“They” represented Mamma, Dadda, and Marcia.
CHAPTER XXII.
A HERO.
Mrs. Grey, the overseer’s wife, at Jenkin’s old place, was very ill. It was something unusual for Mrs. Grey to be ill. Mother spent a lot of time with her, and Miss Gibson would go down and read aloud to her by the hour. But she grew gradually worse, till at last Mother and the governess took it in turns to stay with her, following out the doctor’s instructions, which were written or wired daily from the far-off town.
The children rather liked the novelty of Mrs. Grey being ill at first, because they had broken time at school, but as time went on they grew tired of it. It was too lonesome in the house without Mother at night time, and they missed Miss Gibson, too. So old Joe came to the rescue, and told them yarns.
“Did you ever hear tell of the time youse were nearly burnt to death, and your Mother saved you?” he asked one afternoon about dusk.
“Oh, no, Joe!” gasped Doris, with wide-open eyes. “Tell’s.”
“Oh, you wasn’t in the world then!” answered Joe. “Little Eva was a baby.”
Then Baby cried because Eva was ever a baby.
“Oh, tell’s about it!” cried Willie, eagerly.
“You never heard tell of it, then?”