Salvey, but the child did not otherwise resemble her mother. It was evident that the name Wren fitted her well--so small, so sweet, so timid, and with such a whispering voice!
Then, her eyes were brown, her hair was brown and, in spite of ill-health, there was a gleam of color in her delicate cheeks.
"What"s this?" asked Cora, stepping over to the child and touching a book in her lap.
"Oh, that--that is my story," replied Wren. "I want to tell you all about it. Will you have time to wait?" and she looked toward the window, through which could be seen the silent automobiles.
"Indeed, we will," replied Cora. "I am so anxious to hear all about it, and I am sure the others are. Do tell us, Wren," and Cora found a chair quite close to the one on wheels.
Cecilia was fairly "devouring the child." The others were plainly much interested. Belle, who evidently regarded the affair as her own particular "find," retained the slim hand of the invalid in that of her own healthy palm. Mrs. Salvey was smiling now--even the great sad eyes were throwing out a light, although the light did come from dark and uncertain depths.
Wren opened her book.
"This is my promise book," she began. "I have to tell you a long story about it. Then I will ask each of you to make me a promise--it is a very strange promise," she intoned most seriously. "But I know some day it will be kept. Some day all these promises will unite in one grand, great demand. Then Fate will have to answer."
CHAPTER V
A LITTLE BROWN WREN
The girls were awestricken.
Daisy, Maud, Hazel and Ray seemed to shrink closer together on the old mahogany sofa. Cora and the Robinson girls with Cecilia were grouped closely about the sick child.
"It"s all about grandfather," she began. "I had the dearest, darlingest grandfather, and since he went away I am so lonely. Only for mother," she added, with something like an apology. "Of course, I am never really lonely with mother."
Mrs. Salvey shook her head. Then she picked up the discarded sewing.
"You see," went on Wren, "we used to live with grandfather in a beautiful cottage right near the river. He was a sea captain, and couldn"t live away from the waves. Then I was strong enough to play on the sands."
Wren stopped. At the mention of her infirmity a cloud covered her young face. Presently she brightened up and resumed:
"But I am going to be strong again. When I find--"
She tossed her head back and seemed to see something beyond. For a moment no one spoke. The silence was, akin to reverence.
"Then," sighed the child, "when we lived by the ocean grandfather went out in a terrible storm--he said he had to go. And he never came back."
"Oh!" gasped Cora involuntarily.
Cecilia bent so close to Wren that her breath stirred the brown ringlets over the child"s ears.
"But, of course," declared the child vehemently, "he will come back.
If not here--in some other world."
"Dear," said Mrs. Salvey, "you had better make your story a little short. I am sure the young ladies will want to get over the roads before nightfall."
"Oh, it is quite early yet," declared Cecilia falsely, for the mantel clock pointed to six.
"I"ll hurry," promised Wren. "You see, this is the important part of it all. When we lived with grandpa he made a beautiful table--I even helped him to make it. There were tiny pieces of wood all inlaid with anchors, oars and sea emblems. I used to dip them in the hot glue for grandpa. Well, there were some secret drawers in that table, and grandpa told me that if anything should happen to him we must explore the table. Well, we went away--it was the time of my own father"s death--and when we came back the table was gone."
"Who took it?" demanded Cecilia sharply.
"Everything was sold--at auction--and no one could tell us anything about the table."
"You see," said Mrs. Salvey, "Wren thinks if we can find that table we will come into our own. Father was very fond of daughter, and the other relatives were so numerous that when the estate was equally divided it left very little for us. We thought the table might contain a will--"
"I know it did," declared Wren. "Didn"t grandpa show it to me once?
And now I want you each to sign the promise in my book. I shall read it over for you."
The child drew herself up straight, and held the book high between her hands. Then she read
""I, the undersigned, promise most sacredly to do all in my power to help discover the whereabouts of an antique inlaid table that has on either side carved a large anchor, and which has the initials cut on each end, W. S. and R. S."
These were mine and grandpa"s initials," she explained. "I was called Wren because his name was Renton." She resumed reading the promise:
""If ever I do discover this table I also promise to notify Wren Salvey immediately." Then you sign," she said. "There are pen and ink.
Mother always keeps them in the sitting-room for me."
Belle took the book. Pages were already filled with signatures.
"You must have a great many callers," she remarked, taking up the pen to sign.
"Oh, I take my book with me every time I go out," said Wren. "Sometimes mother takes me where there are a lot of people. I love to talk to folks."
"Of course you do," said Cora, filled with admiration for the mother who so humored the sick child. "And with all those promises, as you say, they must some day become a great, grand call, and so be answered."
"I hope you will hear the voice," said Wren fervently, and the day came when Cora remembered the child"s prayer.
The girls added their names to the long list. Wren required that they repeat the promise individually, and, indeed, it became a most solemn proceeding.
The storm had entirely subsided. It was time to be on the road again, and Cora stood up first to take her leave.
"We really must go," she said. "We have had a most delightful hour.
We shall never forget Wren, and, perhaps, some day we may return to fulfil our promise."
"I really feel that you will," declared the child. "I have never before met such--nice young ladies," and she blushed consciously. "I shall repeat your names many times--so that they will echo when I sleep."
Cecilia put her lips to the child"s forehead. She did not dare trust herself to speak.
"I am sure you will dream about us--we are such an army," said Daisy with a laugh. "Try to forget that we are just girls--"
"She"s an angel," interrupted Cecilia. "Don"t get her mixed up with mere girls."
Wren laughed--such a dainty little laugh. She looked at Daisy.