After this failure, Mr. Black followed crestfallen Jean downstairs; he drew her into the shabby Rectory parlor.
"Now, Jean," demanded he, sternly, "is there a solitary thing in this whole worldthat Bettie wants? Is there anything that couldpossiblyhappen that would wake her up and bring her back? I'm dreadfully afraid she's slipping away from us, Jean; and she's far too precious to lose. Now think—thinkhard, little girl. Has sheeverwanted anything?"
"Why," responded Jean, slowly, as if some outside force were dragging the words from her, "right after Christmas therewassomething, I think. A big, impossible something thatnobodycould possibly help. She didn't talk about it—and yet—and yet—— Perhaps she did worry."
"Go on," insisted Mr. Black, "I want it all."
"She seemed to get used to the idea so—so uncomplainingly. Still, she may have cared more than anybody suspected. She'slikethat—never cries when she's hurt."
"What idea?" demanded Mr. Black. "Cared for what? Make it clear, child."
"You see," explained Jean, "all of us—Henrietta, Marjory, Mabel and I—have been talking a great deal about going away to boarding school—we're all going. But Bettie—Bettie, of course, knew that she couldn't go. There was no money and her father said——"
"And why in thunder," shouted Mr. Black, forgetting the invalid and striding up and down the room with his fists clenched, "didn't somebody say so? What do folks think the good Lordgaveus money for? Why didn't—Come upstairs. We'll settle this thing right now."
Impulsive Mr. Black, with dazed Jean at his heels, opened Bettie's door and walked in. Bettie lifted her tired eyes in very mild astonishment.
"Bad pennies," she smiled, "always come back. What's all the noise about?"
"Bettie," demanded Mr. Black, "do you want to go away to school with those other girls next September?"
Bettie opened her eyes wide. Jean said afterwards that she "pricked up her ears," too.
"Because," continued Mr. Black, keeping a sharp watch on Bettie's awakening countenance, "you're going. And ifIsay you're going, you surely are. Now, don't worry about it—the thing's settled. You're going with the others."
"Open the windows," pleaded Bettie, her face alight with some of the old-time eagerness. "I want to see how it smells outdoors."
"I believe we've done it," breathed Jean. "She looks a lot brighter."
And they had. No one had realized how tender, uncomplaining Bettie had dreaded losing her friends. And in her weakened state, both before and after the fever, the trouble had seemed very big. The load had almost crushed sick little Bettie. Now that it was lifted, and it was, for Mr. Black swept everything before him, there was nothingto keep the little girl from getting well with truly gratifying speed.
"Bettie," asked Dr. Bennett, the next evening, "are you sure this is your own pulse? If it is, it's behaving properly at last."
"She ate every bit of her supper," said Mrs. Tucker, happily, "and she asked, this afternoon, if she owned any shoes. She's really getting well."
"I'm hurrying," laughed happy Bettie, "to make up for lost time. Do give me things to make me fat—as fat as Mabel."
"She's certainly better," said the satisfied doctor. "By to-morrow we'll have to tie her down to keep her from dancing. She's our own Bettie, at last."
THE END
Transcriber's Notes:Punctuation errors repaired. Varied hyphenation retained.Front page description, "Scovill" changed to "Scovel" (Florence Scovel Shinn)Page 96, "Bennettt" changed to "Bennett" (Mrs. Bennett, rescuing)Page 165, "shruddered" changed to "shuddered" ("Ugh!" shuddered Marjory)Page 214, repeated word "a" removed from text. Original read (like a a lobster's)
Transcriber's Notes:
Punctuation errors repaired. Varied hyphenation retained.
Front page description, "Scovill" changed to "Scovel" (Florence Scovel Shinn)
Page 96, "Bennettt" changed to "Bennett" (Mrs. Bennett, rescuing)
Page 165, "shruddered" changed to "shuddered" ("Ugh!" shuddered Marjory)
Page 214, repeated word "a" removed from text. Original read (like a a lobster's)