A CHANCE FOR JACK
For several days Mrs. Randall was very ill, much worse than Jack ever
knew, for no one had the heart to tell him of the anxiety that was
filling their minds to the exclusion of almost every other thought. Even
Betty had always a bright smile and a cheerful assurance for her little
brother that mother would soon be better, no matter how heavy her poor
little heart might be. It was impossible to help loving the
sweet-tempered, gentle little cripple, and Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton soon
found themselves growing very fond of their guest, while Dr. Bell seldom
failed to stop for a word or two with his little soldier boy, as he
called him, after each of his visits to the invalid upstairs. As for
Winifred, she constituted herself Jack's willing slave, and the two soon
became firm friends. They read together, played games together, and
finally, as a mark of especial favor, Jack undertook to teach her to
draw, an honor which was highly appreciated by the little girl.
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."
[Illustration: 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 cushion 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.
But you and I can talk about it sometimes, and it will be our little
secret."
"Yes," said Betty eagerly, "and as soon as mother is well enough she
shall know too. Oh, Mrs. Hamilton, you have made me so very, very happy
I don't know what to do."
There was no more jealousy for Betty that day. She went about with a
look of such radiant happiness on her face that, when she came to kiss
Jack good-night, his first words were an eager exclamation. "Oh, Betty,
mother's better; I know she is, or you wouldn't look like that!"
The next morning Mrs. Randall really was better, and Dr. Bell came in
after his early visit to tell Jack the good news.
"You have been a good, brave little soldier," he said kindly, "and in a
few more days you will be able to go back to your mother and Betty."
"Betty has been much braver, though," said Jack, always eager to sound
his sister's praises. "Mrs. Hamilton says she doesn't know what they
would have done without Betty."
"Yes, indeed, Betty has been a famous little helper. I shall tell your
mother she has two little people to be proud of."
It was still some days, however, before Jack could go home, or before
Mrs. Randall was able fully to understand the state of affairs. At first
she was too weak to care much about what went on around her. She would
lie with half-closed eyes, only smiling faintly when spoken to, and
silently accepting all that was done for her without appearing to think
very much about it. But as her strength began to return, cares and
anxieties returned too, and one morning, when Mrs. Hamilton went up to
relieve Miss Clark for an hour, she found the invalid looking so flushed
and distressed that she hastened to inquire, as she took the hand Mrs.
Randall held out to her, "Is anything wrong? Are you not feeling as well
this morning?"
"Oh, yes, I am gaining strength every day," said Mrs. Randall with a
sigh, "but, Mrs. Hamilton, how can I ever repay you for all you have
done for us? I have been questioning Betty, and she has told me
everything."
"Now, my dear Mrs. Randall, please don't let us talk about repaying
anything," said Mrs. Hamilton cheerfully. "You haven't the least idea of
the pleasure your dear little boy has given my Winifred, and as for any
little things that I may have been able to do, why, they have given me
real pleasure too."
"You are very good, very good indeed," Mrs. Randall murmured, "but I
can't help worrying a little when I think of all that this illness of
mine involves. There are so many expenses to think of; the doctor and
the nurse, and other things besides. Miss Clark tells me that it will be
several weeks yet before I am able to go back to my work, and it is so
near the end of the season."
"I told Betty to write to your pupils, telling them of your illness,"
said Mrs. Hamilton. "We found a list of addresses in your desk. Several
notes have come for you, but I was afraid you were not strong enough to
see them before. Would you like to read some of them now?"
Mrs. Randall said she would, and when she had opened and glanced over
the half-dozen notes Mrs. Hamilton brought her, she looked up with tears
in her eyes.
"People are very good," she said a little unsteadily. "I don't think I
ever realized it before, but I have a great deal for which to be
thankful."
"I don't think we ever do realize what true friendship means until
trouble comes," said Mrs. Hamilton gently. "I know I did not until a
great sorrow came to me. I now feel that there is no greater happiness
in the world than being able to show my friends how much I care for
them."
The two ladies had a long talk that morning, and grew to know and like
each other better than either would have believed possible before. When
Mrs. Hamilton had gone back to her own apartment Mrs. Randall called
Betty to her side.
"Betty, darling," she said, and though there were tears in her eyes,
there was a more peaceful expression on her face than the little girl
had ever seen there before. "I am afraid I have been a very foolish,
selfish mother to you and Jack, but we all make mistakes sometimes, and
I am going to try and undo mine as soon as I can. Everybody has been so
good it makes me ashamed of my old foolish pride. Mrs. Hamilton has
taught me a lesson this morning that I shall never forget. I think she
is the best woman I have ever known."
That same afternoon Jack came home. Dr. Bell carried him upstairs and
laid him on the bed beside his mother. How delightful it was to the
little cripple to nestle in his mother's arms once more, and to feel her
tender kisses on his face. Neither of them said very much; but their
happy faces told the story plainly enough, and the doctor's kind eyes
glistened as he turned away rather hurriedly to give some direction to
Miss Clark. But after the first few rapturous moments, Jack found his
tongue and chattered away, telling of all the pleasant times he had had,
and the kind friends he had made, while Mrs. Randall listened; and Betty
hovered over them both with such a radiant face that her mother asked
her smilingly if she had not something delightful to tell as well as
Jack. But Betty only blushed a little and shook her head. She had no
intention of disclosing her secret just yet.
"Oh, Betty, it is nice to be at home again," said Jack, stretching
himself comfortably on the familiar sofa, when Miss Clark had carried
him away to the sitting room, leaving Mrs. Randall to rest for a while.
"I've had a perfectly lovely time, but I do like home."
"You don't love Winifred better than me, do you?" said Betty, with a
little twinge of the old jealousy.
"Why, Betty, how could I possibly do such a thing as that?" Jack's eyes
opened wide in astonishment.
"I didn't know," said Betty, hanging her head. "I'm awfully glad you
don't."
"I love Winifred very much," said Jack slowly, "but then you're my own
sister, and of course a person couldn't love another person as much as
his own sister. Oh, Betty, you didn't really think I could, did you?"
Jack was beginning to look troubled, and Betty, very much ashamed of
herself, hastened to reassure him.
"No, no, of course I didn't, not really, you know," she said, giving her
brother a hearty kiss. "I was silly, that's all, but it's all right now.
Isn't it lovely having mother so much better? Miss Clark says she can
begin to sit up in a few days, and such nice things have happened.
Nearly all mother's pupils have written kind notes, and most of them
have sent checks paying up to the end of the term. I don't think mother
wanted to take the checks at first, but Mrs. Hamilton talked to her, and
she says she's going to try not to mind so much about accepting favors
any more. I think there is only just one other thing in the world that
could make me happier than I am to-day."
"What's that?" Jack inquired.
"To have you able to walk," said Betty softly. She turned her head away
as she spoke, so that her brother should not see the expression in her
eyes.
Jack gave a little start, and drew a long, deep breath.
"But, Betty," he said almost in a whisper, "that's something that
couldn't ever possibly happen, you know. Oh, Betty, dear, please don't
talk about it, because you see it's impossible."
Suddenly Betty laid her face down beside her brother's on the pillow,
with a sob.
"Very, very wonderful things do happen sometimes," she whispered,
"things that are almost as wonderful as fairy stories. If you ever could
be made to walk, Jack, wouldn't you be the very happiest boy in the
whole world?"
"Of course I should," said Jack with decision, "if it only could happen,
but then you know, it couldn't."
Betty said no more, but hugged Jack tight, and kissed him a great many
times, and then she went away to the kitchen to help Miss Clark get
dinner.