When Patrick thought they had had enough of the game he led them all down to the boat and pushed off for the sports at the Kingsland shore.
Never before, Kathleen thought, had so many things happened in one day. There were bicycle-races, hurdle-races, foot-races, sack-races and a tug-of-war. There was leaping, and jumping, and running, and it seemed as if Danny was in everything.
Such shouting and cheering she had never even dreamed of! And when Danny won the long-distance run, she found herself jumping up and down and shouting as loudly as any one.
“I could have won that first dash, too, if Tim Keefe hadn’t stolen the start,” said Danny wrathfully, as he brought up his prize to show to his cousins.
“The prize for that race was a mirror, anyway,” said Patrick consolingly, “and you’ve little use for one now. But as for Tim Keefe, with his old pipe in his mouth, he needs it to see himself for a spalpeen.”
After the fun was all over they went home together across the fields, filling their arms with great branches of the pink and white hawthorn blossoms; but at the boreen they had to start running, for a sudden shower fell to drive them into the house the quicker.
Just as the children were going off to bed that night, Kathleen went softly up to Bee and put her arm shyly around her cousin’s plump waist. “It’s thankful I am to you and Patrick for the happy day,” she whispered.
Bee gave her a good hug and a hearty kiss as she answered, “’Tis you and little Mary Ellen that make all the days happy for me.”
CHAPTER X
A BANK OF TURF