“Why, they’re all right,” he cried in great surprise. “They don’t hurt a bit. Did you cut something off, uncle? Didn’t it bleed? Here, you idiot,”—to Will, who was rolling on the floor in convulsions of laughter,—“what’s the matter with you?”
“Oh! oh!” gasped Will. “Did it bleed, uncle? That’s too much! The dear, brave little boy! He never whimpered.”
Archie, in a state of raging indignation, flung a pillow at him.
“You old lunatic!”
Doctor Ward held up one of the stamps by a pair of nippers.
“A nocturnal visit of a certain household insect, usually harmless, is plainly the cause of your trouble, my boy,” he said, “but as I told you, I do not consider it serious. Bathe your eyes in warm water. Also, I recommend temporary seclusion, and the cultivation of a calm and forgiving frame of mind.”
Another pillow went whack at Will, as a partial relief to Archie’s helpless rage. He only wished he dared throw one at his uncle, as Doctor Ward went out, laughing.
No remarks were made at breakfast time relative to the situation. Archie gazed haughtily past Cricket, and devoted himself ostentatiously to Hilda, whom, usually, he rather snubbed. Like most people who love to tease, he could not easily endure a joke on himself. So he scorned Cricket’s overtures of peace, and even meditated refusing to join the skating party planned for that day. The skating party, however, had been in prospect for several days, and as even Donald and his friend, Mr. Herrick, were to join it, Archie could not quite make up his mind to this sacrifice, even for the sake of punishing Cricket. In this trait Zaidie and Archie were comically alike. Both usually took revenge by making themselves thoroughly uncomfortable.
“I suppose Archie will treat me with an air of cold familiarity all day,” said Cricket, in confidence to Will, as he took her skates, and Archie walked on ahead with Hilda. Hilda was delighted. Archie had usually so little to say to her.
Will went off in a shout of laughter at Cricket’s remark. She thought it was at the memory of the morning.