Fresh gloom settled over the Club at this. Mr. Danforth was in despair with having such unhappy children upon his hands. But Ben came to his rescue, for a gray squirrel whisking along the stone wall suggested something to Ben’s mind. Turning around, he told Mr. Danforth about carrying the squirrel to the Club meeting one day. “It didn’t frighten Miss Ruth a bit,” Ben ended earnestly; “she’s got grit, the way I like to have a girl.”
From talking about the squirrel Ben went on to tell Mr. Danforth of the screech-owl family which had lived in the hollow tree near there last spring. “I think maybe they will come back here again,” he said hopefully, “and maybe we can see them from the hut.”
“What hut?” asked Mr. Danforth very innocent-like, although he and Ben had been to the hut together more than once now.
Ben gave a chuckle which he turned into a “G’long, Jerry!” and Elsa cried, “Why, Uncle Ned, you know all about the hut! I have told you.”
A moment later they passed the hospitable sign:
CONVALESCENT HOME
OF THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME
and the sleigh-bells jingled merrily up the avenue to the wide-winged red brick building.
The kind face of the head-nurse fairly shone with happiness when she saw the basketful of dolls and all the boxes. “I have just told the children that you were coming,” she said, “and one little boy is sure he heard the reindeers driving to the house. I think he is looking for you to come down the chimney,—though you could never get so many things as these down even our big chimney, at once! After you have given them the presents, they are going to sing for you the carol they have learned for their Christmas-tree, on Holy Innocents’ Day. We will go right out to the playroom, so as not to keep you or them waiting a moment.”
The children visitors all knew the way to the playroom now. Ben and Alice went first, with the big basket of dolls between them, followed by the head-nurse and Betty, Elsa and her uncle, each carrying a box, Mr. Danforth’s the largest of all, for Ben had brought out from under the front seat of the sleigh, a square box which the other members of the Club had not seen before.