Daddy, Daddy--" she cried as though still pursued by the screaming French maid. "Please--I'd rather go to the Lee's!" Chapter 3 Overlook "The next station is Fairview, Keineth--watch out for the kiddies," said Mr. Lee, rising from the car seat. Keineth had been sitting for a half hour with her nose flattened against the car window, not seeing at all the fields and farmhouses that flew past her, but trying to picture whatair max shoes Peggy would be like! Keineth was very excited and a little tired from the night in the sleeper; she was fighting back the thought that she would not see Daddy for a long, long time. Daddy had gone with them to the station the night before, and had helped her undress in the queer little shelf he called a berth and had himself pulled the blankets close around her chin and kissed her again and again. "Little soldier--right face," he whispered--and Keineth knew that he meant she should be very brave over it all. Then he had hurried off the train, for the conductor was shouting: "All aboard----" and Keineth, peeping from under her curtain for a last look, had seen his tall figure go down the dimly-lighted platform. The engine whistled and slowed down. Keineth took up the new bag which had been Aunt Josephine'sair max outlet present to her, and followed Mr. Lee to the door. Around the corner of his arm she saw a freckled-faced boy running close to the car step, and beyond him two little girls. The taller of the two must, of course, be Peggy! Keineth saw a bob-headed, slim child of about her own height, brown as a berry. "Dad--Dad," they cried, running forward as Mr. Lee stepped down from the train almost strangled in Billy's hug. In their joy at seeing their father the girls did not notice Keineth, who stood shyly back, wishing the ground would open and swallow her up. But the ground under the station platform was unusually solid! In a moment Keineth felt three nike shox shoes pairs of eyes upon her as Mr. Lee turned and said: "Here is the little stranger I have brought with me." "Hello," said Peggy, smiling. Alice smiled, too, but hung back a little, and Billy swept a critical glance over Keineth's city-clad little figure. Mr. Lee, holding Alice's hand in his, was walking toward an automobile in which sat the eldest daughter. "I'm awfully glad you came," began Peggy as the children followed. "It'll be such fun!" "Is this Keineth?" cried the girl in the automobile, jumping out to greet her father. Keineth had pictured Barbara as quite a young lady--she had always thought seventeen very old--but Barbara was dressed in a blue skirt and a middy blouse like Peggy's and wore her hair in a long, thick braid. She had her father's kind eyes and the friendliness of their glance warmed poor little Keineth's homesick soul. She gave the child a little pat on the shoulder. "We're just awfullyair max store glad you're here," she said, taking Keineth's bag. Then, to her father: "We didn't think Genevieve would run! She's been acting awful--but we just made her crawl up here to meet you." "Genevieve's the name of the automobile," giggled Peggy as the smaller girls cuddled into the back seat. Billy rode on the running board and Barbara took the steering wheel. "Mother's fine," Barbara was saying while, at the same time, Billy was pouring into his father's ear a great deal of information concerning his wireless. Peggy in breathless, excited words was pointing out to the bewildered Keineth the sights of Fairview. Genevieve, with many puffs and snorts and queer noises from under her bonnet, crawled gallantly along the smooth road, up a hill, turned in between two stone posts and stopped. Down the steps ran a woman who seemed to Keineth only a little older than Barbara, She kissed Mr. Lee, then, pushing the eager children aside, turned to Keineth. "Here she is, mother," called out Peggy, drawing Keineth forward. Mrs. Lee took Keinethprada outlet in her arms and held her very close for a moment. When she released her she put her hand under Keineth's chin to lift her face. "It's like seeing your mother again," she laughed, although there was a queer little catch in her voice. "You'll be Peggy's twin," she added, starting up the steps. "Bring in their bags, Billy. Barb--let's give Dad a nice hot cup of coffee! Peggy, you make Keineth perfectly at home." Keineth took off her hat and coat. Very willingly Peggy took her in charge. "I'll show you the garden," she said. "Let's go down to the beach!" cried Alice, following. "Do you want to see my wireless set?" invited Billy. "Billy thinks that's the only interesting thing about Overlook!" "Wait a moment, children," suggested Mrs. Lee to them, "one thing at a time! Keineth is tired, perhaps. Take her upstairs, Peggy, and let her slip on a blouse and your old serge bloomers--then go outside and play!" Overlook really wasn't like a house at all--Keineth had never seen anything quite like it. There was one big living-room with a veranda running around it and with big doors opening from three sides upon the veranda so that the room itself was just like out-of-doors. One end of the veranda was enclosed in glass and used as a Mitchell&Ness Throwback Jerseys dining-room. Flowers in boxes were on the sills of the windows and over them the sun streamed through chintz-curtained windows. Upstairs were two rooms over the living-rooms, and opening from these were screened sleeping porches, with rows of little cots. Peggy explained that the rooms were used as dressing-rooms and that each one of the family had a little chest of drawers for their own clothes and that mother had brought the oak one in the corner out from town for Keineth's use. But where do you sleep when it rains?" cried Keineth. "Oh, out there," laughed Peggy; "you see, the roof slants down so far that it keeps out the rain. That's your cot--between Barb's and mine." Keineth caught a glimpse of a great blue stretch of water glistening in the bright sunlight a quarter of a mile away. "Oh--is that the lake?" she exclaimed, eagerly. "Yes--we'll go down to the beach in a little while. Can you swim? Mother will teach you--shelouis vuitton outlet taught each one of us. I'm going to try for the life-saving medal this year! We have sport contests at the club in August. Can you play tennis?" Keineth said no. Peggy's manner became just a little patronizing. "Oh, it's easy to learn, though it'll take you quite awhile to serve a good ball, but you can practice with Alice. Can you play golf?" "My Daddy can." "Well, you can walk around the links with Billy and me. Barbara plays a dandy game--she can beat Dad all to pieces. Let's go down now and see the garden." Beyond the neatly-kept lawn with its bricked walks bordered with nasturtium beds was the stretch of garden in which the children had their individual beds. Peggy explained to Keineth that Billy this year had planted his bed to radishes and onions; that she had put in her seed in a pattern of her own designing which, when she separated the weeds from the flowers would look like a splendid combination of a new moon and the Big Dipper. Barbara and Alice had planted asters and snapdragon because mother liked them for the house. Back of the flower beds was a patch of young corn, and behind that the vegetable garden which supplied the table. At one side of the garden was the barn where poor Genevieve was now resting her rickety bones, and next to that was a shed. Billy was busy at work repairing the door of the shed. As the girls came in sight he waved to them. They started on a run.
