"Mother says she thinks now it may do me good to have a young friend to see me sometimes," said Mary, laughing with glee. "Have you brought the slippers?" she asked, eagerly.
Elsie produced the slippers, and Mary had provided a shawl for this afternoon's expedition, so the two girls, laughing and chatting, went round the house again, Mary sitting in every kitchen chair for a minute, just to feel what it was like as she said.
Elsie let her have her way in this, but when she thought she had been walking long enough, she insisted upon her lying down to rest before she sat up again in the easy-chair by the window.
She was sitting there comfortably wrapped in the shawl, when her mother came back from school. In a moment, Mrs. Murray had taken alarm; "Oh, my dear, you must not do that," she said, looking reproachfully at Elsie, who was just going home.
"Mother, I made her do it," said Mary, quickly, "and I feel better for her coming. Good-bye, Elsie, and come to-morrow if you possibly can."
It was Mary's way of dismissing her friend before her mother could reproach her for what she had done, and she spoke with so much energy, that Mrs. Murray could only look at her in silence, until the click of the garden gate warned her, that if she wanted to lay any charge upon Elsie, as to what she might or might not do, she would have to wait and see her the following afternoon.
But it so happened that Elsie could not leave home early the next day; Mrs. Winn had some work come in, and so Elsie was obliged to wash and dress baby and take him with her, and so Mrs. Murray was compelled to go to school before she got there.
Baby was a fresh source of amusement to the invalid, for he could run about now and prattle in a fashion that was highly amusing to Mary. She was willing to lie on the couch-to-day, because baby could stand close to her, when he had overcome his shyness, and amuse her with his quaint chatter. And Mrs. Murray finding her still on the couch when she came home, felt more satisfied with Elsie.
Thus the days and weeks went on, and by degrees Mrs. Murray was won over to let Mary read the books that Elsie brought, and do a little sewing for the doll's clothes. She could not but admit, that as the summer advanced, Mary seemed better and altogether stronger, and she said it was because her father took her into the garden sometimes.
Mary admitted this, but she wanted Elsie to have her share in the improvement acknowledged, and she tried hard to persuade her father one day to let her walk a few steps, wishing to give him an agreeable surprise as to her ability to walk.