"MabelCHawley-FourLittleBlossomsOnAppleTreeIsland" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hawley Mabel C)

Then he lost his balance and the cage shot over the side of the car.
"Oh, dear," sighed Twaddles. "I didn't mean to drop it, Daddy. Honestly, it
slipped."
Father Blossom looked rather grim, for his patience with the useless cage was
sorely tried.
"I'll get it," shouted the solitary walker, who had turned on hearing the car
and now ran back toward the Blossoms.
He was a pleasant-faced man, rather shabbily dressed, with a soft felt hat
pulled well down over honest gray eyes. He handed the cage up to Twaddles
smiling and revealing a set of square, even white teeth. Father Blossom started
as the light fell clearly across the man's face.
"Dick Harley!" he ejaculated. "Where did you drop from?"
The man pushed his hat back and his smile changed to a slow, sheepish grin. His
hair was quite gray at the temples and Meg privately decided that he must be
old.
"Well, well, Mr. Blossom!" he exclaimed, plainly pleased. "You're the last
person I ever expected to meet right here. This your family?"
"Get in, if you're going our way," said Father Blossom cordially. "Margaret, you
remember Dick Harley?"
Mother Blossom held out her hand.
"Of course I do, though it has been several years since we've seen each other,"
she said pleasantly. "Oh, there's plenty of room, Mr. Harley. You sit with Mr.
Blossom and I'll take Dot on my lap."
Dot was passed over the back seat, and Mr. Harley sat in the front seat with
Twaddles between him and Father Blossom.
"This your family?" he repeated. "Which is the little feller I used to hold in
my lap?"
"That was Bobby," smiled Mother Blossom. "He's seven years old now. This is Meg,
and the two youngsters are our twins, Twaddles and Dot. We're going to Apple
Tree Island. I have never been back sinceЧ"
She stopped, afraid that perhaps she had recalled painful memories to Mr.
Harley. But his attractive smile slowly overspread his face again.
"That so?" he said with interest. "I haven't been there myself in quite a spell.
I expect the boys have grown out of sight. I'm on my way now to see the wife and
kids."
The Blossom family remained perfectly silent. What could they say?
CHAPTER VIII. OLD BROOKSIDE FRIENDS
"Yes," repeated Mr. Harley comfortably. "I don't suppose the boys will know me.
Dick must be ten now, and Herbert's a year older. I calculate to stay over
to-night with Joe Gates and his wife in Pomona (that's why you folks overtook me
walking along this road) and he'll row me up to the island."
The four little Blossoms wriggled uneasily. Even Dot and Twaddles, young as they
were, could guess something of what Mr. Harley's sorrow would be when he learned
that no wife and children waited for his coming on pretty Apple Tree Island. Meg
glanced at Mother Blossom. That lady shook her head slightly, as a signal not to
speak.
"Isn't that a sign of spring water for sale?" said Father Blossom suddenly.
"Hand me the vacuum bottles, Margaret, please, and I'll have them filled. The
children may be thirsty again before we get to Polly's. Dick, will you help me?
We've a bottle for each youngster and they're slippery things to handle."