Page:Wildwildheart00reesiala.pdf/240

“One or two of the younger contingent have been falling about a bit.”

“Not Stephanie!” said Mrs. Ford, anxiously.

“No,” answered Holmes.

“My dear mother, you needn’t worry over Stephen. She’s as safe as a house always.”

“She’s a very straight goer, and Boxer’s a fine jumper. Marsh’s horse came down with him once. It looked an ugly fall, but there’s no damage done.”

“Rodney’s hunting,” said Biddy to Ann. “We’ve been talking to him.”

“He’s not riding old Nigger. It’s a young horse he’s just bought.”

“You are a silly, Jo. As though he’d ride Nigger now. Why he might crack him up before the races.”

“Rodney’s been riding with Stephanie most the time. Hie seems to like her.”

“Of course he does. She caught his horse for him and waited for him when he came down.”

“You children are talking too much,” said Holmes. “And who gave you permission to call Miss Hemingway by her Christian name?”

“She did,” replied Biddy. “She said if we called Rodney just ‘Rodney’ like that, we’d better call her ‘Stephanie,’ so we did.”

“There’s mushrooms over the hill there,” said Jo to Ann. “Come on and gather some!”

“Let’s go for mushrooms, Mum,” said Peter.

“Oh, yes, let’s,” said Paul, clapping his hands.

“No, I can’t be bothered getting out of the car.”

“I’ll go,” said Ann. “I’d like to.”

She took a basket, and set out over the springy turf with all the children round her, leaving Holmes talking to Mrs. Ford and Rhoda. Under the gray sky the