The next morning Mrs. Hallock’s carriage and the doctor’s gig met at the brown house in Pumpkin Delight Lane.
“I am so glad to meet you,” said Mrs. Hallock to the doctor, who was in the act of tying Spry to a fence-post, not venturing to trust him within smelling distance of the clover across the sea.
“Yes,” said the doctor, in his straightforward, brusque way, “you are just the right person in the right place, but I think these little folks had better stay in the carriage and take a turn down on the sands, while you come in.”
Frank and Kate were already on the ground, in their eagerness to see Harry Cornwall.
“O doctor, please won’t you let him come to our house?” pleaded Kate.
“You’ll have chance enough, my child, to see the poor fellow. All in good time. Run away now, both of you.”
Mrs. Hallock bade Hugo drive on, and return in half an hour.
“Dear me!” sighed Kate. “It’s too bad we happened to meet that provoking old doctor, isn’t it? I’m just crazy to see that boy.”
“I’ll take a run over by myself, by-and-by,” said Frank, quite loftily. “I dare say there will be something to fetch over after mamma sees him.”
“You’ll let me come, too, Frank?” asked Kate beseechingly, with her eyes following the darkness and light of a bobolink’s twinkling across the green lane.