Part 5 (1/2)

”In a few days perhaps he may,” said Mrs. Ross. ”He will seem better in a few days, for he has had a great shock besides the hurt to his back, and he must have time to get over it; but I think you had better do _some_ lessons, Chrissie--those that you have separately from Ferdy.

Flowers or I will sit beside him a good part of the day, and I hope he will sleep a good deal. If he does not seem much better in a day or two we shall have to get a nurse.”

”Oh, I hope not,” said Chrissie. ”Ferdy wouldn't like a stranger.”

”Well, we shall see,” said Mrs. Ross. ”Now you may go to Ferdy, dear.”

And Chrissie ran off. She was startled, but still not _very_ sad. She was so delighted to be with her brother again after a whole day's separation, and proud too of being trusted to take care of him. But it was going to be more difficult for her than she knew, for, as you will remember, Ferdy had made up his mind to ask Christine if she could tell him what the doctors really thought of him.

He looked so much better than the day before that she could scarcely believe there was much the matter, and he looked still better when he caught sight of her--his whole face lighted up with smiles.

”Oh, Chrissie,” he called out, ”how glad I am you've come! It seems such a long time since I saw you. You do look so nice this morning.”

So she did--she was a very pretty little girl, especially when her cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright, as they were just now.

”_You_ look much better too, Ferdy,” she said, ”quite different from yesterday. Have you had a good night?”

”_Pretty_ good,” said Ferdy in rather a melancholy tone. ”I am getting tired of staying in bed.”

Chrissie's heart sank--”tired of staying in bed,” and this scarcely the second day of it! What would he do if it went on for weeks--perhaps months? She felt glad, however, that she knew the truth; it would make her be very careful in what she said.

”I wouldn't mind so much,” he went on, ”if I knew how long it'd be. And I don't like to ask mamma for fear of making her sad, _in case_ it was to be for a long while. Chrissie,” and here he fixed his blue eyes--so like his mother's--on his sister's face, ”_do_ you think it'll be a very long while? Do you think,” and his voice grew still more solemn, ”that p'r'aps I'll never be able to stand or walk again?”

Chrissie's heart was beating fast. She was so glad to be able with truth to answer cheerfully.

”Oh no, Ferdy dear. I really do think you'll be able to get up and be dressed before very long. But I should think the quieter you keep just now the quicker you'll get better. And it's so nice in this room, and you can see so nicely out of the window. You don't want to get up just yet, do you--not till you feel stronger? Mamma says you'll feel much stronger in a few days.”

”Does she?” said Ferdy, brightening; ”then the doctors must have told her. I'm so glad. No, I don't really want to get up--at least I don't feel as if I _could_--that's what bothers me. I am not sorry in my body to stay in bed, but in my mind I'm all in a fidget. I keep fancying things,” and he hesitated.

”What sort of things?” asked Chrissie. She had a feeling that it was better for him to tell her all that was on his mind.

He tried to do so. He told her how the day before, when he was quite well and so very happy, his thoughts had somehow wandered to people whose lives were very different from his, and how this morning these thoughts had come back again, the same yet different.

”Chrissie,” he said, ”I don't think I could bear it if I was never to get well again.”

It was very hard for the little sister to keep her self-control. If Mrs.

Ross had known how Ferdy was going to talk to Chrissie, very probably she would not have told her all she had done. But Chrissie seemed to have grown years older in a few hours.

”And yet there must be lots of people who do bear it--just what you were saying yourself,” said Chrissie thoughtfully. ”I suppose they get accustomed to it.”

”I think it must be more than getting accustomed to make them really seem happy,” said Ferdy. ”P'r'aps it's something to do with not being selfish.”

”Yes,” said Chrissie, ”I'm sure it has. You see they'd know that if they always seemed unhappy it would make their friends unhappy too. And then--”

”What?” said Ferdy.

”I was only thinking that mamma says people can always do _something_ for other people. And that makes you happier yourself than anything, you know, Ferdy.”

Ferdy lay still, thinking.

”That was partly what was in my mind,” he said at last. ”Such lots of thinkings have come since yesterday, Chrissie--you'd hardly believe. I was thinking that _supposing_ I could never run about, or do things like other boys, what a trouble I'd be to everybody, and no good.”