“Welcome, young gentlemen. Come right in by the fire,” was his hearty greeting. “Mother, Mother! Here are some young gentlemen from Cuthberton,” he called to some one in the large living-room.
A kind, motherly woman appeared in the doorway. She was clad in a warm homemade linsey dress, with a white handkerchief over her shoulders, and white muslin cuffs to match. A black lace coif surmounted her snow-white hair. The boys saw a very smiling, kindly face in the doorway greeting them.
“Welcome, welcome, my dears. You are welcome. But, please, scrape the snow off your shoes before you come in. I am very particular about that, am
I not, Roland?”and she glanced affectionately at the big man beside her.
“Yes, yes, indeed she is,” he remarked humorously. "Would you believe it, gentlemen, she leads me an awful life about my dirty boots—awful—awful,”
“Roland,” said the elderly lady, “how you do talk,”
The husband gave a sly, comical wink to the boys, who immediately understood the nature of the amicable bantering which they soon found was going on constantly between these two.
“Take off your overcoats, my dears, and come up to the fire. You must be cold. There's no wind, but it's near zero. And did ye walk all the way, from St. Cuthbert's College? You must all be tired.”
She saw at once they were college boys.
“Did ye now! Well now! well! well! My! but that's a long way to walk. Roland, go ye and get another hickory back log, and start a good blaze. Now sit ye there and warm yourselves. I'll be back in a minute or two,” and the kindly woman put down her knitting and bustled out of the room.