Part 2 (1/2)

Early in the morning she awoke to find that Dan was hot and restless.

Dan, although he had enjoyed himself vastly the day before, had not been treated judiciously. The many sweet-meats that the children had insisted on giving him had upset his baby digestion. He awoke peevish, heavy-eyed, and highly feverish. Netty, who idolised him, went straight to her Mother to ask her opinion with regard to him.

”He's not well,” said Netty; ”he's not well a bit. I had best go at once and see the doctor, or take him round to the sixpenny dispensary.”

Mrs. Floss turned towards the bed where the baby lay, pulled down the clothes, and looked at him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _There never in all the world could be a second day like this!_]

”There's nothing the matter with the child,” she said. ”Don't you get fussing with your silly ways; the child's all right.”

”He's not, Mother. I am sure he ought to have medicine of some sort.”

”There, there, don't be silly,” said the woman. ”I am going out for a day's charing, and have no time to be bothered. Look after Dan and do your duty. I expect he took a chill yesterday when you took him to Battersea Park; so now you must stay at home and nurse him back to health.”

Poor little Netty smiled rather faintly.

”You're looking dead-beat yourself,” said the woman. ”I can't make out what's come to all of you. There's Ben hadn't any appet.i.te for his good plain breakfast. Now, you go and look after baby; I'm glad it's Sat.u.r.day: you needn't be at school.”

The day was hot, even hotter than the previous one. Mrs. Floss started off on her charing expedition, and Netty sat on the doorstep with the sick baby. Dan grew worse each moment. He could scarcely open his languid eyes, his little face was deadly pale, and at times a shudder ran through his frame.

Mrs. Court came and looked at him ominously. ”You'd better have left him with me,” she said. ”He's eaten something that has disagreed with him, and now he'll have convulsions and die.”

”Oh! don't say such cruel things,” cried poor Netty.

Mrs. Court hobbled back to her room, and Netty sat on with an awestruck look on her face. Presently she stooped down and kissed the baby on his brow. He was stirring restlessly. Netty felt that she loved him better even than Ben, better than anything else in the world.

”Don't you go, and die, baby,” she said, in a low whisper. And now the baby, just as if he heard the words and understood them, opened his sweet blue eyes, and looked her full in the face, and then he gave a faint smile and shut his eyes again, and she heard him breathing quickly, and the next moment a spasm crossed his little face.

Netty could stand it no longer.

”I must take him to someone; but I haven't a penny in the world. Oh!

what shall I do? I know: I'll go to Mrs. Holmes, that kind lady; she'll tell me what to do for Dan. She may punish me, she may do what she likes, for I'll tell her the whole gospel truth, if only she'll save Dan.”

Netty staggered to her feet; there was resolution on her little face.

Mrs. Holmes had taken a fancy to the child who loved the baby so well, and on parting the night before she had said to her:

”I have just moved into a new house, Susy Minchin, and as perhaps you do not know of the change, will you tell your Mother this is my new address,” and then she repeated it slowly twice to the child: ”5, George-street, Bloomsbury. Now, you will remember that, little girl, won't you? and when I want your Mother to come to do a day's charing I will let her know.”

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Netty had scarcely listened at the time. What did it matter to her? for she was not Susy Minchin: she was Netty Floss.

But now like a ray of suns.h.i.+ne the memory of this address crossed her mind.

George-street, Bloomsbury, was a long way off, but Netty was a brave walker. It took two hours, carrying that heavy baby, to get there, and as she walked the baby's face frightened her more and more, but with the aid of several friendly policemen she did get at last to George-street.