Then Billy gave Thomas Murphy some ice-cream and cakes, and some ginger ale.
The last thing that Thomas Murphy said as he went out the garden gate was:
“William, when are you a-comin’ back to the office? All the men want to see you, William.”
Billy didn’t answer. He climbed up the steps, and then up the stairs.
When he reached his room he went to the chair by the broad window where he could look at the mountains. He had been wondering himself when he was going back to the office. Every time that he had tried to ask Mr. Prescott, something had seemed to stop him. Why didn’t Mr. Prescott talk about it? When was he going home?
That night as Billy lay on the seat in the broad window, he told Mr. Prescott about Tom’s speech to the men.
Then Mr. Prescott said:
“I think that you and Tom Murphy did something for me, just then, that nobody else could have done. Things were going wrong, and I couldn’t stop them.”
Billy said quickly, “I didn’t do anything.”
“You were in the hospital,” said Mr. Prescott, “and the men knew why.”