All up and down the rope barrier the officers were forcing back the excited spectators, but out of the crowd came a little pale-faced, anxious woman. She hastened to the side of the doctor, who bent over Ted as he lay in the blanket. John Dean hurried after her unmolested, and as he saw what Ted had held so tightly to his breast, he uttered an exclamation.
“By George! Now what do you think of that!” he cried, for there, whining and nosing about the boy’s feet stood a weak-limbed, helpless little puppy. The doctor was making a hasty examination.
“No, Mrs. Marsh,” he repeated again and again, “your boy is not dead. He will come around soon; pretty much shaken up. No bones broken. Yes, of course he is breathing. Hospital? Yes, but don’t you worry about the expense; arrangements can be made.”
“Doctor, see that he has the best there is; I will foot the bills, for Ted is a friend of mine,” Dean broke in impulsively.
A waiting ambulance, which the doctor beckoned, drew up and cut off any further conversation. As they placed Ted on the stretcher, John Dean hailed a taxi and helped Mrs. Marsh in. “Follow that ambulance,” he directed, as he stepped in beside the little mother.
A few moments later they were seated in the waiting room of the immaculate hospital. Mrs. Marsh sat opposite the doorway watching anxiously each trim, white-capped nurse as she sped noiselessly down the hall, and feeling strangely out of place in the fine surroundings, so different from the sordid tenement she had called home.
“I hope my daughter has not heard of this as yet. She would be so worried. I wish I could get a message to her, so that she will know things are not so bad,” said Mrs. Marsh anxiously.
“If you will give me the address I will attend to that,” said Dean.
Mrs. Marsh gave him the address. He summoned a messenger boy and wrote a reassuring message to the girl and added that she should come to the hospital when she could.
“You are all so good,” the woman said, gratefully. “I do not know what I would have done without you, sir, and I do not know how I can ever thank you.”