Davey wandered out in his pajamas and inquired if any one had seen his shoes. “Butchie had them last,” he said. “He hid them before I went to bed last night.”
Katy poked Jane in the ribs and Jane dug her head deep into her pillow. “Let’s ask your Mother if we can go in swimming before breakfast. Wake up, sleepy head.” She reached down and tickled the toes of her sleepy victim. With a shriek, Janie was on her feet and wide awake.... The Murrays were off on another day.
Swimming was perfect. The lake was calm as a pond and just cool enough to be bracing. They came in when Mom called “Breakfast,” and raced for the bathhouse, leaving wet foot prints on the boards of the pier. They rubbed each others’ backs vigorously with the big rough towels and ran a comb through their damp curls. “I wish it would be summer all the year round,” said Jane, as she slipped her bare feet into play shoes. She wore a blue cotton skirt and a white blouse. “These are the kind of clothes I like.”
“I don’t know,” said Katherine reasonably. “I like a change. My brother Jim lived in the tropics for two years, and he says that summer all the year round can be very monotonous. I like to bundle up and go tobogganing in the winter, and I like to dress up in a pretty suit and hat for Easter.”
“Yes,” said Janie, “I suppose you’re right.” They hung their towels to dry and walked up to the cottage for breakfast.
Aunt Claire was squeezing orange juice and she looked up as the girls came in. “There’s something down at the farmers’ that might interest you,” she said. “I took a walk this morning before breakfast, and you know that old brown cow he’s had in the front pasture? Well, she has a calf, newly born. It has clean, soft fur like a baby deer, and beautiful big brown eyes, and very wobbly legs.”
The children were delighted and right after breakfast they all trooped down the road to inspect the new arrival. Old mother cow stood patiently chewing grass while they hung over the rail and admired her baby.
“Aw, look at him,” murmured Billy. “Isn’t he cute? I wish I could go in there and stroke him.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” said Janie. “That’s why they have glass partitions in nurseries. Look, but mustn’t touch.”
It was James who saw him first. He glanced down the road and then grabbed Janie by the arm. “Look,” he squeaked. “There he is.... Here he comes.... That man!” They all turned, and there, trudging up the road toward them, was the big, dirty old man who had chased them off his lot the day they caught “old rubber-back.”