Lucile Lovell

“ The twins embraced hastily; May with tears in her eyes.
"Don't cry!" whispered mischievous Gay. "Boys never cry; remember that."
"Good bye, master Gay," said Thomas. "Be a gentleman."
"I'll try," answered the mock boy, dragging off the tarpaulin sailor hat right gallantly.
Then they were gone, and no sooner was the masquerader left to her fate than the boy in front commenced to make talk,—
"My name is Philip Guy Brentwood,—what is yours?"
"Miss Walcott," May answered with great dignity and entire forgetfulness of her part. ”

“ While the door was open for nurse and her precious burden to pass through, sounds of boisterous mirth floated into the quiet chamber. It was only the twins, Gay and May, and little Ned—Alice was in the country—at play in the nursery, but one would have said that half the children in New York city were shouting together. The invalid tried to stifle a sigh which did not escape the father's ear.
"Those torments must go, Elinor!" he exclaimed. "That is the only way to ensure your recovery."
"Oh, Edward, how can I live without my dear little ones!" murmured the gentle mother. ”

“ Walcott, Miss Celia and the minister, the General and May, Miss Maud Berkeley and Uncle George, nurse and baby, Ned and Jane, and Gay, Ethel, Julia, Ned Payne, Lyman, Robert, Will, Fred, Herb, and even Philip and Rob Lawrence, who had been picked up in the village at May's request.
"Mercy me!" thought Sarah. "If all but 'two' belong in her family no wonder Mrs. Walcott has nervous prostration! 'She,'" with a glance at Miss Celia, "is one of the 'two.' She is prettier than her picture and the image of his mother. Those two young people are lovers. How alike those twins are! ”

“ The General did not finish the toast and Miss Celia's health was drunk amid merry laughter.
"To mother!" cried Gay, leaving his place at table to run to his mother's side to kiss her before drinking her health.
This put an end to formality; they toasted everybody, Phyllis among others, for all knew her loyalty and affection in May's hours of trial.
"Who would have thought that anybody like me would have been toasted by ladies and gentlemen!" said Phyllis, when her health was proposed.
"We never know what may happen to us. We may all be roasted next!" said May, quaintly. ”

“ The Hazelnooks and even the Plainville boys and Ethel and Julia followed Gay to Rose Cottage and were waiting on the porch for the doctor, and when they saw him they cried in one voice,—
"How is she?"
"Weak, but she bore it like a hero, boys!" replied the jolly doctor. "You will have to stand on your own merits next time; May won't play ball again this summer—the little Amazon!" ”

“ Are there any more like you in New York?"
"Lots," said Gay, thinking what fun it would be when Lyman found out the truth. "I've a sister—we call her Brownie—she's twice as good as I am. She is as square as a brick and full of fun. She isn't quite as handy with her fists as I am, but she's quick, I can tell you! She can swim like a fish, she can play a fine game of tennis, and she's just the best girl going. You can't put her anywhere that she doesn't come to time."
"She must be a daisy! ”

“ While May sat there on the fragrant hay, the afternoon sunshine streaming in upon her, Philip made his appearance, and so unexpectedly that she had not time to whisk the hat out of sight.
"Are you sewing?" cried Philip, with a loud laugh.
"Yes," May answered, with a deep blush.
"What an awful sissy you are, anyway! You kiss people; you don't dare to fight, and you sew! You ought to go into a dime museum!" ”

“ May sat down; clasped her hands; tried to look unconcerned and succeeded in looking both uncomfortable and unhappy.
"I will not deny that you have been a great disappointment to me, Gay. From the promise of your babyhood I was led to believe that you would be a gentleman."
The General's manner, as well as his words, seemed to cast a reflection upon somebody, and May was prompt to resent both.
"Father and mother are gentlemen," she said. "That is, father is a gentleman, and it is not their fault if I'm not one." ”

“ GAY'S POPULARITY BEGINS
When Gay's challenge, "Do I look like a girl of refinement?" was flung back at Miss Linn, following as it did one of the most extraordinary scenes of which a girl was ever the heroine, it was indeed marvelous that it did not reveal him in his true colors. But everybody seemed to be blind, unreasoning, stupid. It was a mystery that the prowess of the valiant disposer of the boyish robbers was not speedily traced to its real origin, that of sex. Gay's conversation, liberally interspersed as it was with slang, was enough in itself to proclaim him a lively, wide-awake boy. ”

“ I never had such a good drive in my life."
After this cordial farewell Gay dropped like a ripe plum off the side of the coach to the ground. Off came the daisy-wreathed hat, then he drew his heels well together and bowed profoundly. It was a salute that would have delighted General Haines' military soul, but it did not please the group on the porch. Miss Linn, Miss Celia, the judge's mother, the doctor's wife and the minister rose and stood in a row, like dahlias,—but no one spoke a word! ”

“ Philip now made daily visits to the Haines' mansion, and it often seemed to May that he came solely to bully and tease her. Philip thought the girl in knickerbockers a very timorous lad; he, therefore, put forth all his talent for jeering and sneering, with unhappy result.
"He's spoiling for a fight," May said to herself, with unerring accuracy. "But I should be ashamed to come to blows with a boy, although I know he's so much of a coward that he would be more scared than I if we did have a little set-to. I wonder what Gay would do? But I know; he'd take some of Philip's swagger out of him. ”

“ Walcott, gravely.
"Oh, father," said May, "I didn't think you would tell!"
"If Uncle Harold values his life he will not encourage Miss Linn in the use of fire-arms—a woman's shot 'may turn out a song or it may turn out a sermon'; that is, it may hit the bull's eye or it may hit somebody behind her," said Uncle George.
"Miss Maud hit pretty near the bull's eye when you were the target, and she's a woman," cried May.
"May!" said the mother in a tone of gentle remonstrance.
"Miss Maud doesn't mind, mother, she isn't even blushing," said Gay. ”

“ Sarah said, contrary-minded, as usual. "These children went into it for a 'lark,' as Gay—May, I mean—says here. Just think of that dear little girl drilling, putting out fires, keeping up during that Brentwood scrape, and pulling that boy out of the pond! I declare, when I think of that Philip, I'd like to shake him. If our child is a girl, she is the pluckiest one I have ever seen!" ”

“ The boys behaved admirably; so, strangely enough, did Gay; while the girls, led by Julia and Ethel, soon became gracious and natural. When they tired of the game Miss Linn undertook to initiate them into the mysteries of some old-fashioned games she had played in her youth, and with intervals for rest, the fun continued with increased enjoyment until they went out into the dining-room.
White frock and sash entitled Gay to a seat; but having played the active part of a boy for eleven years it was hard for him to relapse into the passive condition of a girl; to sit down and be waited upon. ”

“ This embrace was witnessed with horror by Phyllis, who could not imagine any one safely taking such liberties with her mistress; her horror changed to astonishment when Sarah returned the caress.
"The world must be coming to an end," thought Phyllis, as she went into the dining room, with May at her heels. "I never saw Miss Sarah so melted—like—somebody will have to pay for it! She's like a pair of scales: when one is up in her opinion somebody else is way down." ”

“ To think a boy with a single drop of Haines blood in his veins should want to lay a table!—But he shall not do it!—he shall not ape the ways of a petticoat while under my roof."
"Miss Sarah," cried May, "I came to tell you that cook let me put the potatoes in the kettle—I hope you don't object to that!"
May stood in the dining-room door, a white apron pinned over jacket and knickerbockers, and the sight of the badge of feminine neatness exasperated the General anew. ”

“ After much laughter and lively talk the boys and girls went away, satisfied with themselves and with Gay. When they were alone May said, soberly,—
"It hasn't been all harm. I have learned to depend upon myself and I should not have done so if I had had you to depend upon."
"I have learned never again to try to be a girl, even in fun!" said Gay, looking ruefully at his arm.
"There is one thing that troubles me, Gay; just what mother will think of us," said May. ”

“ May sat on a pile of hay in the lower barn, trimming the doll's hat she had bought in the village, singing as she worked. Three days had passed since she made the purchase and this was the first opportunity to add a beautiful feather found in the barn yard and a bow of ribbon to Maud Madeleine's new head gear. She had drilled every morning with greater success than had attended her maiden effort, thanks to the General's increased solicitude and a little device of her own which enabled her to handle her rifle without fear of instant death. ”

“ This was more than the prig could bear in silence. "I have a little girl at home," said he; "she is about your age, but she doesn't kick football, nor play ball, nor swing on the horizontal bar."
"Is she sick—or a cripple?" asked Gay, with polite interest.
"She is a lady," the prig answered.
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"She must be like our Alice," said Gay, ignoring the prig's sarcasm. "Alice is so quiet and nice that mother often allows her in the drawing-room when there's a tea or anything. Alice is pretty; her hair is long and the color of molasses candy, and Jane braids it for her and ties it with ribbons. ”

“ The General, as we know, was a man of quick temper; when Philip's whisper reached his ear he strode forward and thrust his hand in May's blouse pocket, hoping, it is true, that the match would not be there. Alas! it was there, and the General drew it forth and held it up before everybody.
"What do you mean, sir, by refusing to tell me who set the fire when you did it yourself!" thundered the General. "Why didn't you own up like a man!" ”

“ To wear with the plainer lawn dress he selected a black sash, since he must wear one, as being more quiet and gentleman-like. In honor of the occasion he took some pains with his hands, but forgot to take off his tennis shoes until Margery reminded him of it.
"You must put on better shoes, Miss May," Margery said, who had been invited up-stairs to tie the black sash. "And why don't you put on one of those pretty bright sashes?"
"It isn't the thing to dress better than one's guests," said sly Gay, with a wise air. "You wouldn't want me to knock spots out of the girls, would you?" ”

“ Then he ran out of the house, Philip after him, while Sarah, followed by Phyllis blowing lustily on the horn that summoned the men-servants from the fields, brought up the rear.
In the meantime May, with pale cheeks and terrified eyes, was fighting fire, stamping, trampling and jumping and saying the while, "Why doesn't somebody come! Why doesn't somebody come!" ”

“ Gay was placed, and he was the first to go to the bat.
The pitcher smiled, as if to say, "Fair, high, or low ball, it will be just the same to a girl, I guess."
Gay saw the smile and it increased his determination to do his best and to help win the game for the home team.
"Play!" called the umpire, and the game commenced. ”

“ At the railway station, however, their spirits fell again, and while Thomas bought their tickets Gay and May reviewed the situation.
"We must just brave it out," said Gay, gloomily, for the prospect was less pleasing than at first. "It wouldn't do to go home and disturb mother and she'd be sure to hear of it; then what would the doctor say?"
"If we were only going together!" sighed May. "But just fancy me at Cedarville and Uncle Harold thinking I'm a boy!"
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"Fancy me," said Gay, "trying to be lady-like and the aunties not knowing that I'm a boy!"
"You can't be lady-like," laughed May. ”

“ You always think you've done something wrong when Aunt Beulah looks at you—at least I do, but I've been doing it ever since I came, doing wrong for a girl, I mean, not for a boy, for I've only acted like myself. John is a very nice man. He was in the War. He is one of the nicest men I Have ever Met. He has a scar on his cheek, a soldier did it for him in the War. He has a splendid nephew Patsey and I have seen him. His Muscle is immense. John lets me feed the cows and to-morrow if I am well I shall feed the pigs, but I may have the lockjaw. People do that are wounded. ”

“ Sarah at the tea-table made an exceedingly pleasing picture. Her comely figure was clad in a remarkable flowered brilliant, of a style so ancient, as [27] to suggest the thought that she had robbed the cedar chest of an old-time gentlewoman to procure it. A fine lawn kerchief and an apron of the same material completed an attire as picturesque as that of Mistress This or Dame That in some old comedy.
Nor was General Haines' appearance less picturesque than that of his housekeeper. He prided himself upon being and looking "a gentleman of the old school." ”