CHAPTER I.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
is ERE we are! Hurrah! There’s Nora with
H Donald,” and uttering a wild shout, Frank Naismith opened the door and flung himself on to the platform before the train had stopped. Knowing that he was well able to look after himself, I turned to coliect our various bundles; but our fellow-passenger, an old woman, shrieked as he alighted on all fours.
“Oh,” she panted, holding her ample bosom, “ the young rascal! To give a poor body such a fright, which if he had been killed would only have served him right.”
By this time I had deposited most of our belong- ings on the platform, and was vainly groping under the seat for our cricket bats.
‘Now you,” continued the old woman, scowling at
8 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
me and drawing her skirts together, “just stop it. I know your tricks and pranks: Like enough you'll be sticking pins into my legs or setting alight one of these horrid crackers under the seat.”
“If you would move your feet a little—” I began ; but she caught me up at once.
“Move! you impudent young baggage. Ive paid for my seat, and here I sit as long as I like.”
The engine whistled, and Frank shouted, “Hurry Ups
“Qh, please,’ I said desperately, with my head half under the seat, “let me get the bats.”
“Rats!’? shrieked the old dame, and with one bound she was on to the opposite seat. A last vigorous dive, and as the carriage jerked forward I seized the missing bats and pulled them out.
“Rats! and me sitting there comfortable like, and
not knowing they was under me. Oh, the young
b]
rascals—”’ But the train sped on, and the rest was
lost. Picking up as many bundles as possible, I made my way to the exit.
“Ticket, please,” said the porter at the gate; and dropping everything again, I began to fumble in my pockets,
“Come on,” shouted Frank, rushing up. “I’ve
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. “)
arranged about the bikes; what’s keeping you? Oh, your ticket.—Never mind his ticket, Carter; it’s all right.”
“ Sorry, sir, all tickets have to be collected.”
“Buck up then, Humphrey, and find the beastly
> said the man, touching his cap, “ but
thing. Donald’s getting restless. I'll pitch these things in.”
My ticket seemed to have vanished. Carter grew angry as pocket after pocket was searched in vain. At last it flashed across me that I had put it in my pocket-book for safety. I hauled it out from my inside coat, scattering several pieces of paper at the same time. Yes, there was the ticket, and greatly relieved I handed it over.
“Thank you, sir,” said the porter; “you dropped these.”
“Thanks,” I said, stuffing the papers he held out into my pocket as I ran outside. Donald evidently was a little restless. He was playfully standing on his hind legs as I tumbled into the governess cart, and next instant he was off like an arrow.
“Hurrah!” yelled Frank again, as we tore along with the open door of the cart flapping and banging behind.
10 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
“Shut the door, Frank,’ said Nora Naismith quietly; “the noise will frighten him and make him bolt.”
“Let him bolt, then; I don’t mind.”
Reaching over, I managed to shut the door, and as we began to climb a long hill, the pony settled down into a steady trot.
“Jsn’t this jolly after grinding away at lessons! Has Miss Lister gone yet, Nora? I say,’ went on Frank, “I forgot to introduce you two. This is Humphrey Verney, Nora; you know he is my chum at Brotherton.”
I took off my cap in a shamefaced manner, for girls were new to me.
“Yes; ve heard of you,’ said Nora, nodding to me. “You taught Frank to use these horrid cata- pults, and he came home and killed one of my chickens.”
“Qh, I say,” said Frank, reddening, while I sat too surprised to defend myself, “that’s not fair; and besides, you know I saved up and paid for your wretched chicken.”
“Yes; and then borrowed money from me to buy more bullets afterwards. But I don’t suppose
Humphrey is worse than you or any other boy.”
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Il
“No, Pm not really bad a bit,’ I began, when Donald shied suddenly.
“Tt’s only the colonel’s Chinaman, Chew Win Kee,” said Nora, as she recovered her balance. “Donald always shies at him.—Behave,” she added to the pony, giving him a flick with the whip.
The Chinaman stood respectfully at the side of the road as we passed. He was very tall for a Celestial, and his eyes were almost squarely set in his face like a European’s. He was dressed in an ordinary tweed suit, with rather wide trousers, and soft felt hat.
“Goodee night, Win Kee,’ shouted Frank, who prided himself on what he called his “ pigeon English.” “You been uppee to town? Holidays now; we comee see colonel.”
“Welly good,” said Win Kee, smiling and bowing.
“Ugh! I can’t stand him,” said Nora, shuddering. “T wonder you speak to him, Frank.”’
“He’s a jolly chap,” replied her brother. “He can make all sorts of keys and things out of bits of wire. You should just see him. I wonder what he was doing to-day. He came down in our train.”
‘“*T didn’t see him.” |
“No; he left the station while you were hauling
12 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
out our things. But I say, old chap, you should know all about Chinamen. Weren’t you born some- where out there?” :
‘Born in China!” cried Nora. ‘‘Then you’re a Chinaman too.”
“ No, I’m not,” I declared stoutly. ‘‘I was born in Singapore, and it belongs to England, and so I’m an Englishman.”
“All the same thing,” said Frank, whose ideas of geography were very vague. ‘‘These places are all together somewhere out Hast. But you know Chinese or Hindustanee, or some language like that, don’t you? Win Kee has been in Singapore too, so you'll be able to speak to him.”
“JT only remember a few words of Malay now,” I said modestly.
We had now come to the top of the long hill, some two miles from Peddlington station. Before us the road stretched for another mile, sloping gently down to Peddlington village. As we bowled along we left the cultivated fields behind, and drove through sandy heathlands. Shortly before the village was entered a cross road turned abruptly inland.
“That leads to: Fareham Castle,” said Nora, point-
ing with her whip. ‘‘ Look! you can just see the
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. 13
turrets sticking up out of that wood. It is said to be haunted.”
“Only girls believe that rubbish,” said Frank scofiingly. ‘‘I’ve been over the castle heaps of times, and never seen anything.”
“But that was in the day-time,” Nora objected. “Ghosts always appear at night, and”—here she lowered her voice to a mysterious whisper—“ Peter told me last week that he had seen ghosts himself.”
Even Frank seemed impressed with this announce ment.
“Who’s Peter?” I asked.
“The gatekeeper. He lives in the lodge at the end of the avenue, and looks after the castle,” Frank explained. “An awfully jolly old chap. There’s the sea!” he broke off, as we clattered into the village.
Away at the end of the straggling street—the one street Peddlington boasted—the sunny blue ocean seemed to bid us welcome, and sent a fresh cool breeze to fan our faces. Men were smoking and lounging about after the day’s work, women were knitting and gossiping, while the children shouted and romped. Nora and Frank were evidently well known and liked, for many were the greetings that
passed between them and the villagers.
14 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
“Eh, there’s young master doctor,’ cried one; “Glad to see you back again, Master Frank,” called another ; while my chum shouted inquiries as to Tom, Dick, and Harry. Turning sharply to the right just before the street lost itself in the loose sand of the foreshore, Nora set Donald at a steep hill, up which he raced in gallant style.
’
“'That’s our home, Ivy Cottage,’ said Nora, as we got to the top, nodding towards an ivy-covered house a short distance ahead. “Home at last; hurrah!” shouted Frank. “ There’s mother !”’ and he waved his straw hat wildly. Donald needed no whip to remind him that he was near home, and in a few minutes we had swung
up the little avenue and under the porch.
“ Welcome home,”
said Mrs. Naismith, coming for- ward and receiving a violent embrace from Frank.
“This is Humphrey, mother,” he said, next moment dragging me out of the governess cart.
“We were so glad to hear you were coming, Humphrey,” said Mrs. Naismith, shaking hands; “and I hope you will feel quite at home amongst us and enjoy your holidays——Now, children, come away in to tea, all of you; I am sure you must be hungry.”
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. 15
We trooped into the house after her, while a, little stable boy led Donald round to his stable.
“Ts father out?” asked Frank, as we sat down to the table.
“Yes,” replied his mother, pouring out the tea; “he told me not to wait for him, as he might be late. He was called out to a patient some distance away. And how have you got on at school this term ?”’
“ Not so bad,” admitted Frank complacently. “I won the hundred yards at the races, and made twenty- six against Grangetown Academy, and—”
“ Capital!’’ said Mrs. Naismith, laughing. “ But what about your lessons? Were you well up in your classes ?”’
Frank’s face fell a little, and he hesitated, for truth to say he did not shine in lessons as he did at games.
“Indeed he was top in English, and got the first prize,” I said, seeing his embarrassment.
“OQ Frank, I am so glad,” exclaimed his mother, _and Frank gave me a friendly kick under the table by way of acknowledgment. Owing to a series of accidents most of the top boys in the English class had left before the end of the term, and my chum
16 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
had most unexpectedly found himself the proud pos- sessor of his first prize.
‘“‘T’m not so good in the other classes, mother; but I really am working.” The working fit had come on late in the session and passed rapidly, but still it was a beginning.
‘“‘T am very pleased to hear it, Frank,’’ said Mrs. Naismith. ‘‘ Remember in another year or two you will be going to one of the big public schools, and will have to work hard.”
“Yes, mother, I will,” replied Frank earnestly. “Tl work till I burst.’
“Oh, I don’t ask that,” she said, laughing; ‘“ but
~ now it is holiday time for you all. Miss Lister went away this morning, and Nora’s holidays "begin to- « morrow too. What would you like to do?” + »
“Hurrah ! Nora, that is jolly,” cried Frank ; “we'll, i have a ripping time. Let’s go down to the rocks Bet and fish in the morning. We have to go down for & our bikes in the evening, as we left them at the station so as to drive up with Nora.”
‘Well, you can do as you like, so long as you don’t get into mischief. Now, if you have quite finished tea, you might show Humphrey round the
garden, and then it will be time for bed.” - (1,471)
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. ive
So we visited Donald, inspected Nora’s chickens and rabbits, fed the pigeons, and picked some goose- berries. What with the long journey and the strong sea air I was beginning to feel very sleepy, when Mrs. Naismith called to us from the house. A tall, bearded man was standing beside her in the porch, and Frank greeted him with a shout of welcome and flung himself into his arms.
“Gently, gently,” laughed Dr. Naismith, disengag- ing himself; “ you're getting too heavy for me nowa- days. But I’m very glad to have you home again.— And you, too, Humphrey ; we must see that you have a good time.”
“Your boxes have come, boys,’ announced Mrs. Naismith, “and I am sure you are ready for bed.— Be sure to put on your flannels or any old suit _ to-morrow, Humphrey. The children always wear their old clothes for holiday romps.—And now good- night, and sound sleep to you all.”
“* Good-night !” we chorussed.
Frank and I slept in the same room, and having tumbled out our night-things from our trunks, we jumped into bed, and were soon fast asleep.
Somewhere about the early hours of the morning
I was awakened by the booming of the sea. A (1,471) 2
18 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
cuckoo clock struck four, and the first pale light of the summer morning crept through the blinds and invited me to the window. As I peeped out a dark form crossed the lawn, and approached the house as if searching for something. For a few minutes I watched it in sleepy bewilderment; then, as it turned and stole noiselessly away, in the dim light of the breaking day I seemed to recognize the face of the colonel’s Chinaman, Chew Win Kee!