Kitabı oku: «Two Little Women», sayfa 3
CHAPTER V
THE DOUBLE PARTY
The party was from four to seven. Before the hour the girls were in readiness and waiting on the lawn, midway between the two houses, to receive their guests.
Dolly Fayre wore a white organdie, all lacy with little ruffles and a light blue sash with blue silk stockings and white slippers.
Dotty Rose had on a lovely white voile with pink ribbons and pink stockings.
Both girls wore their hair in a long loose braid, with a big ribbon at the top of the braid.
"Didn't leave off hair-ribbons, did you?" said Dolly, smiling.
"No, Mother wouldn't hear of it. She says we ought to wear them until we're sixteen, anyway."
"I don't care much, do you?"
"No; only I'd rather leave them off. It didn't rain, you see."
"I should say not! It's a perfect day. Did you put a pink ribbon on Blot?"
"Yes, he looks lovely! Oh, here's Flossy, in her blue bow. If they'll only behave themselves!"
The puppy and the kitten had become fairly good friends, by reason of their two young mistresses' training; and frequently met without fighting, though this was not to be depended on.
"Oh, here comes somebody, Dolly! I feel as if I should run away!"
"Nonsense, Dot! don't be silly! It's only Joe Collins. Hello, Joe; this is my new friend, Dorothy Rose. It's her party, same as mine."
Joe was far from bashful. "Hay-o, Dorothy," he said, gaily. "Aren't you afraid you'll get off the line? My, but you girls are particular to stand just so!"
Dorothy flashed a smile at him. Somehow her shyness vanished, and she replied, "Oh, we only stood that way, waiting for somebody to come. Now, we can move around," and she took a few jumpy skips around the lawn. "Do you live near here?" she went on, by way of conversation.
"Couple o' blocks away. Hope we'll be friends."
"'Course we will. And I've got a brother about your size; you'll like him."
"Is he here?"
"No; he's away at school. Be home in about two weeks. Come and see him then."
"I will. Here come the Brown twins. Know 'em?"
"No, I don't know anybody. My! Aren't they alike?"
They certainly were, and when Dolly introduced Tod and Tad Brown, Dotty frankly stared at them.
"I never saw such twinsy twins before," she said; "do you know yourselves apart?"
"Not always," replied one of them. "But I think I'm Tod, and my brother is Tad. Of course our Sunday names are Todhunter and Tadema, but Tod and Tad are much better for every day use."
Then some girls came; Clara Ferris was among the first; and then Grace and Ethel Rawlins, and Maisie May.
Dotty took a quick liking to the last named, for she was a bright, pretty girl who seemed eager to be friends.
Clayton Rawlins came too, and Lollie Henry, and then they came in such numbers that Dotty couldn't catch all the names nor remember those she did catch.
The girls had laid off their hats and wraps in the Fayre house, and the boys in the Rose house, as every means was used to have the party equally divided.
At first they played games. The Fayres had a tennis court, and the Roses a croquet ground. Also, Mr. Rose had contributed as his "surprise" to the party a set of Lawn Bowls. This was a new sport to many of them and all liked it, and took turns at the bowling. Others wandered about the grounds or sat in the swings and hammocks, and at five o'clock they were called to supper.
Little tables had been placed on the lawn and four or six young people were seated at each. Then the good things were brought to them. Bouillon and tiny sandwiches, ices, cakes, jellies, bon-bons, everything that goes to make a delightful party supper.
The two hostesses did not sit together, and Dotty found herself with Clara Ferris, Joe Collins and one of the Brown twins.
"How do you like Berwick?" asked Tad Brown, as he finished his bouillon.
"Ever so much!" returned Dotty enthusiastically; "and now I'm acquainted with so many people I shall like it better than ever."
"Aren't you coming to school?"
"Not this term. It's so near closing, and Mother says next year I can go right into High School with Dolly Fayre."
"We'll all be in High next year," said Clara. "We're all in the same grade, you know. But I wish you would come to school now, and be in the Closing Exercises. We need more girls."
"What for?"
"Oh, for the tableaux and things. We have a splendid program. Haven't we, Tad?"
"How do you know he's Tad?" asked Dotty, laughing.
"I asked him," returned Clara. "It's the only way. Nobody can tell 'em apart."
"'Cept Mother," said Tad, grinning. "She never makes a mistake. But the teachers can't tell. I get kept in if Tod misses his lessons, and he gets marked if I'm late."
"Don't you mind?"
"No; 'cause it evens up in the long run. Tod's better-natured than I am, but I'm prettier."
"Why, how can you be?" cried Dotty; "you're exactly alike."
"Oh, I can see it! I'm much better-looking." Tad's honest, round, freckled face was winsome but not handsome, and the girls laughed at this make-believe vanity.
Dolly was at a table with the other Brown boy and Grace Rawlins and Lollie Henry.
"Dotty Rose is pretty, isn't she?" said Grace.
"Awfully pretty," agreed Dolly, "and a nice girl, too. I like her lots."
"Some looker!" declared Lollie Henry, gazing with admiration over at Dotty, who was laughing merrily.
"She's my sister," put in Genie, who was a restless spirit, and having finished her supper, was roaming around among the tables talking to different ones.
"So she is," and Dolly patted the glossy, black curls.
"Looks like a spitfire, though, if she should get mad," commented Tod Brown, who was an outspoken boy.
"Oh, I don't think so," returned Dolly; and then she remembered the few trifling quarrels they had already had. "No," she went on, "Dotty isn't a spitfire; but when she gets mad she just flounces off and gets over it."
"Just like a girl!" said Tod; "why don't you have it out, and done with it?"
"That's what Bert always says," and Dolly laughed. "I guess girls and boys are different about such things."
"I guess they are," said Grace, looking rueful. "Maisie May and I have been 'mad' for two weeks now."
"Oh, how silly!" exclaimed Lollie Henry. "I'm going to get you two girls together and make you make up!"
"Yes, let's," said Tad; "come on now; I've finished my ice cream, haven't you, Dolly?"
They all had, and they followed Tad, who was ringleader in this game. The others had mostly risen from the tables, and Tad told Dolly to get Maisie and bring her over to their group.
Grace Rawlins looked a little uncertain. She honestly wanted to be friends with Maisie but she was not sure she liked the way it was being brought about.
Dolly came back, arm in arm with Maisie.
The two boys stood in front of Grace until the girls came up, and then Tad, whisking aside, said, with a low bow: "Miss Maisie May, I want to make you acquainted with Miss Grace Rawlins, the nicest girl in Berwick, except the rest of them."
Maisie coloured and looked half-angry, half-amused, and Tad went on: "I see by the papers that you two girls don't know each other to speak to, so Dolly Fayre and us two boys are a committee of three to see that you become acquainted immediately if not sooner. You two will therefore now greet each other with a nice, sweet kiss."
Tad's manner was so funny and so like a kindly old gentleman, that the girls had to laugh.
But though Grace looked willing to obey the order, Maisie did not.
"Don't be silly, Tad," she said; "I guess you don't know what Grace said about me, or you wouldn't ask me to kiss her!"
"Tell me," said Tad, with the air of an impartial judge, "and I and my wise colleague, Mr. Lorillard Henry, will size up the case and pronounce judgment."
"Why, she said I was the meanest girl in Berwick, because I wouldn't tell her the answer to an algebra example. And I couldn't, because Miss Haskell had made us all promise not to tell the answers to anybody – she wanted everybody to do them without help."
"Seems to me you did the right thing," and Tad looked at Grace.
"I didn't know that," said Grace. "I wasn't at school the day Miss Haskell said that."
"Then you couldn't be expected to know," said Tad; "now, it's just as I said, a boy would fight it out with another boy, and he might punch his head, but the matter would be understood and straightened out, and not sulk for two weeks over it."
"I didn't sulk," said Grace.
"Well, you two sillies didn't speak to each other, – it's about the same thing. Now will you be good! Will you kiss and make up?"
"I will," said Maisie May, heartily, and she flung her arms round Grace, and gave her a most friendly kiss, which was as heartily returned.
"Bless you, my children!" said Tad, dramatically. "Now don't let me hear of your quarrelling again! Are you mad at anybody, Dolly?"
"No, sir, thank you; but if I am, at any time, I'll come to you for a peacemaker."
"Oh, look who's here!" cried Lollie, spying a strange figure walking across the lawn.
The group joined the others and found themselves invited to take a seat in the rows of chairs which were lined up in front of an interesting-looking table.
They did so, and soon all present were seated in breathless anticipation of what might happen.
The tea tables had been whisked away, and at the door of the tent the stranger stood, – a table in front of him.
He was a magician, and the tricks he did held his young auditors spellbound.
Turning back his coat sleeves to prove he was concealing nothing, he would take a large sheet of white paper, and with a swift movement twirl it round into a cornucopia. This was, of course, empty, and shaking it about to prove its emptiness, he then held it upright, and invited Dolly to look into it. But he held it so high, that she had to stand on tiptoe to peep in. However, she caught a glimpse, and it seemed to her there were pink flowers in it.
Then the magician asked Dotty to peep in. She peered over the edge, and just as she exclaimed, "Why, it's full of flowers!" he overturned it on her head, and she was showered with lovely pink rosebuds made of tissue paper!
"Where did they come from?" cried everybody, as they scrambled to pick them up. "The cone was empty! Where did he get them?"
But the magician only smiled, and went on with his other tricks.
"Has any one a gold watch?" he asked.
Not many of the boys had gold watches, but Lollie Henry exhibited with pride one that his grandfather had given him on his birthday.
"May I borrow it?" said the magician; "ah, thank you," and he took it before Lollie had really consented.
"Now, a silk hat. Much obliged, sir," as Mr. Fayre provided the hat.
"Now, my young friends, we'll make an omelet. Two eggs, somebody, – please?"
Nobody had any eggs, and the magician seemed nonplussed. "What, no eggs in all this well-dressed crowd? Incredible! Ah, come here, little girl!" He caught Genie, who was running about. "Why, here is an egg in the big bow of your hair-ribbon! And here is another in the other bow! What a strange place to carry eggs! Did Mother send you to the store for them?"
"No, sir," said Genie, looking in amazement at the unmistakable eggs the man had evidently found in her ribbon. "I should think they would have dropped out sooner!"
"I should think so too," returned the magician; "lucky for me they didn't, or I could not have made the nice omelet I'm about to concoct."
He set the silk hat on the table, laid the watch and eggs beside it, and then called for a cup of milk.
Somehow or other Mrs. Fayre had that all ready and handed it to him with a smile.
"Good!" said the magician; "now we'll to work! I suppose many of you girls know how to make an omelet, so you must look sharp and see that I do it right. First, we'll break the eggs and whisk them up."
He broke the eggs right into the silk hat, and stirred them with a fork and then poured in the milk slowly, stirring all the time.
"Something else goes to an omelet," he said, trying to think; "ah, yes, some sort of an herb. Ah, I have it! Thyme! Well, well, Mr. Fayre, do you raise thyme in your kitchen garden? No? What a pity! But, luckily, I have time right here!" He took up Lollie's watch. "Ah, just, the thing!"
He threw the watch in the hat, and began to beat it with his heavy fork.
He looked anxiously in the hat. "Wants to be crushed," he said; "can't get the flavour of time unless it's crushed. Ah, here we are!" and he picked up a kitchen poker that had appeared from nowhere in particular.
With that he beat and pounded and banged the watch, and then with a big spoon, he dipped up spoonfuls of the mixture and let it run back into the hat. The children could distinctly see the bits of brass or steel wheels and springs, and even fragments of the gold case.
Lollie looked a little sober, but said no word of fear for his watch's safety.
"Now, we'll cook it," said the magician, and he poured the "omelet" into a bright, clean frying-pan.
"Where's the fire?" he asked, holding the pan high aloft, and looking all about.
"There isn't any," said Mr. Fayre; "you didn't tell me to provide a fire."
"You should have known enough for that!" shouted the magician, as if in anger. "Well, as we have no fire, of course, we can't make our omelet. So take back your things."
From the frying-pan he poured a cup of clear milk, which he gave to Mrs. Fayre. Then he took out of the same pan two eggs, which he handed to Genie, intact and unbroken. Then he hesitated, saying, "What else did I borrow?"
"A watch!" "A gold watch!" cried a dozen voices.
"Oh, yes, to be sure!" and the magician, smiling, passed the pan to Lollie, and there on its clean, shining surface, lay the gold watch, absolutely unharmed.
Such a clapping of applause! for many of the young audience had been forced to believe that the watch was utterly ruined.
That closed the entertainment, and soon after that the young guests went home.
"How do you s'pose he did it?" Dolly asked of Dotty, as they sat in the swing, talking over the party.
"Oh, it's easy enough," returned Dotty. "They don't really break up the watch, you know."
"Of course I know that! But how do they do it? What becomes of the broken eggs and all?"
"I don't know, but I've seen magic tricks before and they always bring everything out right somehow!"
CHAPTER VI
ROLLER SKATING
The day after the party the two girls sat as usual in the big swing talking things over.
"I like that boy with the funny name," said Dotty; "the one they call Lollie. Such a silly name for a boy!"
"Yes; such a dignified name as Lorillard ought not to have such a silly nickname. But he's always called Lollie. He is a nice boy, but I like Joe Collins better."
"Yes, he's funny and makes you laugh all the time. But those twin boys are the nicest of all. What funny names they all have. Tod and Tad!"
"How do you like the girls?"
"The Rawlins girls are nice and Celia Ferris. But I like you best, Dolly, and except for parties I don't care so much about a crowd. Let's go roller skating."
"Oh, no; let's sit here and swing; it's too hot to skate."
"Pshaw! come on. You're too lazy for anything. You just sit around and do nothing and that's what makes you so fat. Get your skates and I'll race you around the block. Really, Doll, you ought to take more exercise or you'll get terribly fat."
"Well, you'd better not take so much then, for you're as thin as a ping-wing now!"
"What's a ping-wing?"
"I don't know, but it's the thinnest thing there is. All right, I'll skate around the block once or twice, and then we'll go and see if there are any little cakes left over from yesterday."
In a short time the two girls had their skates on and started to roll along the smooth, wide pavements of Summit Avenue.
"Let's do this," proposed Dotty. "Start right here in front of our house; you go one way and I the other round the whole block and see if we can come back and meet right straight here."
"All right, but I know I can't go as fast as you do. You skate like a streak of lightning."
"Well, I'll go sort of slow for me, and you go as swift as you can, and let's try to come together right here."
The two girls started in opposite directions, and turned their respective corners on their way around the block. In due time they passed each other in the street back of their own, and Dotty nodded approval as she saw they were about half way round. They didn't pause to exchange any words but, waving their hands, went on their way and rounded again on Summit Avenue.
As they saw each other approach, they regulated their speed in a careful attempt to meet exactly where they had started. Dotty had to curb her speed and go a little more slowly or she would be ahead of time. But Dolly saw that it would take a pretty strong spurt for her to reach the goal, so when they were about ten feet apart Dolly made a special effort and put all her strength into a last grand dash. Dotty hadn't looked for this and as she rolled rather slowly to the appointed place Dolly came along and with a fell swoop, unable to control her direction, she crashed right into Dotty and the two girls went down in a heap. The impact was so sudden and unexpected that neither had a chance to save herself in any way and there was a tangle of waving arms and legs, and skate-rollers as the crash occurred.
"I've broken myself," Dolly announced calmly, though her voice sounded dazed and queer. Dotty opened her mouth to speak but changed her mind and gave voice to the wildest kind of a shriek. She followed this up with several others of increasing force and volume and looked at Dolly, wondering why she didn't yell too. But the reason was that Dolly had fainted and the white face and closed eyes of her friend made Dotty scream louder than ever.
Various members of the two families ran to the scene, as well as several neighbours.
Mrs. Fayre and Mrs. Rose looked on somewhat helplessly at the two girls, but Aunt Clara went at once at the rescue. She and Trudy lifted Dotty to her feet and found she could stand.
"Try to stop screaming, dearie," said Aunt Clara, "and tell me where you're hurt."
"I don't know," cried Dotty; "I don't know and I don't care! But Dolly is dead! My Dolly, my own Dollyrinda is dead! And it's all my fault 'cause I made her go skating, and my arm hurts awful! Ow!"
"Her arm is broken," said Mrs. Bayliss, gently lifting Dotty's right hand, which caused more piercing shrieks. "What shall we do? Somebody call a doctor quick!"
Meanwhile the strong arms of a neighbour's gardener had lifted Dolly and was carrying her toward her own home.
"It's her leg that's bruk," he said, holding her as gently as possible. "It's good luck she fainted; she'll come round all right, but she's bruk a bone, the poor dear."
It seemed ages to the anxious mothers and friends, but it was really only a short time before doctors arrived and the two little sufferers were put to bed and their injuries attended to.
Sure enough Dolly's leg was broken, and Dotty had a fractured arm.
Both houses were in a tumult of confusion as surgeons and nurses took possession and bones were set and splints and bandages applied.
Dolly Fayre took it quietly and seemed almost awestricken, when at last she realised that she was in her bed to stay for several weeks.
"But it doesn't hurt much," she said wonderingly to Trudy. "Why does it take so long to get well?"
"Because the bone has to knit, dear, and that is a slow process. I'm glad it doesn't hurt, but it may at times. The worst, though, is that you will get very tired lying still so long. But I know what a brave little girl you are, and we will all do all we can to help and amuse you."
"Did Dotty break anything?"
"Yes, she broke her left arm. That is not as bad as your breaking your leg, for she can walk about sooner than you can. But hers is more painful, so there's small choice in the two accidents."
"Is she yelling like fury?" inquired Dolly, who herself lay placid and white-faced, though her blue eyes showed the strain she had undergone.
"Yes, she is," and Trudy smiled a little. "You two children are so different. I wish you would yell a little and not look so patiently miserable."
"What's Dolly yelling about? Because she hurts so?"
"Partly that; and partly because she's blaming herself for the whole thing."
"How ridiculous! She isn't a bit more to blame than I am. She proposed skating, but it was because I ran into her that we fell down. I tried to steer out but I couldn't."
"Don't think about who is to blame; that doesn't matter. The only thing to think about is to get well as quick as you can."
"But we can't do anything to help that along; the doctors have to do that."
"Indeed you can help a lot. If you're patient and quiet and cheerful you will get well sooner than if you fuss and fret and cry. That might cause fever and inflammation and all sorts of things."
Trudy was sitting on the edge of Dolly's bed and she smiled lovingly down at her little sister. "I'm going to take care of you," she went on; "Mother wants to have a trained nurse, but I think you would like it better to have me for a nurse, wouldn't you?"
"I'd like it better," and Dolly looked up wistfully, "but I don't want to bother you too much, Trudy."
"Oh, it isn't any bother, and besides, Mother will do a great deal of the nursing. Here she comes now with your luncheon."
Mrs. Fayre came in, bringing a dainty tray on which was a small bowl of broth and some crackers.
"The nurse has gone," she announced, "and I'm glad of it. It was necessary to have her here while the doctors set the broken bones, and she will come in every morning as long as may be necessary. But it's much nicer to be in charge of this case myself and have full jurisdiction over my patient."
"Oh, ever so much nicer, Mother," and Dolly raised affectionate blue eyes to her mother's face. "Can I sit up to eat?"
"No, honey; you'll have to learn to eat lying down. But Mother will feed you and we'll pretend you're one of those grand Roman ladies who always ate their meals reclining on a couch."
So, although not altogether a comfortable procedure, Dolly took her first lesson in swallowing without raising her head.
Meantime somewhat different scenes were being enacted next door.
Dotty's more excitable nature had been thoroughly upset by the shock of the accident, the pain of her injury and the remorse that she felt at feeling herself responsible for the tragedy.
Her screams were hysterical and the efforts of her mother, her aunt and the nurse to quiet her were alike unavailing.
"I've killed my Dolly! I've killed my Dolly!" she would cry over and over, and though they told her that Dolly Fayre was resting quietly and suffering very little pain, she would not believe it and insisted they were deceiving her.
"You only say that to quiet me!" she cried. "I know it isn't true. I know Dolly has broken most all her bones and I know she'll never walk again. Why, I saw her myself, all limp and dead-looking. If she lives she'll be a cripple. Oh, my arm! my arm! I wish they'd cut it off! I'd rather not have it at all than have it hurt like this."
Impulsive Dotty tried to move her injured arm and then shrieked with the pain it caused her.
"You mustn't do that!" said Nurse Johnson somewhat severely; "if you try to move that arm it won't heal right and you'll have to have it broken over again and re-set."
Dotty glared at the nurse and then screamed: "I hate you! You go right straight out of this house! My mother can take care of me good enough and I don't want you around."
"There, there, Dotty dear," said Mrs. Rose; "don't talk to nurse like that. She has been very kind to you; and it's true if you move your arm around like that or try to do so, you'll make your injury far worse."
"I don't care! I want to make it worse! I want to have it cut off! I won't have a broken arm, – I won't – I won't!"
"Don't mind her, nurse; she's beside herself with pain and fright."
"Oh, that's all right, Mrs. Rose," and the white-capped nurse smiled; "I don't blame little girls for being cantankerous when they're laid up like this. It's awful hard on them and nobody knows it better than I do. And I'm not going to stay long, Miss Dotty. Only a day or two till your mother and aunt get the knack of taking care of you."
"I shall be head nurse," said Mrs. Bayliss, smiling at Dotty, "and your mother shall be my assistant."
"I don't want you for my nurse, Aunt Clara, and I don't want Miss Johnson, I just want Mother all the time."
"Yes, Dotty, dear, Mother will be here all the time," and Mrs. Rose gently stroked the moist dark curls back from the little brow.
For a few moments Dotty was quieter, and then she screamed out again, "Tell me about Dolly, tell me the truth about Dolly. Did she break both her legs?"
"No, dear, only one. It has been set and she is doing nicely, although she will be in bed for a long time. You will probably get up and go to see her long before she can come in here."
"I want to go now!" and Dotty tried to rise; "I want to see Dolly! I must see Dolly!"
Gently but firmly the nurse held Dotty down on the pillows. "Lie still," she commanded, for she saw that stern measures were necessary.
"I can't lie still, when I don't know how Dolly is! I don't believe what you tell me about her. But I'll believe Genie. She always tells me the truth. Come here, Genie!"
Dotty screamed her sister's name in a loud voice, and the little girl came running into the sick room.
Genie looked scared and white-faced as she saw Dotty in splints and bandages.
"Genie," said Dotty, and her black eyes burned like coals, "you go straight over to Fayres and see Dolly. See for yourself and see just how she is and come straight back and tell me."
"Let her go," said the nurse; "that's a good idea."
So Genie ran over to the next house and found Mrs. Fayre.
"Please let me see Dolly," she said earnestly, "'cause if I don't Dotty thinks she's dead, and then Dotty will die too, so please let me see her, Mrs. Fayre. Can't I?"
After some consideration Mrs. Fayre said Genie might go to Dolly's room for a few moments.
"How are you, Dolly?" said the child, marching in and standing by the bedside with the air of a Royal Messenger.
"I'm pretty good," and Dolly smiled wanly at her little visitor. "How's Dotty?"
"Dotty's awful. But she'll be better when she knows how you are. So tell me zactly."
"Well, tell Dotty my right leg is broken. One of the bones just above the ankle. But tell her except for that, I'm all right and for her not to worry about me and we'll see who can get well first. And give her my love and – and – oh, that's all, good-bye, Genie!"
The little girl ran out of the room and as soon as she disappeared Dolly burst into floods of weeping. That was her way of relieving her overburdened nerves instead of screaming hysterically like Dotty.
Trudy tried to soothe her, but there was no staying the torrent of tears, until at last they stopped because Dolly was exhausted.
"There," said Mrs. Fayre brightly as she wiped Dolly's eyes, "I'm just glad you did that! There's nothing like a good cry to straighten things out. Now I shouldn't be one bit surprised if you could take a nice little nap." And Dolly did so.
Meantime Genie trotted home with her comforting news for Dotty.
"Dolly's all right," she announced. "'Cept one leg is broked. But that's all. Only just one bone of one leg. And she says to see who'll get well first."
"How did she look?" asked Dotty eagerly.
"Like a angel," replied Genie, enthusiastically. "Her face was all white and her eyes were so blue and her hair was all goldy and braided in two curly braids tickling around her ears. Oh, she looked lovely! Heaps better than you do, Dot. Your face is all red and splotchy, and your eyes are as big as saucers and your hair looks like the dickens."
"I don't care," said Dotty, crossly; "I don't care how I look."
"But I care how you feel," said her mother, "and now you know that Dolly is very much alive, I'm sure you'll let nurse bathe your face and brush your hair and then I'm going to sing you to sleep."
As is usual in case of broken bones the first night proved a very trying time for all concerned.
Dolly Fayre, though an unusually patient child, felt as if she could not bear the pain and discomfort of her strapped and splinted leg. Her mother and Trudy, and her father too, did all they could to alleviate her sufferings, but the uncontrollable tears welled up in the blue eyes and rolled over the fevered cheeks of the little sufferer.
"I try to be good, Father," she said, as Mr. Fayre bent over her, "but it does hurt so awful."
"Does it, you dear blessed baby? Let Daddy cuddle your head in his arm, so, and sing to you, maybe that will help."
But when Mr. Fayre gently put his arm under the golden head on the pillow Dolly cried out that his coat sleeve was too scratchy.
"Well, now, we'll just fix that! Give me one of your dressing gowns, Mother."
Dolly had to laugh a little when Mrs. Fayre brought a silk kimono of her own and managed to get its loose folds draped around her stalwart husband.
"Now I rather guess we won't scratch our poor little fevery cheeks," and Mr. Fayre so deftly slipped his silk clad arm under Dolly's head, that she rested in his strong clasp with a feeling of security and comfort.
"That's lovely, Daddy; it just seems as if I had some of your big strong strength and my pain doesn't hurt so much."
Then Mr. Fayre sang in soft low tones which greatly soothed the little patient. But not for long. All through the night the paroxysms of agony would recur and poor little Dolly cried like a baby, because she couldn't possibly help it.
But the Rose family had even worse times to take care of Dotty. She, too, suffered intensely and even made it worse because she wouldn't stay still. With a sudden jerk she would sit up in bed and then scream with the pain occasioned by wrenching her injured arm.
"You mustn't do that, dear," said Mr. Rose, who usually could calm Dotty in her most wilful moments.
"I have to!" cried the little girl; "you would, too, if your arm was all on fire, and shooting needles into you and not set right and has to be broken over again and all twisted up and hanging by a thread, anyway! Ow! – ow! – OW!!" Her voice rose in a shrill screech and she rocked back and forth in her pain and anger.
