Hildegarde's Holiday: A Story for Girls Read online

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  HILDEGARDE'S HOLIDAY

  THE

  HILDEGARDE-MARGARET SERIES

  By Laura E. Richards

  Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per volume, $1.75

  Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House The Merryweathers

  _The above eleven volumes boxed as a set, $19.25_

  L. C. PAGE & COMPANY 53 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.

  "'DO TELL US ABOUT HER, PLEASE!'"]

  THE HILDEGARDE SERIES

  Hildegarde's Holiday

  A STORY FOR GIRLS

  BY

  LAURA E. RICHARDS

  Author of

  "The Margaret Series," "The Hildegarde Series," "Captain January," "Melody," "Five Minute Stories," etc.

  ILLUSTRATED

  THE PAGE COMPANY

  BOSTON PUBLISHERS

  _Copyright, 1891_ BY ESTES AND LAURIAT

  Made in U. S. A.

  Twenty-fourth Impression, May, 1927 Twenty-fifth Impression, January, 1930

  THE COLONIAL PRESS C. H. SIMONDS CO., BOSTON, U. S. A.

  _To H. R._

  CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. INTRODUCTORY 11

  II. MISS WEALTHY 20

  III. THE ORCHARD 34

  IV. THE DOCTORS 53

  V. ON THE RIVER 74

  VI. A MORNING DRIVE 94

  VII. A "STORY EVENING" 126

  VIII. FLOWER-DAY 151

  IX. BROKEN FLOWERS 178

  X. THE HOUSE IN THE WOOD 201

  XI. "UP IN THE MORNING EARLY" 222

  XII. BENNY 241

  XIII. A SURPRISE 254

  XIV. TELEMACHUS GOES A-FISHING 278

  XV. THE GREAT SCHEME 300

  XVI. THE WIDOW BRETT 314

  XVII. OLD MR. COLT 337

  XVIII. JOYOUS GARD 354

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  PAGE"'DO TELL US ABOUT HER, PLEASE!'" (p. 128) _Frontispiece_"'AND EVERYTHING IS RIGHT FOR SUPPER, MARTHA?'" 23"'DO SAY IT'S ALL RIGHT, JEREMIAH!'" 77"THEN THEY HUGGED EACH OTHER A LITTLE" 111"'DON'T YOU THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH FLOWERS, ROSY?'" 174"SO DOWN PLUMPED HILDEGARDE" 194"'OH, SUCH A DEE OLE KITTY!'" 247"'NOT A THING IN THE HOUSE!'" 333

  HILDEGARDE'S HOLIDAY.

  CHAPTER I.

  INTRODUCTORY.

  In a small waiting-room at Blank Hospital a girl was walking up anddown, with quick, impatient steps. Every few minutes she stopped tolisten; then, hearing no sound, she resumed her walk, with hands claspedand lips set firmly together. She was evidently in a state of highnervous excitement, for the pupils of her eyes were so dilated that theyflashed black as night instead of gray; and a bright red spot burned ineither cheek. In the corner, in an attitude of anxious dejection, sat asmall dog. He had tried following his mistress at first, when she beganher walk, and finding that the promenade took them nowhere and was verymonotonous, had tried to vary the monotony by worrying her heels in aplayful manner; whereupon he had been severely reprimanded, and sentinto the corner, from which he dared not emerge. He was trying, with hisusual lack of success, to fathom the motives which prompted human beingsto such strange and undoglike actions, when suddenly a door opened, anda lady and gentleman came in. The girl sprang forward. "Mamma!" shecried. "Doctor!"

  "It is all right, my dear," said the doctor, quickly; while the lady,whose name was Mrs. Grahame, took the girl in her arms quietly, andkissed her. "It is all right; everything has gone perfectly, and in afew days your lovely friend will be better than she has ever been sinceshe was a baby."

  Hildegarde Grahame sat down, and leaning her head on her mother'sshoulder, burst into tears.

  "Exactly!" said the good doctor. "The best thing you could do, my child!Do you want to hear the rest now, or shall I leave it for your mother totell?"

  "Let her hear it all from you, Doctor," said Mrs. Grahame. "It will doher more good than anything else."

  Hildegarde looked up and nodded, and smiled through her tears.

  "Well," said the cheerful physician, "Miss Angel (her own name is animpossibility, and does not belong to her) has really borne theoperation wonderfully. Marvellously!" he repeated. "The constitution,you see, was originally good. There was a foundation to work upon; thatmeans everything, in a case like this. Now all that she requires is tobe built up,--built up! Beef tea, chicken broth, wine jelly, and assoon as practicable, fresh air and exercise,--there is your programme,Miss Hildegarde; I think I can depend upon you to carry it out."

  The girl stretched out her hand, which he grasped warmly. "Dear, gooddoctor!" she said; whereupon the physician growled, and went and lookedout of the window.

  "And how soon will she be able to walk?" asked the happy Hildegarde,drying her eyes and smiling through the joyful tears. "And when may Isee her, Doctor? and how does she look, Mamma darling?"

  "_Place aux dames!_" said the Doctor. "You may answer first, Mrs.Grahame, though your question came last."

  "Dear, she looks like a white rose!" replied Mrs. Grahame. "She issleeping quietly, with no trace of pain on her sweet face. Her breathingis as regular as a baby's; all the nurses are coming on tiptoe to lookat her, and they all say, 'Bless her!' when they move away."

  "My turn now," said Dr. Flower. "You may see her, Miss Hildegarde, theday after to-morrow, if all goes well, as I am tolerably sure it will;and she will be able to walk--well, say in a month."

  "Oh! a month!" cried Hildegarde, dolefully. "Do you mean that she cannotwalk at all till then, Doctor?"

  "Why, Hilda!" said Mrs. Grahame, in gentle protest. "Pink has not walkedfor fourteen years, remember; surely a month is a very short time forher to learn in."

  "I suppose so," said the girl, still looking disappointed, however.

  "Oh, she will _begin_ before that!" said Dr. Flower. "She will begin inten days, perhaps. Little by little, you know,--a step at a time. In afortnight she may go out to drive; in fact, carriage exercise will be avery good thing for her. An easy carriage, a gentle horse, a carefuldriver--"

  "Oh, you best of doctors!" cried Hildegarde, her face glowing again withdelight. "Mamma, is not that exactly what we want? I do believe we cando it, after all. You see, Doctor--Oh, tell him, Mammy dear! You willtell him so much better."

  "Hildegarde has had a very delightful plan for this summer, Doctor,"said Mrs. Graham, "ever since you gave us the happy hope that thisoperation, after the year of treatment, would restore our dear Rose tocomplete health. A kinswoman of mine, a very lovely old lady, who livesin Maine, spent a part of last winter with us, and became muchinterested in Rose,--or Pink, as we used to call her."

  "But we _don't_ call her so now, Mammy!" cried Hildegarde, impetuously."Rose is exactly as much her own name, and she likes it much better;and even Bubble says it is prettier. But I _didn't_ mean to
interrupt,Mammy dear. Go on, please!"

  "So," continued Mrs. Grahame, smiling, "Cousin Wealthy invited the twogirls to make her a long visit this summer, as soon as Rose should beable to travel. I am sure it would be a good thing for the child, if youthink the journey would not be too much for her; for it is a lovelyplace where Cousin Wealthy lives, and she would have the best of care."

  "Capital!" cried Dr. Flower; "the very thing! She _shall_ be able totravel, my dear madam. We will pack her in cotton wool if necessary; butit will not be necessary. It is now--let me see--May 10th; yes, quiteso! By the 15th of June you may start on your travels, Miss Hildegarde.There is a railway near your cousin's home, Mrs Grahame?"

  "Oh, yes!" cried Hilda. "It goes quite near, doesn't it, Mamma?"

  "Within two or three miles," said Mrs. Grahame; "and the carriage roadis very good."

  "That is settled, then!" said Dr. Flower, rising; "and a very good thingtoo. And now I must go at once and tell the good news to that brightlad, Miss Rose's brother. He is at school, I think you said?"

  "Yes," replied Hildegarde. "He said he would rather not know the exactday, since he could not be allowed to help. Good Bubble! he has been sopatient and brave, though I know he has thought of nothing else day andnight. Thank you, Doctor, for being so kind as to let him know.Good-by!"

  But when Dr. Flower went out into the hall, he saw standing opposite thedoor a boy, neatly dressed and very pale, with burning eyes, which methis in an agony of inquiry.

  "She is all right," said the physician, quickly. "She is doing extremelywell, and will soon be able to walk like other people. How upon earthdid you know?" he added, in some vexation, seeing that the sudden relieffrom terrible anxiety was almost more than the lad could bear. "Whatidiot told you?"

  Bubble Chirk gave one great sob; but the next moment he controlledhimself. "Nobody told me," he said; "I knew. I can't tell you how, sir,but--I knew!"