The Adventurous Seven | Page 8

with the dignified Roberts, and
then trooped off in the highest spirits, talking eagerly of the voyage and
the wonderful things they would do when they reached the other side of
the world.
"It is almost too good to be true!" cried Sylvia, dancing along on the
tips of her toes. "Race me to the gate, Rumple, so that I may get some

of this excitement out of my brain, for I am sure that it can't be good for
me, and it will never do to fall ill at this juncture."
"I can't run; I'm thinking," replied Rumple, with a heavy frown. He was
finding difficulties at the very outset in his poem, because of the
seeming impossibility of finding any word which would rhyme with
Runciman.
"We will race you," shouted Don and Billykins together, and, dropping
the handle of the bath chair, they set off at full tear, while Sylvia came
helter-skelter after them, her long legs helping not a little in
overhauling the small boys, who had a distinct advantage by getting
away so smartly at the first.
Rupert and Ducky clapped, cheered, and shouted encouragements to all
the competitors, while Nealie and Rumple hurried the chair along so
that they might view the finish from a distance; and they all were too
much engrossed to notice a discontented lady who was approaching the
drive from a side alley, and who was not a little scandalized at the noise
and commotion caused by the seven in their departure.
The lady was Mrs. Runciman, and she walked on to the house, feeling
very much annoyed, her thin lips screwed into a disagreeable pucker
and her eyes flashing angrily.
"I thought that I told you I did not care to have those Plumstead
children hanging about the place," she remarked in an acid tone to her
husband, whom she met in the hall as she entered by the big front door.
"You will not see them here many more times. I am sending them out
to their father," he answered briefly, adding hastily: "I think that the
money Aunt Judith left behind her to be used for their benefit will
about cover the expense, and it will mean the solving of a good many
problems."
"I hope it will," she said as she turned away.
It had never occurred to her to look upon the seven in any other light

than that of a burden to be ignored, or got rid of as speedily as possible.
And because she did not like them, the children, as a matter of course,
did not like her.
They did not particularly care for Mr. Runciman, but he at least always
treated them properly, and they guessed that he would have been kinder
still if only Mrs. Runciman had permitted it.
But when he went back to his library, and with pencil and paper began
to estimate the probable cost of sending the seven to New South Wales,
he soon found that the little fund left by Aunt Judith would need a lot
of supplementing.
"Ah, well, something must be done for the poor things, and if that is
what they want, they shall have it," he muttered, as he shook his head
in a thoughtful fashion.
CHAPTER III
The Emigrants
"Oh, Nealie, it is a most beautiful ship, and bigger than Bodstead
Church!" cried Ducky, rushing up to her eldest sister and flinging
herself into the arms held out to her. She and Sylvia had rushed below
to find their berths, while Nealie was still standing on deck by the side
of Mr. Runciman, who had himself escorted them to London to see
them safely on board the big liner which was to take them to Sydney.
Events had marched so fast in the last fortnight that sometimes Nealie
had wondered if she were really dreaming. For the first time in her life
she was realizing what a lot of things money can do. Mr. Runciman had
told her that Aunt Judith had left a little money to be used for the
benefit of the seven. He had not told her how much it was, but had
merely said it would be enough to cover the cost of their journey, and
so they could start as soon as they pleased. And because of the fear
there was in her heart lest her father should send word they were not to
come, she had declared that she was ready to set off as soon as berths
could be secured for them.

Perhaps Mr. Runciman was also afraid that Dr. Plumstead would cable
that they were not to come, for he certainly spared neither time nor
money to facilitate their going, using so much energy in the
preparations that his servants were about equally divided in