"Well, I am no kind of fairy, Eunice. I am an uncle. Do you know what an uncle is?" Mr. Latham inquired.
"O Eunice, an uncle can be the nicest person in the world!" Mollie exclaimed. "And that is what Mr. Latham is going to be to you. Kiss him, and tell him you mean to be good."
Mr. Winthrop Latham and little Indian Eunice kissed each other shyly and solemnly. But in that kiss their affection was sealed.
What Reginald Latham and his mother thought of the discovery of the relationship between Eunice and Mr. Winthrop Latham may be easily imagined. Eunice as his niece would undoubtedly inherit a large portion of his fortune. And how was Reginald to be provided for? Bent on the effort to conceal the relationship, Reginald and his mother had started long before dawn to walk up to the grandmother's hut, and, as the old squaw had explained, had met her on the side of the hill. They had tried to induce her to give them the name of the man in Stockbridge who knew of Eunice's parentage, but the old woman was obdurate. Failing in this, mother and son had returned to their home.
"Bab, will you come out on the hotel driveway a minute?" Ruth asked of Barbara. Miss Sallie and the girls were back in Lenox. Little Eunice was, for the present, staying at their hotel with them.
"I am not dressed, Ruth, dear. I shall join you in a minute," Bab called back to her. "What's the matter?"
"Wait and see, lady mine," sang Ruth. "But do, do hurry. Mollie, Grace and I are waiting for you, and there is another friend with us whom you will be de-lighted to see!"
"Neither one this time!" Ruth declared. "But now I must fly back. If you wish to know what is going on, hurry along."
On the hotel driveway Bab first discovered Mr. Winthrop Latham with Aunt Sallie and Eunice. Eunice had her hand in her uncle's. They had grown to be great friends.
A little farther on Barbara spied Ruth, Mollie and Grace. Near them stood a stable boy. He was leading a beautiful little horse about by the bridle. It was Beauty.
Barbara looked around for Dorothy or Gwendolin Morton. However, neither of the girls could be seen.
But Barbara had already run up to Beauty.
"O girls, I believe she knows me!" Bab exclaimed in delight. The little horse neighed as Bab stroked its glossy neck. It put its pretty nose down near her hand and sniffed. Beauty plainly expected a lump of sugar as a reward for her morning call.