FULL OF PROMISE
"What do you mean 'good job'?" asked Larry, incredulously, and yet with a
note of hope in his voice. "You know I can't even get around easily yet."
"Yes, but you're getting stronger every day," argued Bob. "In a week or so
you won't know yourself. Now, here's the proposition we've got for you,"
and Bob proceeded to outline the plan that they had worked out the
previous evening. As he proceeded, a light came into the sick boy's eyes
that had not been there since the accident, and a touch of color crept
into his cheeks.
"Say!" he broke out, when Bob had finished, "you fellows are about the
best friends that anybody ever had."
"Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Bob. "Why, you know well enough that you'd do
anything in the world for one of us if our positions were reversed."
"Well, it will be simply wonderful for me," said Larry. "Of course,
though, I may be counting the chickens before they are hatched. The
manager of the station may not like my act, you know."
"It's more a question of whether the public will like it or not," said
Joe. "Mr. Brandon seems to be sure that the manager will give you a
try-out, and I guess they'll soon find out whether your act is popular or
not. Judging from the applause you got in the theater that night, I should
certainly say it was."
"I only wish I were strong enough to go right away," said Larry. "But I
guess I won't be able to go this week, anyway."
"We didn't suppose you would," said Bob. "But Mr. Brandon is going to make
his headquarters in Clintonia for several weeks, so you don't have to
worry about that. As soon as the doctor says you can make the trip, we'll
see if we can't borrow or beg an automobile somewhere, and make the trip
to the sending station in style."
"Now that I've got something to look forward to, I'll get well in a
hurry," Larry assured him.
"Let's see if you can still make the little birdies jealous by singing
their songs better than they can," suggested Jimmy.
"You certainly flatter me, but I'll do the best I can," laughed Larry.
"What shall it be first?"
"How about the mocking bird?" suggested Herb. "I think that's one of the
prettiest ones, Larry. I never heard a southern mocking bird, but if it
sounds like that, I'm going to take a trip to Dixieland some day just to
hear one."
"I never heard one, either," confessed Larry, with a grin.
"You didn't!" they all exclaimed. "Where did you learn it, then?"
"A professional bird imitator taught me most of the notes," said Larry.
"Of course, I didn't need any lessons to imitate the cute little canary
bird, and the robin's notes and a few others I learned by listening to the
birds themselves. I suppose it would be best to learn them all that way,
if you could, but I never had the time or the money to go traveling all
over the country."
"Well, we're still waiting for the mocking bird," Herb reminded him. "I'll
sing 'Listen to the Mocking Bird,' and you come in at the proper places
with the bird effects."
"Nobody asked you to sing, did they?" asked Jimmy.
"No, they didn't; but I'm going to sing, anyway," answered Herb, and he
started the first bars of the well known song.
"We might as well all sing, then," said Bob. "We can't make it any worse
than Herb's singing, anyway," so they all joined in the song. At the end
of each line they paused, and Larry gave the proper bird notes and
trills. The result was not half bad, and before they had finished other
convalescent patients had come into the room and were listening
appreciatively. The boys all had their backs to the door, and did not know
they had an audience until they came to the end of the song and there was
a round of applause for their effort.
They all whirled around in some surprise.
"I didn't know we were making anybody suffer but ourselves," laughed Bob.
"It must be pretty hard on you folks."
"It sounded fine," said one. "We enjoyed it. Why don't you try something
else?"
"Couldn't think of it," said Bob. "Besides, I guess that's about the only
song we all know except the 'Star Spangled Banner,' and there aren't any
bird songs in that. You give them some more imitations, though, Larry. You
will be all the better for the practice, anyway."
"Anything to oblige," grinned Larry, and went through his whole
repertoire, while the little audience applauded freely.
"There! that's all I know," said Larry at last, when he had imitated every
kind of bird he could think of. "I'll have to get busy and learn some
more, I guess."
"We didn't know we had such a talented young man in the place," said one
elderly gentleman. "You'll have to entertain us every day while you're
here, young man."
"Well, if you folks can stand it, I can," laughed Larry. "I'll always be
glad to oblige, I'm sure."
His appreciative listeners thanked him, and gradually drifted out of the
room.
"You made a hit, Larry," said Bob. "It's just as I tell you. Your art is a
novelty, and people are tickled to death with it. You won't have to worry
about making good when you get your try-out at the broadcasting station."
"I hope you're right," said Larry. "I can't wait until I'm strong enough,
to take the trip. Anyway, I'll have something to look forward to now."
The time had passed so quickly that the boys could hardly believe it when
Bob looked at his watch and told them it was nearly six o'clock.
"Good-night!" exclaimed Joe. "We'll all be late for supper now. Guess
we'll have to say good-bye and beat it, Larry."
"I suppose so," said Larry, regretfully. "I want to thank you all again
for what you've done for me, and believe me, I appreciate it."
They all shook hands with him, and then started for home at a brisk pace.
"Seems to me we're always in a hurry," complained Jimmy. "You pretty near
run my legs off getting here, and now I've got to repeat the performance
going home, or else get a cold supper when I get there. I wonder why I'm
always out of luck that way."
"You'd better save your breath, instead of wasting it in kicking," Joe
admonished him. "You'll need it all before you get home, I'll tell you.
Let's hit it up a little faster, fellows. Jimmy wants to get home before
his supper gets cold, so we'll have to see that he gets there."
"Come on, Doughnuts, step on the throttle," cried Herb. "Show us what you
really can do."
"Nothing doing," panted Jimmy. "My throttle's wide open now. You fellows
go ahead if you're in such a hurry."
"I guess there's no such rush as that," said Bob, slowing down to a pace
more suited to Jimmy's limited speed. "Take it easy, old man. We're not
going to a fire, after all."