But the mother began to see that a child’s life has its own little troubles, and she smiled appreciatively at Midget, as she picked up the pencil from the floor for the twentieth time, and replaced it on the back of her hand, now stiff and lame from the unwonted restraint.

“You dear old darling!” cried Midget, flying over and kissing the patient musician; “you sha’n’t do that any longer!  I declare, King, it’s clearing off, after all!  Let’s take the children out for a walk.”

“Very well, we will.  Oh, here comes Ruth!  Come in, Ruth.”

Ruth Rowland came in, and looked greatly mystified at the appearance of the elder members of the group before her.

But King and Midget explained what was going on, and said: 

“And you can be Aunt Ruth, come to call on us and our children.”

Ruth’s eyes danced with fun, and she sat down, saying to Marjorie, “I’m glad to see the children looking so well; have any of them the whooping-cough?  I hear it’s around some.”

“I have,” declared Cousin Jack, and then he began to cough and whoop in a most exaggerated imitation of the whooping-cough.  Indeed, in his paroxysms, he almost turned somersaults.

“I hab a bad cold id by head,” declared Mr. Maynard, and he began a series of such prodigious sneezes that all the others screamed with laughter.

“Well, your children aren’t so very well, after all, are they?” commented Ruth, as they watched the two men cutting up their capers.

“The girls are,” said Marjorie, looking affectionately at her two “daughters.”

“Oh, I’m not!” declared Mrs. Maynard; “I have a fearful toothache,” and she held her cheek in her hand, and rocked back and forth, pretending dreadful pain.

“And I have the mumps!” announced Cousin Ethel, puffing out her pretty pink cheeks, to make believe they were swollen with that ailment.

“Well, you’re a crowd of invalids!” said King; “I believe some fresh air would do you good.  Out you all go, for a walk.  Get your hats, kiddies, and be quick about it.”

The grown-ups scampered away to get their hats, and the ladies put up their hair properly and took off their white aprons.

The two men discarded their big collars and ties, but the game was not yet over, and the group went gayly out and down toward the beach.

“May we go in bathing, Mother?” asked Mr. Maynard.

“Not in bathing, my son,” returned Marjorie; “the waves are too strong.  But, if you wish, you may all take off your shoes and stockings and go ‘paddling.’”

However, none of the quartette of “children” accepted this permission, so they all sat on the sand and built forts.

“Now, I guess we’ll all go to the pier, and get ice cream,” said King.  “How would you like that, kiddies?”

“Fine!” said Cousin Jack.  “It’s getting warmer, and I’m hungering for ice cream.  Come on, all.”