Belle met them at the back door, solemn, unsmiling, her hushed tones adding to the air of mystery which seemed to shroud the house. As she finished reading the note a neighbor came in the back way and Belle asked the children to wait a few minutes. They dropped down on the grass while Belle, leaning against the pump, answered Mrs. Brown’s questions in low tones.
She had been up all night, she told Mrs. Brown. Yes, she was going to stay on till the call came, no matter whether it was a week or a year. Mrs. Brown spoke in a hoarse whisper which broke now and then, letting her natural voice through with startling effect.
“It’s certainly noble of you,” she declared. “There’s not many who would put themselves out to do for an old person who hadn’t any claim on them the way you are doing for him. There’ll surely be stars in _your_ crown.”
Later, as the children trudged back home, sobered by all they had seen and heard, Georgina broke the silence.
“Well, I think we ought to put Belle’s name on the very top line of our club book. She ought to be an honary member--the very honaryest one of all.”
“Why?” asked Richard. “You heard all Mrs. Brown said. Seems to me what she’s doing to give old Mr. Potter a good time is the very noblest----”
There was an amazed look on Richard’s face as he interrupted with the exclamation:
“Gee-minee! You don’t call what that old man’s having a good time, do you?”
“Well, it’s good to what it would be if Belle wasn’t taking care of him. And if she does as Mrs. Brown says, ’carries some comfort into the valley of the shadow for him, making his last days bright,’ isn’t that the very biggest rainbow anybody could make?”
“Ye-es,” admitted Richard in a doubtful tone. “Maybe it is if you put it that way.”