CHAPTER XI
TWO GIRLS AND A CALF
Having gone to the kitchen to fill the bottle with milk, which she hadset to warm, Miriam accompanied her guest to the barn. As she walked bythe side of Dora, with the bottle in one hand and the other holding upher voluminous silk robe, it was well for her peace of mind that nostately coachman sat upon a box and looked at her.
In a corner of the lower floor of the barn they found the calf,lying upon a bed of hay, and covered by a large piece of mosquitonetting, which Miriam had fastened above and around him. Doralaughed as she saw this.
"It isn't every calf," she said, "that sleeps so luxuriously."
"The flies worried the poor thing dreadfully," said Miriam, "but I takeit off when I feed it."
She proceeded to remove the netting, but she had scarcely done so, whenshe gave an exclamation that was almost a scream.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear!" she cried; "I believe it is dead," and down she satupon the floor close to the calf, which lay motionless, with its head andneck extended. Down also sat Dora. She did not need to consider thehay-strewn floor and her clothes; for although she wore a very tastefuland becoming costume, it was one she had selected with reference to barnexplorations, field strolls, and anything rural and dusty which any oneelse might be doing, or might propose. No one could tell what dusty anddelightful occupation might turn up during an afternoon at Cobhurst.
"Its eye does look as if it were dead," she exclaimed. "What a pity!"
"Oh, you can't tell by that eye," said Miriam, over whose cheeks a fewtears were now running. "Dr. Tolbridge says it has infantile ophthalmiain that eye, but that as soon as it gets strong enough, he can cure it.We must turn up its other eye."
She took the little creature's head in her lap, with the practicable eyeuppermost. This slowly rolled in its socket, as she bent over it.
"There is life in it yet," she cried; "give me the bottle." The calfslowly rolled its eye to the position from which it had just moved, anddeclined to consider food.
"Oh, it must drink; we must make it drink," said Miriam. "If I open itsmouth, will you put in the end of that tube? If it gets a taste of themilk, it may want more. We must not let it die. But you must be careful,"she continued. "That bottle leaks all round the cork. Spread part of myskirt over you."
Dora followed this advice, for she had not considered a milk-stained lapamong the contingent circumstances of the afternoon. Holding the bottleover the listless animal, she managed to get some drops on its tongue.
"Now," said Miriam, "we will put that in its mouth, and shut itsjaws, and perhaps it may begin to suck. It will be perfectly dreadfulif it dies."
The two girls sat close together, their eyes fixed upon the apparentlylifeless head of the bovine infant.
"See!" cried Miriam, presently, "its throat moves; I believe it issucking the milk."
Dora leaned over and gazed. It was indeed true; the calf was beginning totake an interest in food. The interest increased; the girls could see themilk slowly diminishing in the bottle. Before long the creature gave itshead a little wobble. Miriam was delighted.
"That is the way it always does, when its appetite is good. We must letit drink every drop, if it will."
There they sat on the hard, hay-strewn floor, one entirely, and the otheralmost entirely covered with purple silk, their eyes fixed upon thebottle and the feeding calf. After a time the latter declined to take anymore milk, and raised its head from Miriam's lap.
"There," she cried; "see, it can hold up its own head. I expect it wasonly faint from want of food. After this I will feed it oftener. It wasthe bread-making that made me forget it this time."
"Let us wait a minute," said Dora, who was now taking an earnest andwomanly interest in the welfare of this weakling. "Perhaps after a whileit may want some more." And so they continued to sit. Every motion of thecalf's head, and every effort it made to bend its legs, or change itsposition, sent sparkles of delight into Miriam's eyes, and brightenedDora's beautiful face with sympathetic smiles.
Dora had taken up the bottle, and was about to give the calf anopportunity to continue its repast, when suddenly she stopped and satmotionless. Outside the barn, approaching footsteps could be plainlyheard. They were heavy, apparently those of a man. Dora dropped thebottle, letting it roll unheeded upon the floor; then pushing Miriam'sskirt from her lap, she sprang to her feet, and stepped backwards andaway from the little group so quickly, that she nearly stumbled over someinequalities in the floor. Miriam looked up in astonishment.
"You needn't be frightened," she said. "How red you are! I suppose it isonly Ralph."
"I was afraid it was," said Dora, in a low voice, as she shook out herskirts. "I wouldn't have had him see me that way for anything."
Now Miriam was angry. There was nothing to be ashamed of, that she couldsee, and it was certainly very rude in Miss Bannister to drop herbottle, and nearly push her over in her haste to get away from her andher poor calf.
The person who had been approaching the barn now entered, but it wasnot Ralph Haverley. It was a shorter and a stouter young man, withside whiskers.
"Why, Herbert!" exclaimed Dora, in a tone of surprise and disappointment,"have you got back already?"
Her brother smiled. "I haven't got back," he said, "for I haven't beenanywhere yet. I had not gone a mile before one of the springs of thebuggy broke, and it keeled over so far that I came near tumbling out. Ithappened at a place where there were no houses near, so I drew the buggyto the roadside, took out the horse, and led him back. I heard voices inhere, and I came in. I must go and look for Mr. Haverley, and ask him tolend me a vehicle in which we may return home."
Dora stood annoyed; she did not want to return home; at least, not sosoon. She had calculated on Herbert making a long stay with Mrs. Dudley.
"I suppose so," she replied, in an injured tone; "but before we sayanything else, Herbert, let me introduce you to Miss Haverley."
She turned, but in the corner to which she directed her eyes, she sawonly a calf; there was no young person in silk attire. The moment thatMiriam perceived that the man who came in was not her brother, but thebrother of some one else, her face had crimsoned, she had pushed away theunfortunate calf, and, springing to her feet, had darted into the shadowsof an adjoining stall. From this, before Dora had recovered from hersurprise at not seeing her, Miriam emerged in the costume of a neatlydressed school-girl, with her skirts just reaching to the tops of herboots. It had been an easy matter to slip off that expansive silk gown.She advanced with the air of defensive gravity with which she generallygreeted strangers, and made the acquaintance of Mr. Bannister.
"I am sure," she said, when she had heard what had happened, "that mybrother will be very glad to lend you the gig. That is the only thing wehave at present which runs properly."
"A gig will do very well, indeed," said Mr. Bannister. "We could not wantanything better than that; although," he continued, "I am not sure thatmy harness will suit a two-wheeled vehicle."
"Oh, we have gig harness," said Miriam, "and we will lend you a horse,too, if you like."
Dora now thought it was time to say something. She was irritated becauseHerbert had returned so soon, and because he was going to take her awaybefore she was ready to go; and although she would have been delighted tohave a drive in the Cobhurst gig, provided the proper person drove her,she did not at all wish to return to Thorbury in that ridiculous oldvehicle with Herbert. In the one case, she could imagine a delightfulexcursion in she knew not what romantic by-roads and shaded lanes; but inthe other, she saw only the jogging old gig, and all the neighbors askingwhat had happened to them.
"I think," she said, "it will be well to see Mr. Haverley as soon aspossible. Perhaps he knows of a blacksmith's shop, where the buggy canbe mended."
Herbert smiled. "Repairs of that sort," he said, "require a good deal oftime. If we waited for the buggy to be put in travelling condition, wewould certainly have to stay here all night, and probably the greaterpart
of tomorrow."
In the sudden emotions which had caused her to act almost exactly as Dorahad acted, Miriam had entirely forgotten her resentment toward hercompanion.
"Why can't you stay?" she asked. "We have plenty of room, you know."
The man of business shook his head.
"Thank you very much," he replied, "but I must be in my office thisevening. I think I shall be obliged to borrow your gig. I will walk overto the field--"
"Oh, you need not take the trouble to do that," said Miriam. "They areway over there at the end of the meadow beyond the hill. The gig is herein the barn, and I can lend it to you just as well as he can."
"You are very kind," said Herbert, "and I will accept your amendment. Itwill be the better plan, because if I saw your brother, I shouldcertainly interfere with his work. He might insist upon coming to helpme, which is not at all necessary. Where can I find the gig, MissHaverley?"
Miriam led her visitors to the second floor.
"There it is," she said, "but of course you must have the harnessbelonging to it, for your buggy harness will not hold up the shaftsproperly. It is in the harness room, but I do not know which it is. Thereis a lot of harness there, but it is mostly old and worn out."
"I will go and look," said Herbert. "I think it is only part of it that Ishall need."
During this conversation Dora had said nothing. Now as she stood by theold gig, toppling forward with its shafts resting upon the floor, shethought she had never seen such a horrible, antediluvian old trap in herlife. Nothing could add so much to her disappointment in going so soon,as going in that thing. If there had been anything to say which mightprevent her brother from carrying out his intention, she would have saidit, but so far there had been nothing.
She followed the others into the harness room, and as her eyes glancedaround the walls, they rested upon a saddle hanging on its peg. Instantlyshe thought of something to say.
"Herbert," she remarked, not too earnestly, "I think we shall be puttingour friends to a great inconvenience by borrowing the gig. You will neverbe able to find the right harness and put it on so that there will not bean accident on the road, and Mr. Haverley or the man will have to besent for. And, besides, there will be the trouble of getting the gig backagain. Now, don't you think it will be a great deal better for you to putthat saddle on the horse, and ride him home, and then send the carriagefor me? That would be very simple, and no trouble at all."
Mr. Bannister turned his admiring eyes upon his sister.
"I declare, Dora," he said, "that is a good practical suggestion. If MissHaverley will allow me, I will borrow the saddle and the bridle and ridehome; I shall like that."
"Of course you are welcome to the saddle, if you wish it," said Miriam;"but you need not send for your sister. Why can't she stay with meto-night? I think it would be splendid to have a girl spend the nightwith me. Perhaps I oughtn't to call you a girl, Miss Bannister."
Dora's eyes sparkled. "But I am a girl, just as you are," she exclaimed,"and I should be delighted to stay. You are very good to propose it.Herbert is an awfully slow rider (I believe he always walks his horse),and I am sure it would be after dark before the carriage would get here."
"Do let her stay," cried Miriam, seizing Dora's arm, as if they had beenold friends; "I shall be so glad to have her."
Mr. Bannister laughed.
"It is not for me to say what Dora shall do," he replied. "You two mustdecide that, and if I go home to report our safety, it will be allright. It is now too late for me to go to Mrs. Dudley's, especially as Iride so slowly; but I will drive there to-morrow, and stop for Dora onmy return."
"Settled!" cried Miriam; and Dora gazed at her with radiant face. It wasdelightful to be able to bestow such pleasure.
In two minutes Mr. Bannister had brought in his horse. In the next minuteall three of the party were busy unbuckling his harness; in ten minutesmore it had been taken off, the saddle and bridle substituted, and Mr.Bannister was riding to Thorbury.
Dora of the sparkling eyes drew close to Miriam.
"Would you mind my kissing you?" she asked.
There was nothing in the warm young soul of the other girl which in theleast objected to this token of a new-born friendship.
As Dora and Miriam, each with an arm around the waist of the other,walked out of the barn and passed the lower story, the calf, who had beenthe main instrument in bringing about the cordial relations between thetwo, raised his head and gazed at them with his good eye. Then perceivingthat they had forgotten him, and were going away without even arranginghis mosquito net for the night, he slowly turned his clouded visual organin their direction, and composed himself to rest.