Part 11 (1/2)

Lulu Bell, hearing the story from her father, came at once to see the interesting addition to the Hamilton household, and the three children spent a delightful afternoon together, the little girls teaching Jack several new games, and being taught several themselves in return. Betty, coming in for a few moments to see how her brother was getting on, found them all laughing heartily over ”My Grandmother's Cat.” Jack's eyes were fairly dancing, and there was a brighter tinge of color in his cheeks than she had seen there in many a day. Poor Betty's heart was very heavy that day, and, somehow, the sight of Jack's happiness--a happiness in which she had no share--caused her to feel almost angry, although she could not have told why. It was the first time in his life that Jack had ever enjoyed anything in which his sister had not an equal share.

Winifred greeted Betty very kindly, and Jack begged her to stay and join in the fun, but the little girl only shook her head sadly, saying she must go back to her mother, as Miss Clark might need her.

”But you'll come back very soon, won't you, Betty?” Jack said a little wistfully, lifting his face for a kiss. ”Oh, Betty dear, I am having such a good time; I wish you could stay.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: Betty found them all laughing heartily over ”My Grandmother's Cat.”--_Page 94._]

”I can't,” said Betty shortly, and having kissed her little brother she hurried away, winking hard to keep back the tears.

On the stairs she encountered Miss Clark, dressed for her daily walk.

”Your mother is asleep,” the nurse explained, ”and Mrs. Hamilton is going to sit with her till I come back. Don't look so worried, dear, she isn't any worse to-day; indeed, we think she is a little better.”

Betty tried to smile, but the effort was rather a failure, and when she had reached their own apartment, sat down on Jack's sofa, laying her head down on the cus.h.i.+on on which her little brother's head had so often rested.

A few moments later, Mrs. Hamilton, going into the kitchen for something she wanted, was startled by the sound of low, subdued crying. Glancing in at the door of the sitting room she saw Betty lying face downwards on the sofa, her whole frame shaking with sobs. Next instant she was bending over the little figure, softly stroking Betty's tumbled hair.

”Betty,” she said tenderly, ”poor little Betty, what is it?”

With a start Betty lifted her face, and somewhat to Mrs. Hamilton's surprise, grew suddenly very red.

”It isn't anything,” she said, beginning a hasty search for her handkerchief, ”only--only, I'm a horrid, wicked girl.”

”Betty, dear, what do you mean?” Mrs. Hamilton sat down on the sofa and put an arm affectionately around the trembling child. ”Don't you know what a great help you have been to Miss Clark and me? Why, I have never seen a more thoughtful, sensible little girl.”

”I am wicked, though,” Betty maintained stoutly; ”I'm jealous. I don't like to have Jack so happy without me.”

Mrs. Hamilton with some difficulty repressed a smile.

”Jealousy is a very common fault in all of us, Betty,” she said, ”but I am sure you wouldn't like it if Jack were unhappy and fretting.”

”No, oh, no, I shouldn't like that!--but”--with a stifled sob--”he did seem to be having such a good time, and I'm so unhappy and so worried about mother.”

”I know you are worried about your mother, dear, but we all think her a little better to-day, and Dr. Bell says that if she continues to improve for the next twenty-four hours he hopes she will be out of all danger. And now, Betty, I am going to tell you something that I know you will be glad to hear. It is about Jack.”

”About Jack?” repeated Betty, beginning to look interested.

”Yes, dear. I know how dearly you love your little brother, and how happy it would make you if anything could be done for him--anything to help his illness, I mean.”

”Oh, Mrs. Hamilton, could anything really----” Betty could say no more, but her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes were more expressive than words.

”Dr. Bell was talking to me about Jack last evening,” Mrs. Hamilton went on. ”He is very much interested in the case, and as soon as your mother is well enough he is going to ask her consent to bring a famous surgeon here to see Jack.”

Betty was actually trembling with excitement.

”And he thinks--he thinks that something might be done, so that Jack would be able to walk like other people?” she gasped.

”He thinks something might be tried.”

”I remember I once heard mother say that when Jack was a baby a doctor told father that if he ever grew strong enough to bear it an operation might be performed. Jack was so delicate for a long time that mother never dared to think of it, but he is much stronger now.”

”Well,” said Mrs. Hamilton, rising, ”we won't talk to any one about it just yet, least of all to Jack himself, because, you know, it might amount to nothing, and then think how terribly disappointed he would be.