in the old home at Ion, who
never seemed weary of their companionship, though scarcely a day passed
in which they had not more or less of it.
Nor was the communication with Woodburn much less frequent, though it
was farther away by a mile or more; for with their abundance of steeds
and conveyances of various sorts, it could be traversed with such ease,
expedition, and comfort that it seemed little or no inconvenience; the
short ride or drive was really a pleasure; though not infrequently it
was made a walk when roads were in good condition and the weather was
propitious.
The welcome of the Fairview party was not less cordial than had been
that of the others, and presently all were seated and a buzz of
conversation ensued.
The young girls made a little group by themselves and of course the
approaching wedding, with the preparations for it, was the principal
theme of their talk. Rosie, not caring to have secrets from these very
near and dear young friends, told of the letters received that morning
and the talk just held with Dr. Conly.
"Oh, that was noble in Cousin Arthur!" exclaimed Lucilla. "The Crolys
were very generous to him, to be sure, but not at all more so than he
deserved."
"No," said Rosie; "they were quite able to pay him what they did; but it
isn't everyone who would have done so, and I have always thought well of
them for it; and I am glad Cousin Arthur can make them some small
return."
"But should he succeed in restoring Mrs. Croly to health, that will not
be a very small return, I think," said Evelyn with a smile.
"No; for good health is the greatest of earthly blessings," said Grace.
"One can hardly fully enjoy anything without it."
"As you know by experience, you poor thing!" said Rosie.
"Oh, no! not now."
"Have you fixed upon the wedding day yet, Rosie?" asked Lucilla.
"No, not definitely; we have only decided that it shall be somewhere
about the middle of June; or perhaps a little later. I want to make sure
of having Walter here; for it would be too bad to have him miss his
youngest sister's wedding."
"And you want Marian to have time to get well, too, don't you?" said
Grace.
"Oh, yes, indeed! and she will be by that time; at least she seems
altogether likely to be. Mamma was there to-day and found her doing
nicely."
"Hark! What is that Cousin Ronald is saying?" exclaimed Lucilla, and
they paused in their talk to listen.
"I want you all, old and young," he said in his blithe, cordial tones,
"to come and have as good and merry a time as possible, to celebrate the
third birthday of my little namesake grandson. We talked the thing over
at the dinner table and all agreed that there could be no better way of
celebrating that most important event."
"It certainly is a delightful time of year for an outdoor party in this
region of country," remarked Mrs. Dinsmore, "and I, for one, accept the
invitation with pleasure."
"As I do," said her husband.
"And I!" "And I!" "And I!" added the others in turn.
The young girls were highly pleased: it was by no means their first
invitation to Beechwood, and they felt sure of being hospitably and well
entertained. Ella, Hugh's wife, had been mistress of the mansion before
the marriage of the old gentleman and Annis, and so continued to be,
with Annis' full consent, but there was no jarring between them; they
were congenial spirits, and enjoyed each other's society. Ella was fond
of the old gentleman, too,--the only father she had ever known,--and her
little ones, Ronald and his baby sister, were to all a strong bond of
union.
"It is to be an afternoon party, I suppose?" remarked Mrs. Dinsmore in a
tone of inquiry.
"Yes," said Mr. Lilburn. "Come as early as you please, bringing all the
little folks as the guests of our bit laddie. We will have an early
supper for their sakes, and after that the parents can carry them home
and see them in their nests as early as they like."
"And both parents and little folks may stay as late as they like," added
Annis with a smile.
"Yes," said her husband, "each and every guest may feel free to do
that."
"I hope you are not too busy to come, Rosie?" said Annis, turning to
her.
"Thank you, no; I should not like to miss the fun of attending little
Ronald's birthday party," returned Rosie in a sprightly tone, "and you
must be sure to bring him to the party I am to have some weeks later."
"That, of course, will have to be as his father and mother say," laughed
Annis.
"Well, he shall not lack an invitation," said Rosie. "I do not intend
that any of my relatives shall. By the way, I hope your nephew, Cousin
Donald Keith, will be able to get a furlough, so that he can come. He
has visited us several times, here and at the seashore, and I like him
very much indeed."
"Yes, so do I," said Annis, "and I hope he may be able to come. I should
enjoy showing him my new home and entertaining him there."
"He will be in demand if he comes," said Captain Raymond. "I shall want
him as my guest; for he and I are old attached friends."
"Ah, yes, I remember," said Annis. "No doubt he will want to be with you
a part of his time."
"Yes," said Grandma Elsie; "and as we will all want him we will have to
divide the pleasure of his visit among us--if he will allow it."
"I have always liked and admired Cousin Donald," said Violet, "and often
wondered that he has remained single all these years."
"He has not happened to meet the right one yet, I suppose, my dear," the
captain said with a smile. "Or, if he has met her, has failed to secure
her."
"And in doing so has caused her to miss securing an excellent husband,
I think," said Violet.
"In which I certainly agree with you," Annis said. "All my married
nephews seem to me to be admirable husbands. I hope, Elsie, that Cyril
Keith and his Isadore may be able to come to the wedding."
"So do I," responded Mrs. Travilla heartily; "and if they fail to come
you may be assured it was not for lack of a warm invitation."
"I hope they and all the other cousins from that region will come,"
remarked Mrs. Leland.
Just then the telephone bell rang.
"There! that is Cousin Arthur, I presume," said Edward Travilla,
hastening to the instrument.
His answering ring and "Hello!" were quickly replied to, and the next
moment he announced to the company, "It was Arthur. He says all is
right, and Rosie may send as warm an invitation as possible. They will
be only too glad to receive the three Crolys as their guests."
"Oh, that is good!" cried Rosie. "Now I shall be able to send my reply
by to-morrow's early mail."
"Yes, Cousin Arthur was very kindly prompt; as indeed he always is,"
said her mother.
"Quite true, mother," said Harold; "and Herbert and I try to copy him in
that, feeling that it is very necessary in a physician to be ready,
able, and willing to answer a call for his services with expedition."
"That it is, laddie," responded Cousin Ronald, "for a life sometimes
depends on getting quick help frae the doctor. The life of a faithfu'
medical mon is one of toil and self-denial; a fact that has made me
wonder that you and your Cousin Herbert, here, chose it rather than a
vocation that wad be somewhat easier."
"It is a hard life in some respects," Harold answered; "but there is
something very delightful in having and using the ability to relieve
suffering, and surely one who professes to be a follower of Christ
should be seeking to do good to others rather than courting his own ease
and enjoyment."
"Yes; copying the dear Master's own example," returned the old gentleman
with a smile. "The dear Master who should be our pattern in all things."
"Yes," said Herbert, low and feelingly, "that is what we both sincerely
desire to do."
It was still early when the callers bade good-night and took their
departure; the Lilburns going first, then the Raymonds, and lastly the
Lelands.
All met again the next day at Beechwood, where they were joined by the
other members of the family connexion and had a very pleasant afternoon,
mostly taken up with sports suited to the entertainment of the little
ones--three-year-old Ronald and his baby cousins.
The invitations had been sent out too late to allow time for the
purchase of many gifts, but there were fruits and flowers, and some few
toys; among these last, animals which ventriloquism caused apparently to
say very amusing things, to the surprise and merriment of the little
folks.
Then, when they began to tire of fun and frolic, they were seated about
a table under the trees on the lawn, and regaled with toothsome viands,
not too rich for their powers of digestion. After that they were allowed
to sport upon the verandas and the grass, while the elder people
gathered about the table and satisfied their appetites with somewhat
richer and more elaborate viands.
They had finished their meal and were gathered in groups under the trees
or on the verandas, when the sound of a banjo caused a sudden hush of
expectancy. Glances were sent here and there in search of the musician,
yet no one was greatly surprised that he was not visible. Several tunes
were played; then followed a song in the negro dialect, which made
everybody laugh.
That was the winding up of the entertainment, and, as it was nearing the
bedtime of the little ones, all presently bade good-bye, with truthful
assurances of having greatly enjoyed themselves, and returned to their
homes.