“Might I get scalded? All right—I’ll leave the cover on. Just one observation more. When I get inside our own four walls again I’m going to give a tremendous whoop of joy and satisfaction that’ll raise the roof right off the house!”
XXV.—The Robeson Will
When people are busy and happy the years may go by like a dream. So the months rolled around and brought little Tony past the third anniversary of his birth, and into another summer of lusty development. Except to the growing child, however, time seemed to bring slight changes to the little home under whose roof he grew. The mistress thereof lost no charm either for her husband or her friends—Anthony indeed insisted that she grew younger; certainly, as time taught her new lessons without laying hands upon her beauty, she gained attractiveness in every way.
“You look as much like a girl as ever,” Anthony said to her one morning, as dressed for a trip into town she came out upon the porch where he and little Tony were frolicing together.
“You had ever a sweetly blarneying tongue,” said she, and bestowed a parting caress impartially upon both the persons before her. “I feel a bit guilty at making a nursemaid of you for even one morning of your vacation, but——”
“That’s all right. Do your errands with an easy conscience. I’ll enjoy looking after the boy, and am rather glad your usual little maid is away. That’s one thing my vacation is for—to get upon a basis of mutual understanding and confidence with my son. We see too little of each other.”
So Juliet caught the early car, and left the two male Robesons together, father and son, waving good-bye to her from the porch. When she was out of sight the elder Robeson turned to the younger.
“Now, son,” he said, “I’m going to mow the lawn. What are you going to do?”