Read Ebook: The Squire's young folk by Stooke Eleanora H

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Ebook has 316 lines and 14264 words, and 7 pages

CHAPTER

The Squire's Young Folk.

THE COKER CHILDREN.

"NELLIE, let's go in and see Mrs. Wills. Perhaps she'll give us some bread and cream."

"No, Rupert, we have the dogs with us. I think we'd better not stop to-day."

"Oh, nonsense! We can easily shut the dogs outside the door. Come along."

The speakers were Nellie and Rupert Coker, children of Mr. Coker, of Haldon Hall. They were returning from the village of Haldon, about a quarter of a mile from, which their home was situated, and were now passing Westhill, a picturesque old farmhouse built close to the high road.

Westhill was the property of Mr. Coker, and was in the occupation of Farmer Wills and his wife, a capable, hard-working, middle-aged couple.

As Nellie was evidently reluctant to make a call at the farm, Rupert decided that he would stop, for the sake of having his own way. He was eight years old, a year younger than his sister, and he never allowed her, on the strength of seniority, to dictate to him. So he marched up to the door and rapped upon it sharply with his knuckles. To his disappointment, the rosy-cheeked servant--Sally--who answered his somewhat imperative summons, informed him that Mrs. Wills was not at home. She had driven to the nearest railway station, two miles distant, to meet her husband.

"I did not know Farmer Wills was away," Rupert remarked.

Whilst Nellie, who had been standing at a little distance with the dogs--a spaniel and a terrier, fearful lest they should dash into the house and bespatter the spotless kitchen floor with their muddy feet, drew nearer, her face suddenly becoming full of interest. Like most children brought up in the country, they were vastly curious about their neighbours' affairs.

"Master's been away for several days," Sally informed them, "in London."

"In London!" they echoed.

Had Sally mentioned Timbuctoo instead of the metropolis, they could not have looked more surprised.

"I never heard of Farmer Wills going to London before," Nellie said reflectively. "He told me once, he hadn't slept out of his own bed for nearly thirty years. I suppose he went for a holiday, Sally?"

"He went to see his brother--Colonel Wills. The poor gentleman died a few hours after master reached him."

"Oh, how very sad!" cried Nellie, much shocked. "I have heard father speak of Colonel Wills."

"Yes," chimed in Rupert, "he was a soldier--a splendid fellow! He fought in the South African War, and won the Victoria Cross."

"He died nearly a week ago of pneumonia," Sally explained, "and he was buried yesterday; and this afternoon, master's bringing home his little son--about your age he must be, Master Rupert--to live here at Westhill. The poor child has no mother--she died when he was a baby."

"What's his name?" Nellie asked, looking sympathetic.

"Robert; but I'm told they call him Bob."

As Sally had apparently no more information to give, the children bade her good-afternoon, and proceeded homewards. Their way along the high road was thickly strewn with withered leaves, for the time was late autumn, and the trees on either hedge were nearly bare; but the weather was dry and mild still, and the sun shone in a sky of cloudless blue. Every now and again the young folks paused to give Tim, the terrier, opportunities of digging in rabbit holes, whilst Crack, the spaniel, watched him with anxious eyes. And on one of these occasions carriage wheels were heard, and a few minutes later, Farmer Wills' dog-cart appeared round a turn of the road, driven by the farmer himself, his wife by his side, and their visitor on the back seat of the vehicle.

Nellie nodded and smiled, and Rupert took off his cap to Mrs. Wills; then as the dog-cart passed by they were able to have a good look at the stranger--a blue-eyed, fair-haired boy, who returned their curious stares by distorting his face into the most hideous grimace possible.

Rupert laughed; but Nellie reddened angrily.

"He doesn't know who we are," said Rupert, who, as the son and heir of the largest landowner in the district, had no slight opinion of his own importance, "but Farmer Wills will tell him that father is his landlord."

The children soon reached the entrance to the grounds which surrounded their home. They flung open the heavy gate, and ran up the long carriage drive to the house.

"You had better take the dogs round to the yard," said Nellie.

"No--you," Rupert promptly replied; "it's as much your place to do so as mine."

"We'll both go; it won't do to let them into the house, because they're dreadfully dirty."

Accordingly the dogs were coaxed round to the yard, and shut into a stable to clean themselves in a bed of straw, whilst their young mistress and master went into the house and upstairs to the schoolroom, where their sister Lilian, and their governess, Miss Long, were busily engaged, the former with some knitting, the latter making clothing for a doll. Lilian Coker was a pretty little girl of eleven years of age, with wavy brown hair, and a face which wore a singularly bright and happy expression. She turned a pair of large grey eyes in the direction of the door as her sister and brother entered the room. No one seeing her at the moment would have guessed the truth--that she was blind.

"Where have you been all the afternoon?" she asked. "Miss Long and I have been getting on with the things for the Christmas tree. Of course there are six weeks yet to Christmas, but time does fly so fast."

"It does indeed," agreed Miss Long, glancing a trifle reproachfully at Nellie, who coloured and looked confused.

Every Christmas Eve Mr. Coker was in the habit of giving an entertainment in the village schoolroom to the working people of the parish. It generally consisted of a substantial tea, followed by a magic-lantern and Christmas tree for the children; and weeks beforehand preparations were being made for the all-important night. Nearly every member of the household at Haldon Hall was making some article to be hung on the Christmas tree. Nellie, who had commenced knitting cuffs with great zeal some weeks previously, had grown tired of her task, and had not touched her self-chosen work for days.

"It seems a shame to sit indoors on such a lovely afternoon as this," she said excusingly, "and Rupert and I have had such fun. And, oh, what do you think? That brave brother of Farmer Wills is dead. Isn't it sad?"

"Do you mean Colonel Wills, who distinguished himself in the South African War?" inquired Miss Long. "Your mother told me all about him--that he entered the army as a private, obtained a commission, and rose to be a colonel."

"Farmer Wills went to London to see him," Nellie proceeded, "and this afternoon, he has come home and brought Colonel Wills' little boy with him. We met Mr. and Mrs. Wills driving back from the station in their dog-cart, and the little boy was on the back seat. He made faces at us."

Miss Long smiled. She was a good-tempered young woman, and, though she was their governess, the children found her very companionable.

"I expect he'll be taken aback when he finds out we live here, and that his uncle is father's tenant," said Rupert; "he'll soon learn to know his place."

"You had better not speak like that before your father," Miss Long told him reprovingly.

Rupert made no answer. He was rather an important person in his own estimation.

The Squire, as Mr. Coker was generally called, and his wife were very proud of their only son, for he was a handsome little fellow with engaging manners, and really had many excellent qualities. He was affectionate and kind-hearted, and had never been known to tell a lie. But he was wayward and domineering, and, though he loved Nellie very dearly, he always tried to take the lead with her. And she, being a spirited child and a year older than her brother, would not be mastered. And the result was frequent quarrels, which, however, were generally followed by speedy reconciliations.

Though Rupert made no response to his governess, he had the grace to feel a little ashamed of himself; but at the same time, he made up his mind that Colonel Wills' son must be taught to know his place.

BOB WILLS.

"MISS LONG, I want you to give Rupert a holiday, if you please," said Mr. Coker one morning a few days later, as the family at Haldon Hall, having finished breakfast, rose from the table. "I am going to Westhill, and I should like Rupert to make the acquaintance of Colonel Wills' little son. I saw him with his uncle yesterday, and asked him to come and spend Saturday here."

"Oh, father, do let me go to Westhill with you, too!" exclaimed Nellie. "You know," she added coaxingly, "we're not likely to have this fine weather long."

Mr. Coker laughed, and, turning to his wife, said:

"What do you say, my dear? Shall all three children have a holiday? Nellie and Rupert can accompany me to the farm, and you might order the carriage and go for a drive with Miss Long and Lilian."

Mrs. Coker agreed to this. So an hour later saw Mr. Coker start for Westhill with his two younger children, who plied him with questions about the stranger all the way.

"He has come to stay," Mr. Coker told them, "for Farmer Wills is now his guardian. Poor little orphan! You must be very kind to him. He is only eight years old, and he has been at a boarding school for two years."

"At boarding school!" the children echoed in amazement.

"Yes. When his father's regiment was ordered to South Africa, he was placed in a school, and there he remained till Colonel Wills was invalided home from the war."

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