movements were darting and quick like a humming-bird’s; and she wore long soft suède gloves and tiny high suède boots. The older woman watched her, fascinated.
“And you’re sure we’re not being an inconvenience, dropping down upon you in this unexpected way?” asked Allison in a quite grown-up man’s voice, and looking so tall and handsome and responsible that Julia Cloud wanted to take him in her arms and hug him to make sure he was the same little boy she used to tuck into bed at night.
“So soon after Grandma’s death, too,” put in Allison. “We didn’t know, of course, till we got about a mile from Sterling and stopped to ask the way to the house, and a man told us about the funeral being Monday. We weren’t sure then but it would be an intrusion. You see we left California about two weeks ago, and none of our mail has reached us yet; so we hadn’t heard. You’re sure we won’t bother you a bit, you dear?”
Their aunt assured them rapturously that their coming was the most blessed thing that could have been just at this time.
“Oh! then I’m relieved,” said Leslie, throwing off her hat and dropping into the nearest chair. “Allison, tell that man to put the car somewhere in a garage and get back to the city. They said there was a train back about this time. The man who directed us told us so. No, dear, he doesn’t need any dinner. He’s not used to it till seven, and he’ll be in the city by that time. He’s in a hurry to get back. Cookies? Well, yes, you might give him a cooky or two if you’re sure there’ll be enough left for us. I’ve just dreamed of those cookies all these years. I’m so anxious to see if they’ll taste as they did when I was a child. May I come with you and see if I remember where the cooky-jar is? Oh, joy, Allison! Just look! A whole crock and a platter full! Isn’t this peachy? Allison, do hustle up and get that man off so we can begin our visit!”
It was like having a couple of dolls suddenly come alive and begin to talk.
They talked so fast and they took everything so delightfully for granted that Julia Cloud was in a tremble of joy. It seemed the most beautiful thing in the world that these two strong, handsome, vivid young things should have dropped into her life and taken her into their hearts in this way as if she really belonged, as if they loved her! She was too excited to talk. She hardly knew what to do first. But they did not wait for her initiative. Allison was off with his car and his man, munching cookies as he went, and promising to return in fifteen minutes hungry as a bear.
“Now let’s go up-stairs, you dear Cloudy Jewel, and I’ll smooth my hair for dinner. I’m crazy to see if I remember things. There was a little red chair that I used to sit in–––”
“It’s here, in your room, dear, and the old rag doll, Betsey; do you remember her?”
“Well, I should say I did! Is Betsey alive yet? Dear old Betsey! How ducky of you to have kept her for me all these years! Oh, isn’t it perfectly peachy that we could come? That we’re really here at last, and you want us? You do, don’t you, Cloudy, dear? You’re sure you do?” Lesley’s tone was anxious, and her bright brown eyes studied the older woman’s face eagerly; but what she saw there was fully satisfactory, for she smiled, and rattled joyfully on in the old babbling-brook voice that reminded one so of years ago.
“I’m not to tell you what we’ve really come for till Allison comes, because I’ve promised; and anyway he’s the man, and he wants to tell you himself; but it’s the dandiest reason, perfectly peachy! It’s really a plan. And say, Cloudy, dear, won’t you promise me right here and now that you will say ‘Yes’ to what he asks you if you possibly, possibly can?”
Julia Cloud promised in a maze of delight.
She stood in hovering wonder, and watched the mass of curls come down and go up again with the swift manipulation of the slim white fingers, remembering how she used to comb those tangled curls with the plump little body leaning sturdily against her knee. It seemed to be the first time since she was a child that youth and beauty had come to linger before her. All her experience had been of sickness and suffering and death, not life and happiness.
There was stewed chicken and little biscuits with gravy for supper. It was a dish the children used to love. It was all dished up and everything ready when Allison came back. He reported that the car was housed but a block away, and the man had gone to his train, tickled to death with his cookies. Allison was so glad to be back that he had to take his aunt in his arms again and give her a regular bear-hug till she pleaded for mercy, but there was a happy light in her eyes and a bright color in her cheeks when he released her that made her a very good-looking aunt indeed to sit down at the table with two such handsome children.
Just at that moment Ellen Robinson in her own home was pouring her husband’s second cup of coffee.
“Don’t you think I’d better take the car and run down for Julia before dark?” she said. “I think she’ll be about ready to come back with me by this time, and I need her early in the morning if I’m going to begin cleaning house.”
“Better wait one more night,” said Herbert stolidly. “Let her get her fill of staying alone nights. It’ll do her good. We don’t want her to be high and mighty when she gets here. I’m boss here, and she’s got to understand that. She’s so mighty independent, you know, it’s important she should find that out right at the start. I’m not going to have her get bossy with these children, either. They aren’t her children.”
Four pairs of keen little Robinson eyes took in this saying with quick intelligence, and four stolid sets of shoulders straightened up importantly with four uplifted saucy chins. They would store these remarks away for future reference when the aunt in question arrived on the scene. They would come in well, they knew, for they had had experience with her in times past.
“Aunt Jule ain’t goin’ to boss me,” swaggered the youngest.
“Ner me, neither!”
“Ner me!”
“I guess she wouldn’t dast try it on me!” boasted the eldest.
CHAPTER III
“You haven’t asked us what we came for,” opened up Allison as soon as everybody was served with chicken, mashed potato, succotash, stewed tomatoes, biscuits, pickles, and apple-sauce.
“I thought you came for cookies,” said Julia Cloud, with a mischievous twinkle in her gray eyes.
“Hung one on me, didn’t you?” said Allison, laughing. “But that wasn’t all. Guess again.”
“Perhaps you came to see me,” she suggested shyly.
“Right you are! But that’s not all, either. That wouldn’t last much longer than the cookies. Guess again.”
“Oh, I couldn’t!” said Julia Cloud, growing suddenly stricken with the thought of their going. “I give it up.”
“Well, then I’ll tell you. You see we’ve come East to college, both of us. Of course I’ve had my freshman year, but the Kid’s just entering. We haven’t decided which college it’s to be yet, but it’s to be co-ed, we know that much, because we’re tired of being separated. When one hasn’t but two in the family and has been apart for five years, one appreciates a home, I tell you that. And so we’ve
