Nobody knew what a burden was lifted from the mother’s heart by the kindness of the Captain and his associates; but the boys realized that she was uncommonly gay, and their own merriment increased. At the dinner table not a thought was given to the brief bill of fare, and the potatoes disappeared in unheard-of numbers. Doodles had a wheel chair! Doodles was going outdoors!
With the aid of the ready Joseph the chair was carried safely to the sidewalk and the small boy seated comfortably among his cushions. Then what a ride! Over to the park which Doodles had seen but from his window; around and around among its gorgeous beds of multicolored flowers; beside the pretty lake with its sparkling fountain and the darting gold fish; down to the bathing-pools where jolly youngsters were splashing about in the cool water; and finally through long avenues of arching elms, with tricksy little sunbeams playing tag all along the grassy plats that lined the sidewalks. Doodles was in a world of delight from the moment of starting until he turned the home corner. Then, for one short moment, sorrow seized him; but he suddenly remembered that to-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow—through endless to-morrows—he could explore again the wonderland of outdoors, which was so brimming with beauty.
That night Doodles slept well, and at breakfast he looked brighter than usual, notwithstanding the fulfilled promise of increasing sultriness. By noon the heat had grown fierce, and Blue looked anxiously at his brother.
“I wonder,” he began, and then rushed off to find Joseph.
The result was that when the boys started down street they left Doodles waving his hand to them from the sidewalk in the shadow of The Flatiron.
“It is ever so much cooler here than it is upstairs,” he had chuckled delightedly, “and there’ll be so many folks to see!”
“We could to carry him down any time,” remarked Joseph, as they passed beyond sight of the happy little face.
For a few hours each day Blue was helping at the public library, and this afternoon he was asked to remain longer than usual, to assist one of the girls in arranging some new volumes. It need have detained him only a half-hour or so; but his mind was divided between books and Doodles, and he worked with frantic haste; in consequence he made mistakes and had to run back and forth to rectify matters.
“You are very careless to-day,” observed the young woman. “I thought I could rely on you.”
With flushed face and uneven breath the boy went on with his task. He worked slowly this time, realizing that hurry would doubtless bring only more blunders. At last he was released; but it was half-past four! He sped from the building like a frightened hare. Doodles must be very tired, sitting there on the sidewalk all these hours. What would he think? He was probably worrying his little heart out. Blue bounded recklessly along, nearly overturning a small girl who was in his way. With a hurried word of apology he dashed on.