Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/397

Rh play a game than read aloud. I’m awfully tired of that ‘Holy Roman Empire’ that you ’ve been making me read  to you this week; I don’t understand a word of it.”

“Of course not,” and the young man shook his head; “that’s your penance for having thrown me off my bicycle. It’s your duty now to help me keep my standing in college.”

“That’s a pretty poor pun!” exclaimed Julia, from the corner where she had seated herself with a book.

“It certainly is,” responded Brenda. But Arthur took no notice of their criticism. Already he had begun to arrange his men on the board, and apparently was planning his campaign.

Thus for Julia and Brenda the last week or two of the summer ended, in the care of a very lively invalid who  insisted that one or the other of the two should always  be ready to amuse him. We may call these the last weeks of summer, even though the month was really October. For on the North Shore it is “summer” with the cottagers until they return to the city. Arthur left Rockley a week before Mrs. Barlow and her family went up to Boston. He leaned a little on the crutch which his brother had sent him, and which his doctor had insisted on his  using; but he was bright and cheerful as ever.

“I forgive you, sister-in-law,” he called to Brenda, as he stepped aboard the car.

“We shall miss him,” said Mrs. Barlow, with a sigh, as she turned away “Arthur certainly has been a great  addition to our summer.”