CHAPTER IV

CINDERELLA'S FAIRY GODMOTHER

HELTER-SKELTER down the stairs ran the three elder Snowdens, Marcia following in their rear, tightly clasping Ella's hand.

"Uncle Phil! Uncle Phil! is it really you?" cried Kenneth, who was one of the first to greet the new-comer.

The rest crowded round him delightedly.

"Yes, I believe it is," was the reply, given in the cheery voice of one who was well-pleased with his welcome. "But, there, kiddies, leave me in peace a minute; I have scarcely said 'How d'ye do!' to the mother yet."

With this, the stalwart young naval doctor flung his arms around Mrs. Snowden's neck, bestowing upon her a brotherly salute. Then came quite a hub-bub of greetings, and questionings as to how it was he had come thus unexpectedly.

"Bless you, my children," was the laughing reply, "you want to know too much. I thought I'd spring a surprise upon you all, and I've done so. I hope it hasn't been too much for your feelings."

"It has," said Rupert, with mock solemnity. "As Nurse says, 'you could have knocked me down with a feather.'"

"H'm! I dare say, you impudent young monkey. What ho!" This ejaculation was caused by Dr. Carteret, for such was Uncle Phil's name, catching sight of Ella. "Another of 'em. Come here, youngster, and say 'How d'ye do!'"

Ella advanced shyly, holding out her hand in polite greeting.

"And who may you be?" asked the doctor. "I don't seem to know your face. And what's the matter with your arm, pray?"

"Please, I'm Ella Russell," answered the child, blushing rosily, too bashful to enter into details regarding her arm.

"Russell! Now, that's funny. One of the nicest and bravest chaps I met while I was in South Africa was named Russell—Gordon Russell."

Ella's whole face was lit up with delight.

"Oh," she cried, "that must be my father, for his name is Gordon, and he is as brave—as a lion!"

"Yes, I agree with you." All on a sudden Dr. Carteret's voice had grown strangely quiet. "But for this father of yours, little Ella," he went on, "I shouldn't be here to-day."

"What do you mean, Phil dear?" asked Mrs. Snowden wonderingly.

"Well, to make a long story short, Bert Crofton—you know Bert Crofton, son of old Sir James, up at Berryland Grange—and I were out bathing one day in the river. Suddenly the poor chap was taken with cramp, and seeing he was in difficulties I swam up to him; he seized on me like an octopus and dragged me under, so that I was helpless. We were both pretty well done for when Russell swam out to our rescue. He must have been a practised hand at life-saving, for he gripped hold of Crofton in just the right way, and got him to land. Then, when I was about exhausted, for Crofton had nearly been the death of me, he managed to bring me in safety to the shore, and here I am to tell the tale."

Ella's eyes were shining like stars. "That's just like father," she said, her voice all a-quiver. "Please, did he say," she added, half pathetically, "when he was coming home?"

"No, little girl, he didn't. He's working pretty hard out there, I can tell you. One of these fine days he'll pay you a surprise visit I suspect, like I've done to these youngsters—that'll be first-rate, won't it?"

Ella nodded her head. Tears of excitement and delight were too near the surface for speech.

"Didn't I tell you, Cinderella," said Kenneth, "that Uncle Phil's yarns would make your hair curl? I declare now, it's getting quite a woolly mop."

Kenneth's fun chased away all the tears, and Ella's face grew quite sunshiny again. The next hour sped as on wings, and all too soon, so it seemed to Ella, Molly, her grandmother's little maid, called to take her home. So ended one of the happiest afternoons and evenings she had ever spent.

Uncle Phil's visit meant a series of delights for the young ones, to say nothing of the beautiful presents he had brought for them all.

"I've never given that little chum of yours, Ella Russell, a present," said Dr. Carteret to Marcia one morning. "I wonder what she would like."

Marcia, who by this time was almost herself again, answered readily enough.

"Don't you think, Uncle Phil dear, you'd better call and ask her. I believe she'd like a book best of all, but I don't know for certain."

"I'll just run round, Marcia, and find out for myself;" said Uncle Phil; "that's a very good thought of yours." And a few minutes later, he acted on his words.

It was by no means his first visit to Rose Cottage. Indeed, he had called so frequently during the ten days he had been at the Hall that he and Mrs. Russell were now on the best of terms. The old lady, upon knowing that he had met her son in South Africa, so far unbent as to make him welcome at any time; as for Ella, her pleasure in seeing him was undoubted.

Dr. Carteret found the child busy dusting the little parlour, Mrs. Russell being occupied in the kitchen beyond.

"Hullo, Cinderella!" said the young doctor cheerily. He had taken a fancy to Kenneth's name for the little girl, and rarely called her anything else.

After their first greetings were over, he told her that he had something important to say.

"I want you to make believe I'm your Fairy Godmother," he said; "just for a minute, if you please."

Ella burst into a merry laugh. "I can't," she replied, "'cause you haven't got a sugar-loaf hat."

"Well, I don't see that that matters," said Dr. Carteret with an amused smile. "Come, shut your eyes, and don't look at me. Now tell me what you would like your Fairy Godmother to do for you."

"To make my arm well first," said Ella, entering into the spirit of the joke; "then to send me to school, next—"

"Gracious me!" replied the doctor. "Your Fairy Godmother has got something to do!"

"Oh, I haven't finished yet," laughed Ella; "I want a lot of things for Grannie, and something for Molly, and—"

"What about yourself, Cinderella?"

"Oh, I should like a nice warm blue frock, and a fur and a muff, and a red tam o' shanter. After that I don't want anything else, only my dear daddy, and I want him more than all."

At this moment Mrs. Russell herself came into the room, and the conversation was turned into another channel.

A little later on, "Cinderella's" Fairy Godmother left the house with a very thoughtful expression on his kindly face. Strange to say, instead of making his way straight back to the Hall, as he had originally intended, he went to Berryland Grange, where lived old Sir James Crofton, a man possessed of considerable wealth, and of one of the kindest hearts in the world. The result of Dr. Carteret's visit was very soon made apparent.

A few days later, whilst Ella and her grandmother were sitting at breakfast, the postman brought a letter, the contents of which caused the old lady considerable surprise. She read it through twice over, and then, with trembling fingers, put it back into its envelope.

Ella, on the alert for news of her father, asked if the letter were from South Africa.

"No, my dear, it is not," was the reply; "but you can read it all the same, as it has to do with you."

Ella then read the epistle, her eyes glistening very brightly meanwhile.