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Dot ran down the stream with bare feet, laughing as she paddled in and out among the rocks and ferns, and the sun shone down on the gleaming foam of the water, and made golden lights in Dot's wild curls.
"Talk ist cheap," retorted Herr Schimmelpodt, with a wink, "mid dot's all I haf to bay for dot funeral. Dick Bresgott ain't fool enough yet to preak der only neck he has." At this a jolly laugh went around, relieving the tension a bit, for there were many in the crowd who had begun to feel mighty serious as soon as they realized that Dick was in earnest.
Then, there were Dot's father and mother to come in another little chaise; and they were behind their time; and fears were entertained; and there was much looking out for them down the road; and Mrs. Fielding always would look in the wrong and morally impossible direction; and, being apprised thereof, hoped she might take the liberty of looking where she pleased.
Perhaps Esther's commiseration of her sisters' narrow opportunities was, so far as it related to Dot, a little unnecessary, for indeed Dot's ambitions were not social. By nature shy and meditative, and with her religious bias, had she been born into a Catholic family, she might not improbably have found the world well lost in a sisterhood.
Then there was a dashing rush through the bushes, that sounded as if a dog were chasing a cat. A few minutes later Dot's voice again called in the dark this time, not in anguish of heart, but very cosily and gently. "Pete-weet?" she whispered; and four precious little babies murmured, "Peep," as they snuggled close to the spotted breast of their mother.
From under the rims of these thatches came smothered laughs and such unintelligible mutterings as: "Dot's de vay, by chimminy, 'Loney! And den I " "No, begorra! Let me have a crack at him fu'st!" "No, I vill before go and you come " "Not a word to Marny, remimber; he'd give it away " "Yes, but we vill tell Poodfut und Sthebbins, eh?" That afternoon the diabolical plot was put in motion.
But the Kangaroo looked very doubtful, and said that she loved Dot, but she was afraid of Humans and their dogs. After a supper of berries and grass, Dot and the Kangaroo lay down for the night in a little bower of bushes. But they talked until very late, of how they were to manage to reach Dot's home without danger from guns and dogs.
"Donner und blitzen, you Grasshobber, you my neck brek yet, I dink," roared Schmidt, gazing at the disaster. "Vos iss los mit you, any vay, you bad Grasshobber. Himmel! dot propeller almost takes my nose off. Aber nicht, I am a dunderhead. I forget to turn der switch; dot's vy I can't stob der Grasshobber ven she hobs avay."
You not all ofer de vorl. Dey vas bot' coom back, dot's all," and so they parted. Every one was glad and rejoiced over the return of the young men, with a sense of relief that resulted in hilarity, and no one would leave until he had had a chance to grasp the hands of the "boys."
Once more Richard's voice faltered, and again it rang clear, this time in Dot's tones: "But when she knew that Edward was alive, John, and had come back and when she that's me, John told him all and how his sweetheart had believed him to be dead, and how she had been over-persuaded by her mother into a marriage and when she that's me again, John told him they were not married, though close upon it and when he went nearly mad for joy to hear it then she that's me again said she would go and sound his sweetheart and she did and they were married an hour ago!
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