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"Come on, Tod," shouted Budge, although Toddie's farther ear was not a yard from Budge's mouth. "Uncle Harry's going to take us riding!" "Going to take us riding!" echoed Toddie, with the air of one in a reverie; both the echo and the reverie I soon learned were characteristics of Toddie.
The general puffed and snorted up his gravel walk and toward the shrubbery, behind which was a fish-pond, from which direction the sound came. Mrs. Burton followed, in time to see her nephew Budge help his brother out of the pond, while the general tugged at a large crawfish which had fastened its claw upon Toddie's finger.
"Don't care for nasty old uncle," piped Toddie's voice. I laid down my book with a sigh, and went into the garden. Mike saw me and shouted: "Misther Burthon, will ye look dhere? Did ye's ever see the loike av dhat bye?" Looking up at the play-room window, a long, narrow sort of loop-hole in a Gothic gable, I beheld my youngest nephew standing upright on the sill. "Toddie, go in quick!"
Under each one, however, her resolution grew weaker, and finally, with a hypocritical excuse to Budge, Mrs. Burton hurried up to the door of Toddie's prison, and said through the keyhole: "Toddie?" "What?" said Toddie. "Will you be a good-boy, now!" "Yesh, if you'll take me a-widin'." Mrs. Burton turned abruptly away, and simply flew down the stairs.
This accident turned Toddie's sorrow to laughter, but I can't say I made light of my misfortune on that account. To fall into CLEAN water is not pleasant, even when one is trout-fishing; but to be clad in white pants, and suddenly drop nearly knee-deep in the lap of mother Earth is quite a different thing.
"You's a naughty boy, Buggie;" and here Toddie's tears began to flow afresh. "I AIN'T a bad boy, an' I don't want no old rain nohow, an' that's all about it. An' I don't want to get up, an' Maggie must bring me up my breakfast in bed." "Boo hoo oo," wept Toddie, "wants my brepspup in bed too." "Boys," said I, "now listen.
"Oh, cos he lets us have nice times, an' gave me my mama an' papa, an' Phillie but he took him away again an' Toddie, but Toddie's a dreadful bad boy sometimes, though." "Very true, Budge," said I, remembering my trunk and the object of my ride. "Uncle Harry, did you ever see the Lord?" "No, Budge; he has been very close to me a good many times, but I never saw him."
A pitiful scream from Toddie caused me to stop. "You're hurtin' my dee old whay-al; you's brakin' his 'tomach all open you's a baddy man 'TOP hurtin' my whay-al, ee ee ee," cried my nephew. "I'm not hurting him, Toddie," said I; "I'm making his mouth bigger, so he can swallow you easier." A bright thought came into Toddie's face and shone through his tears.
Then I dropped into an easy-chair in the library, and fell to thinking. I found myself really and seriously troubled by the results of Toddie's operation with my bouquet. I might explain the matter to Miss Mayton I undoubtedly could, for she was too sensible a woman to be easily offended merely by a ridiculous mistake, caused by a child.
"Boo oo oo oo ," roared Budge, "I think you're real mean. I don't love you at all." Regardless alike of Toddie's desires, of Budge's opinion, and the cessation of his regard, I performed a hasty toilet. Notnwithstanding my lost rest, savagely thanked the Lord for Sunday; at church, at least, I could be free from my tormentors.
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