Part 11 (1/2)

”Why Snip an' I had to run away from New York.”

”Is it something you're ashamed of?” Gladys asked quickly and in surprise.

Seth nodded, while the flush of shame crept up into his cheeks.

Gladys gazed at him earnestly while one might have counted ten, and then said, speaking slowly and distinctly:

”I don't believe it. Aunt Hannah says you're the best boy she ever saw; an' she knows.”

”Did Aunt Hannah tell you that, or are you tryin' to stuff me?” And Seth rose to his feet excitedly.

”I hope you don't think I'd tell a lie?”

”Of course I don't, Gladys; but if you only knew how much it means to me--Aunt Hannah's sayin' what you claim she did--there wouldn't be any wonder I had hard work to believe it.”

”She said to me those very same words----”

”What ones?”

”That you was the best boy she ever saw, an' it was only yesterday afternoon, when you were splitting kindling wood, that she said it.”

Then, suddenly, to Gladys' intense surprise, Seth dropped his head on his arm and burst into a flood of tears.

CHAPTER VI.

SUNs.h.i.+NE.

MRS. DEAN had taken entire charge of the invalid and the house, and so many of the neighbors insisted on aiding her that Gladys and Seth were pushed aside as if they had been strangers.

At midnight, when one of the volunteer nurses announced that Aunt Hannah was resting as comfortably as could be expected under the circ.u.mstances, Gladys, in obedience to Mrs. Dean's peremptory command, went to bed; but Seth positively refused to leave the kitchen.

”Somethin' that I could do might turn up, an' I count on bein' ready for it,” he said when the neighbor urged him to lie down. ”Snip an'

I'll stay here; an' if we get sleepy, what's to hinder our takin' a nap on the couch?”

So eager was the boy for an opportunity to serve Aunt Hannah that he resolutely kept his eyes open during the remainder of the night lest the volunteer nurses should fail to waken him if his services were needed; and to accomplish this he made frequent excursions out of doors, where the wind swept the ”sand” from his eyes.

With the first light of dawn he set about effacing so far as might be possible all traces of fire from the kitchen, and was was.h.i.+ng the floor when Mrs. Dean came out from the foreroom.

”Well, I do declare!” she exclaimed in surprise. ”Hannah Morse said you was a handy boy 'round the house, but this is a little more'n I expected. I wish my William could take a few lessons from you.”

”I didn't count on gettin' the floor very clean,” Seth replied modestly, but secretly delighted with the unequivocal praise. ”If the oil and s.m.u.t is taken off it'll be easier to put things into shape.”

”You're doin' wonderfully, my boy, an' when I tell Hannah Morse, she'll be pleased, 'cause a speck of dirt anywhere about the house does fret her mortally bad.”

Seth did not venture to look up lest Mrs. Dean should see the joy in his eyes, for to his mind the good woman could do him no greater service than give the invalid an account of his desire to be useful in the household.

”Is Aunt Hannah burned very much?” he asked, as the nurse set about making herself a cup of tea.