For a week David had not been near the House that Jack Built,and that,too,when Jill had been confined within doors for several days with a cold.Jill,indeed,was inclined to be grieved at this apparent lack of interest on the part of her favorite playfellow;but upon her return from her first day of school,after her recovery,she met her brother with startled eyes.
"Jack,it hasn't been David's fault at all,"she cried remorsefully."He's sick.""Sick!"
"Yes;awfully sick.They've had to send away for doctors and everything.""Why,Jill,are you sure?Where did you hear this?""At school to-day.Every one was talking about it.""But what is the matter?"
"Fever--some sort.Some say it's typhoid,and some scarlet,and some say another kind that I can't remember;but everybody says he's awfully sick.He got it down to Glaspell's,some say,--and some say he didn't.But,anyhow,Betty Glaspell has been sick with something,and they haven't let folks in there this week,"finished Jill,her eyes big with terror.
"The Glaspells?But what was David doing down there?""Why,you know,--he told us once,--teaching Joe to play.He's been there lots.Joe is blind,you know,and can't see,but he just loves music,and was crazy over David's violin;so David took down his other one--the one that was his father's,you know--and showed him how to pick out little tunes,just to take up his time so he wouldn't mind so much that he couldn't see.
Now,Jack,wasn't that just like David?Jack,I can't have anything happen to David!""No,dear,no;of course not!I'm afraid we can't any of us,for that matter,"sighed Jack,his forehead drawn into anxious lines."I'll go down to the Hollys',Jill,the first thing tomorrow morning,and see how he is and if there's anything we can do.Meanwhile,don't take it too much to heart,dear.It may not be half so bad as you think.School-children always get things like that exaggerated,you must remember,"he finished,speaking with a lightness that he did not feel.
To himself the man owned that he was troubled,seriously troubled.He had to admit that Jill's story bore the earmarks of truth;and overwhelmingly he realized now just how big a place this somewhat puzzling small boy had come to fill in his own heart.He did not need Jill's anxious "Now,hurry,Jack,"the next morning to start him off in all haste for the Holly farmhouse.A dozen rods from the driveway he met Perry Larson and stopped him abruptly.
"Good morning,Larson;I hope this isn't true--what I hear--that David is very ill."Larson pulled off his hat and with his free hand sought the one particular spot on his head to which he always appealed when he was very much troubled.
"Well,yes,sir,I'm afraid 't is,Mr.Jack--er--Mr.Gurnsey,Imean.He is turrible sick,poor little chap,an'it's too bad--that's what it is--too bad!""Oh,I'm sorry!I hoped the report was exaggerated.I came down to see if--if there wasn't something I could do.""Well,'course you can ask--there ain't no law ag'in'that;an'ye needn't be afraid,neither.The report has got 'round that it's ketchin'--what he's got,and that he got it down to the Glaspells';but 't ain't so.The doctor says he didn't ketch nothin',an'he can't give nothin'.It's his head an'brain that ain't right,an'he's got a mighty bad fever.He's been kind of flighty an'nervous,anyhow,lately.
"As I was sayin','course you can ask,but I'm thinkin'there won't be nothin'you can do ter help.Ev'rythin'that can be done is bein'done.In fact,there ain't much of anythin'else that is bein'done down there jest now but,tendin'ter him.They've got one o'them 'ere edyercated nurses from the Junction--what wears caps,ye know,an'makes yer feel as if they knew it all,an'you didn't know nothin'.An'then there's Mr.an'Mis'Holly besides.If they had THEIR way,there wouldn't neither of,em let him out o'their sight fur a minute,they're that cut up about it.""I fancy they think a good deal of the boy--as we all do,"murmured the younger man,a little unsteadily.
Larson winkled his forehead in deep thought.
