Part 7 (2/2)
The little fellow's lip quivered; and for a moment he looked quite vexed; but while his parents with anxious hearts waited to see whether he would submit cheerfully to parental authority, his brow cleared, and he exclaimed:
”You always do know best, mamma. I should admire to go; but I dare say papa will take me some time.”
Papa smiled, but said nothing. Mamma drew her son to her side, and kissed her approval of his conduct.
In five minutes he was trotting Whitefoot out of the yard, his smiles as bright, and his brow serene as ever.
CHAPTER XIII.
BERTIE'S REWARD.
At noon, Bertie was obliged to hurry through his lunch, in order to be back in time for the afternoon session, which commenced at one o'clock, so that it often happened that he did not see his father till night.
When he came into the house, he was eager to tell his mamma that at last he had attained the honor of being at the head of the arithmetic cla.s.s. He supposed of course his father had gone to the city, and did not therefore enquire for him. He only said:
”Please, mamma, don't tell papa when he comes home, because I want to tell him myself.”
”No, I promise,” answered mamma, smiling.
At the supper-table, his delight was great, therefore, when he found that instead of going to the city, Mr. Curtis had been to the town where the quarry of granite was.
”I concluded,” said papa, with a curious smile, ”that it would be a pleasure to go to the nursery in company with a boy who put aside his own wishes in order to please his mother. Dodge must get his ground ready, and wait till Sat.u.r.day for his trees.”
”Oh, papa! papa!!” shouted the boy, dancing with delight. ”I mean to be always good, you and mamma are so very kind.”
This was Thursday; on Sat.u.r.day morning at an early hour the Squire and his son were on their way to the nursery.
They drove Duke in the carriage to the depot station, and left him in a stable close by, so that he would be ready as soon as they returned from the city. Bertie was in the gayest of spirits. He sat by the window, watching the farmers at work in the fields, ploughing, harrowing, or making furrows for putting the seed into their land. He enjoyed all this vastly, because he understood how it ought to be done.
He was so absorbed in watching these operations as they whizzed along past one farm and then another, that he quite forgot the pleasant errand on which he was bound. But suddenly he was recalled to the present by a plaintive voice asking,--”Have a paper, sir? This morning's paper, sir, and all the telegram news.”
Mr. Curtis was absorbed in thought, and took no notice of the newsboy; but there was something in the sad voice, which awoke Bertie's quick sympathies.
”Papa! papa!” he repeated, pulling his father's arm, ”won't you please buy a paper? See how many the boy has left.”
”I've too much on my mind to care for newspapers, dear.”
Bertie raised himself till he could speak in his father's ear.
”Please, papa, see how sick he looks. Can't you buy one?”
The gentleman opened his pocket-book, and gave his son fifty cents.
”Use it as you please,” he said, softly.
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