The story
“Harry Burton is Helen’s only brother. He is a steady-going young man and as fond of children as a bachelor uncle can be. Still he does not yearn for exclusive control of his two nephews, Budge and Toddie, aged respectively five and three, so when a letter comes from Helen asking him to take charge of her house, and incidentally of her babies, for two weeks, while she and her husband go on a vacation, he is not overjoyed. Only one seemingly very unimportant item, which Helen has carelessly added in a postscript, makes the situation bearable. ‘Alice Mayton, whom you will remember, with her mother, is at the summer hotel near here,’ is the information. Harry has a very decided, though carefully concealed, affection for Alice Mayton, so he accepts Helen’s invitation. Budge and Toddie meet their uncle down the road. In the morning, Helen’s babies awaken their uncle at five o’clock so that he may have a long day to enjoy their company. When he leaves his room they thoughtfully unpack his trunk for him, and all through the day lead him from one very unbecoming adventure to another.
“The babies play one prank after another on their poor, helpless uncle. The climax comes when the young man tries to send to Miss Mayton a box of flowers. He carefully packs the roses in a cardboard box, and writes on a bit of card, ‘Please accept these as a token of my esteem. They always remind me of you with all your grace and beauty.’ Miss Mayton opens the box and finds two very dirty and very disreputable rag dolls. The little prank of Budge and Toddie almost costs their uncle the friendship of the girl, but when she finally learns that the children had thrown the roses out of the box, after Harry had ordered the man to take them to her, and had placed their doll babies in the box as a cradle, she forgave them all. After the return of Helen and her husband, Harry determines to make known to the beautiful charmer the true state of his affection for her. He goes to call on her, but as he sits beside her his courage fails him. Suddenly Helen’s angel babies appear and eye the two gravely. ‘When I love anybody, I kiss ’em,’ said wise little Budge. Harry looked at Alice, who laughed and said archly, ‘I think that’s a good idea.’ and the bashful uncle folded her in his arms.”
Summary from Reel Life · 18 September 1915
