The child laughed and crowed, and as her language was limited she called both the girls Doddy, and beamed on them both impartially. Herself she called Daddy, being unable to achieve her own name.
"Two Doddies take Daddy saily-bye!" she cried, waving her fat hands toward the lake.
"Oh, no," said Dolly; "Daddy go saily-bye when Jack comes home."
"No! no wait for Dak! Daddy 'ant to go saily now! Daddy go in boat! Two Doddy go in boat and sail Daddy far, far away!" The two little arms waved as if indicating a journey round the world, and the baby face beamed so coaxingly that Dolly couldn't resist it.
"We'll go down to the shore," she said, "and Gladys can paddle her hands in the water; that will be nice."
"Ess!" and the baby danced with glee as the three went down to the lake.
There was a short bit of fairly good beach at the Norrises' place, and here the children sat down to play. A sail boat, a row boat and a canoe were tied there and soon Gladys renewed her plea to go sailing.
The girls tried to divert her mind, for they were not willing to take the responsibility of taking the little girl out on the water.
"Maybe we might take her out in the row boat," suggested Dotty, but Dolly said, "No, I'd rather not. I can row well enough, but you can't do much with your weak arm and suppose anything should happen to this blessed child! No, siree, Dot; I'm not going to take any such risk."
"I think you're silly. We could row around near shore and it would please the baby a heap. She's going to cry if you don't."