“That will be all right, Mrs. Marsh,” the man answered. “I know Ted; he and I are friends.”
Very briefly, he explained his acquaintance.
“Mrs. Marsh,” he added quietly, “you need not worry because of the fact that Ted is in the hospital. Do you know what you are going to do? No? Well, I am going to tell you. There is good stuff in that boy of yours, Mrs. Marsh, and I feel sure that he won’t always be a newsboy. I am going to loan to you, through him, one hundred dollars. No, I won’t listen to any objections. I tell you it is only a loan. And out of that hundred dollars you can buy such things as you must have at once.”
With that he removed the broad leather belt he wore and from it drew an astounding roll of bills of large denomination. He thrust five of them into Mrs. Marsh’s hands with an air of finality that gave her no reason to refuse.
CHAPTER IV
JOHN DEAN FINDS A “FRIEND”
THE next half hour was an anxious one. Then Helen appeared. Dean liked her looks. Things were explained to her. She did not become hysterical, but gave her attention and thoughts to the comfort of her mother.
“There is nothing to worry over, mother. Ted will soon be well and as for the things that are burned, at least we are insured. Think of the many people who could not afford insurance, they are in a much worse plight than we are.” She certainly was a brave soul, Dean thought.
Dr. Herrick came in a little later. He smiled reassuringly. Turning to Mrs. Marsh he said:
“There is a little boy in Room 30 that wants to see his mother. Second door, main hall, to the right. Miss Wells just came. She has a very busy night before her, don’t you think, Mrs. Marsh?”
“Bless her kind heart! That is just like her,” Mrs. Marsh exclaimed fervently. “She is an angel, Mr. Dean. A friend of every poor child and mother in the district. She is a real lady, too; not like the kind of folks that live on our street, you know—but you have no idea the good she does nor the comfort she gives.”