They climbed out of the water near Kerlerac and gave that gentleman a surprise.
“You’ve both got on your clothes!” he exclaimed. “Are you too lazy to strip when you take a Sunday swim?”
“Naw, suh. But our fust swim wus a mistake, Marse Cap’n,” Little Bit chattered, chilled by the wind after his day of activity in the water. “Us got on a raff an’ de raff wouldn’t hol’ us up.”
“Don’t report to me,” Kerley laughed. “March along home now! Right face! Forward!”
A little later Kerlerac marched the two wet youngsters upon the lawn and made them stand at attention in the presence of a dozen hysterical women.
“Here are your mud-cats, Colonel,” he smiled. “I found them paddling in the pond in the old sand pit.”
“I didn’t intend to get wet, Uncle Tom,” Org began, “but the raft was not large enough——”
“That’s enough for you,” Gaitskill cut him off. “Go around to the rear of the house.”
Miss Virginia Gaitskill stood upon the steps smiling.
“I think I knew you once, Miss Gaitskill,” Kerlerac said. “We were both younger then.”