Chris and his schoolfellows would often play here on their half-holidays, when not engaged with cricket or football. Each would launch a boat, half-a-dozen or a dozen being started at the same moment; and then they would tear frantically down to the lower opening, watching whose boat would appear first. Hecla loved to look on at such times, if only she could persuade Miss Anne or Elisabeth to take her there. She was delighted if Chris' boat came out first from under the archway, and was disappointed if he failed to win. For Chris was her chum and her hero, and the dearest and best boy that the world had ever seen, in her opinion.
Chris was fond of Hecla too, but he did not tell her so, or condescend to say pretty things to her. Ten years old is not an age when boys flatter girls. He always let her know that she was "only a girl," and that she couldn't be expected to do things so well as he could; and Hecla regretfully agreed. She often wished that she had been a boy, instead of only a girl.
On this particular occasion, when Miss Anne Storey and the two children arrived at the spot, who should they find but Chris himself, all alone for once, preparing to send a small boat on its voyage under the road.
And the astonishing thing was that he had hardly looked at little Ivy, in her blue frock, with her long soft hair, and her small serious face, before he seemed just as much taken with her as everybody else was. He actually put his boat into her tiny plump hands, and allowed her to throw it in herself while he stood close by, watching. And that was a thing he had never allowed Hecla to do. He always seemed to think it was quite honour and glory enough for Hecla, if she just stood by and saw him doing it.
Hecla felt a wee bit sore and hurt in her mind, it must be confessed, when she saw her chum actually leading the small newcomer to the edge of the bank, holding her fast, lest she should slip, and guiding her grasp as she threw the boat. Twice it fell short; and each time he scrambled down the almost perpendicular bank, at the imminent risk of rolling headlong into the water, brought it up, and made her try again. And Hecla looked on, not jealous, for happily she was not a jealous child, but just a little grieved to think that he had never taken the trouble to do so much for her.
The boat, off at last, disappeared quickly under the arching road; and he caught Ivy's hand and raced with her to the opening of the river below. He ran down the shelving bank, still holding Ivy by the hand; and as the boat floated out, he flung himself down flat, reaching out to seize it.
Aunt Anne, rather in a fright lest Ivy should slip into the water, hurried after them with Hecla; and they arrived in time to see Chris lift Ivy up the bank and put his boat into her hands.
"Why—because is it mine?" she asked.
"It's yours, if you like," he said.