CHAPTER XVI--The Sunbeam of Gosling Lake
The lugubrious voice of Mike Murphy accompanied as it was by a faintmoan, drew every eye upon him. The sight of his red, freckled face androbust looks caused the others to break into laughter, which was renewedwhen he gazed reprovingly in turn at each.
"I see there's no use of me craving sympathy, as Mart Coogan said whinhe broke through the floor overhead onto the table where the sewingsociety were drinking tay."
"Doctor," said his wife when she regained her self-command, "if all yourpatients were like him, we should die of starvation."
"What caused your misgiving regarding your health?" gravely inquired themedical man.
"It wasn't any partic'lar ailing, but the alarming loss of me appetite."
"I should explain," said Alvin, "that that never occurs until he leavesthe table, which is generally about all that he does leave."
"What am I to understand by _that_?" demanded Mike apparently in highdudgeon; "it sounds like a slur upon me truthfulness, as Jim Finnegansaid when his friend called him a liar."
"What are you all making so much noise about?"
It would be putting it mildly to say that the three youths were startledby this unexpected question. Around the corner of the house dashed alittle girl, some four or five years old, who asked the peremptoryquestion. She was dressed in a short khaki dress, with high tan shoes,and her abundant hair was gathered loosely by a red ribbon tied behindher neck. She wore no hat and in face and feature was a replica of herhandsome mother, with a complexion more darkly tinted, not only on theface but on the chubby arms that were bare to the elbows. If Mike Murphytypified vigorous young manhood, this little one was an equally markedexample of a perfectly healthy child.
The Irish youth was the first to break the brief silence which followedher question.
"Won't ye come and shake hands wid me, Dorothy?"
Without stirring, she looked sharply at him.
"What makes you call me Dorothy? That isn't my name."
"I've been told that out of ivery ten little girls born in this counthrysince Cleveland was President, nine of the same are named Dorothy; I begyer pardon fur not knowing ye were the tenth."
The picture of the pretty child was so winsome that Alvin and Chestereach held out his hands invitingly, accompanying the gesture with asmile that was meant to be irresistible. The girl hesitated a moment,father and mother watching her, and then made a dive down the slightslope as if she intended to plunge into the lake, but her course led herbetween Alvin and Chester and into the arms of Mike, who gently liftedher upon his knee.
"What a sinsible young lady ye be! Thus airly do ye admire manly beautyand high moral worth. May I have the honor to touch me lips to yercheeks, if I promise not to rub off the pink from the same?"
Guessing his meaning, she turned her face sideways, while the otherssmilingly looked on and listened. Mike had won the good will of theparents by his cheek salute, for they never failed to let it be knownthat it was against their wishes that any one, no matter who, touchedhis or her lips to those of the child. Some have advocated the samestyle for adults, but I fear the plan will never be popular.
"My name is Ruth," said the little one artlessly; "that is, theysometimes call me that, but it isn't my right name."
"What is your right name?"
"Stubby,--I guess papa calls me that because I sometimes stub my toewhen I run too fast. Folks that love me call me 'Stubby.'"
"Then it's mesilf that shall know ye as 'Stubby.' When these young chapswid me presooms to addriss ye as 'Ruth,' have nought to do wid 'em, butcome to me who knows how to traat ye respictful. But I'm going to giveye anither name, wid the permission of your father and mither."
"What's that?"
"The Sunbeam of Gosling Lake: how do you like it?"
Stubby was puzzled. With the end of her forefinger thrust in the cornerof her mouth, she said doubtingly:
"I don't know; it sounds awfully funny; what do you think?" she askedturning to her parents.
"It is poetical and truthful, but rather too long to be used most of thetime," said the mother.
"It might be saved for coort occasions; Uncle Elk always calls meMichael, he being the only one of me acquaintance that has a true sinceof the fitness of things. But I would respictfully suggist that the word'Sunbeam' would sarve."
"It certainly is better than 'Stubby'," remarked the father, "but itwill be hard to displace the homely original."
"Mike means well," said Alvin, "though it is sometimes hard tounderstand him. Now, Sunbeam, I think you ought to sit on my knee for alittle while."
He reached out his arms to help her across, but she held back.
"I like Mike better."
"It is rare that ye obsarve so much in one of her tender years," and theIrish youth said to the child:
"Owing to me careful thraining they're both purty fair lads, but I warnye aginst trusting them too far. When ye naad a friend ye will not failto come to me."
"Yes, indeedy, 'cause you are a good deal better looking than they----"
"Another illustration of disarnmint; Sunbeam, I'm going to ask yerfather and mither to loan ye to us for siveral days."
The little one did not quite grasp the meaning of this.
"Where do you live, Cousin Mike?"
And she clapped her hands with delight over the happy title that hadflashed upon her without any thought on her part.
"That's it!" exclaimed the Irish laddie; "we're cousins for the rist ofour lives."
"What about them?" she asked darting her chubby forefinger at Alvin andChester.
"It will be the right thing to call one of 'em yer grandad and the itheryer grand-mither: that's the best use ye can put 'em to."
"That'll be splendid!" she added again clapping her hands and kickingher feet; "can I go with Cousin Mike, mother?"
"Some day when it is pleasant we'll loan you to him and his friends, butit must be when the sun is shining."
"As if ye didn't take the sunshine wid ye at all times," commented Mike.
"And you'll come for me, Cousin Mike?"
"Why, Sunbeam, I'd go a thousand miles to borry ye for an hour. Maybe abetter plan will be fur yer father and mither to paddle across the lakewid ye, and whin they go back they can forgit all about ye and we'llkeep ye till we git tired of ye and then fetch you back. How will thatwork?"
"When will you get tired of me?"
"Never," was the reply, and Alvin and Chester nodded their heads.
Thus the chatter ran on for an hour or more, during which Sunbeam, atthe suggestion of her mother, perched for a little while on the knee ofAlvin and of Chester, but soon returned to Mike, for whom she displayeda marked affection. It has been shown elsewhere that the Irish lad hadthe gift of winning the high regard of nearly every one with whom hecame in contact. No person could fail to be attracted by the innocent,trusting nature of the little child, and the visitors pictured thedelight with which she would be welcomed by the Boy Scouts.
"I came into this section," the physician explained, "for the sake of mywife and myself, I have had a pretty hard season and this is my firstouting in two years. Mrs. Spellman was worn out by months of attendanceupon her mother, who rallied sufficiently to sail for Europe some weeksago. Although we have been here only a few days, we have been vastlybenefited, and our vacation is sure to do us both a world of good. Theonly objection is that at times it becomes rather lonely, especiallyduring rainy weather."
"What do you do with yourselves?"
"Wife finds occupation in her sewing, in cooking and in householdduties, while I haven't as yet finished reading the 'Six Best Sellers';I smoke and nap and yawn and gabble with Ruth and her mother, or paddleabout the lake and fish. I brought along my rifle and revolver, withlittle promise of having any use for either weapon. This is not only theclose season, but to find larger game we must go a good deal farthernorth. I hope to make such an excursion during the coming winter. Haveyou any fi
rearms in your company?"
"I believe there are one or two revolvers but none of us three carries aweapon."
"Should you ever find yourselves in need of my services it will be easyto signal with one of the pistols, and I shall lose no time in hurryingto you."
"You are kind; suppose we say three reports in succession from one ofthe revolvers means that you are urgently wanted?"
"A good plan; if there is no wind the sound will carry well."
"What signal will you use in calling us?"
"I do not think the necessity can ever arise."
"But it may: who shall say?"
"I brought some sky rockets with other fireworks to amuse Ruth; three ofthose sent up will serve provided some one happens to be looking thisway; otherwise I shall fire my rifle three times,--the same as you willdo with your smaller weapon."
"Then that is the understanding between us."