eyes that he was quite touched, though of course he did n’t show it.
“Thank you, Polly; he may pull through, but I have my doubts.
Now old man, let us ‘pud’ along; it ‘s getting late for the chicken,”
he added, relapsing into the graceful diction with which a classical
education gifts its fortunate possessor.
Taking advantage of the moment while Will was wrestling with
his boots in the closet, and Maud was absorbed in packing her
apple into a large basket, Polly said to Tom in a low tone, “Thank
you very much, for being so kind to Will.”
“Bless your heart, I have n’t done anything; he ‘s such a proud
fellow he won’t let me,” answered Tom.
“But you do in many little ways; to-night, for example. Do you
think I don’t know that the suit of clothes he ‘s just got would have
cost a good deal more, if your tailor had n’t made them? He ‘s only
a boy, and don’t understand things yet; but I know your way of
helping proud people; so that they don’t find it out, and I do thank
you, Tom, so much.”
“Oh, come, Polly, that won’t do. What do you know about tailors
and college matters?” said Tom, looking as much confused as if
she had found him out in something reprehensible.
“I don’t know much, and that ‘s the reason why I ‘m grateful for
your kindness to Will. I don’t care what stories they tell about you,
I ‘m sure, you won’t lead him into trouble, but keep him straight,
for my sake. You know I ‘ve lost one brother, and Will takes
Jimmy’s place to me now.”
The tears in Polly’s eyes as she said that made Tom vow a
tremendous vow within himself to stand by Will through thick and
thin, and “keep him straight for Polly’s sake”; feeling all the time
how ill-fitted he was for such a task.
“I ‘ll do my best,” he said, heartily, as he pressed the hand Polly
gave him, with a look which assured her that he felt the appeal to
his honor, and that henceforth the country lad was safe from all the
temptations Tom could have offered him.
“There! now I shall give that to mamma to take her pills in; it ‘s
just what she likes, and it pleases her to be thought of,” said Maud,
surveying her gift with complacency, as she put on her things.
“You ‘re a good little soul, to remember poor mum, said Tom, with
an approving nod.
“Well, she was so pleased with the grapes you brought her, I
thought I ‘d try something, and maybe she ‘d say ‘Thank you,
darling,’ to me too. Do you think she will?” whispered Maud, with
the wistful look so often seen on her little plain face.
“See if she don’t;” and to Maud’s great surprise Tom did n’t laugh
at her project.
“Good night, dear; take care of yourself, and keep your muffler
round your mouth going over the bridge, or you ‘ll be as hoarse as a
crow to-morrow,” said Polly, as she kissed her brother, who
returned it without looking as if he thought it “girl’s nonsense”
Then the three piled into the sleigh and drove off, leave Polly
nodding on the doorstep.
Maud found the drive altogether too short, but was consoled by the
promise of a longer one if the sleighing lasted till next Saturday:
and when Tom ran up to bid his mother good-by, and give her a
hint about Maud’s gift, she stayed below to say, at the last minute,
in unconscious imitation of Polly.
“Good night; take care of yourself, my dear.”
Tom laughed, and was about to pinch the much enduring little
nose; but, as if the words reminded him of something, he gave her
a kiss instead, a piece of forbearance which almost took Maud’s
breath away with surprise and gratification.
It was rather a silent drive, for Will obediently kept his muffler up,
and Tom fell into a brown study.
He was not much given to reflection, but occasionally indulged
when something gave him a turn in that direction, and at such