“See here, Reginald, I've brought something for you,” called Captain Murray, coming with the mail, just as the children were setting off from the house, for it was Saturday and they had planned to spend the morning on the beach.
“Hurrah! here's another!” shouted Regie, for he had already received a steamer letter, which had been mailed when the Alaska touched at Queenstown.
“Yes, another letter,” answered the captain, handing it to him, “and it's a rouser.”
Regie stood irresolute a moment. “I tell you, boys,” he said, always forgetting that Nan could not be included under this general title, “I tell you, I'll save it till we get fixed all comfortable on the beach, and then I'll read it to you.”
“All right; let's start,” said Harry, and the little party started, though Rex had some misgivings as to his ability to master Mamma Fairfax's handwriting, for he knew from the direction that the letter was from her. “We haven't played that king game much,” he said, as they trudged along. He was able to manage with a little cane now in place of the crutches.
“Seems to me we're kind of playing it,” answered Harry, glancing down at a heavy rug that he himself was carrying, and then over towards a luncheon basket with which Nan was laden: “at any rate the body-guard are sort of waiting on Your Highness.”
“Aren't you ashamed of yourself, Harry Murray?” cried Nan, resenting the indignity. “You oughtn't to expect Regie to help carry things until he can walk as well as you and I do.”
“I hope he'll walk a good sight better than you do before very long,” retorted Harry, in a teasing mood. “See, Nan, this is the way you always get over the ground,” and Harry threw aside the rug the better to imitate Nan's funny gait, characterised by a straightness on Nan's part amounting to an actual bending backward, and a jerky, independent little step. Harry hit it exactly, and Regie laughed immoderately, which was not very polite, considering Nan's gallant defence of him a few moments before. But Nan smiled, too, in spite of herself.
“I can't help it if I am too straight,” she said; “there's one good thing,—straight people are not so dangerous of having consumption.”
“Look out, Nan, you'll choke if you use such big words,” advised Harry.