“Frank, I want to apologize to you and to your friends for the way in which I have acted. I’m not going to explain anything—I’m just awfully sorry for the way I treated you.”
“Mrs. Parsons,” and Frank spoke very evenly, though pleasantly, “that is all right. I know that things were awfully exciting, and you probably didn’t think of lots of things. I don’t blame you at all.”
“And that’s the way all of us feel,” spoke up Lanky.
“I am awfully glad to hear you say that. I’ll tell you!” and a happy smile spread over her face, “won’t you organize a party and come up to my place on a great big picnic—just any day you say? Minnie, can’t you organize it?”
“Surely! We’ll make it day after to-morrow, too!” cried the young lady.
“You are to bring absolutely nothing to eat with you. I shall have all the things that a really nice picnic needs. Now, I’m going to depend on you, Minnie, to get up the picnic and be there day after to-morrow—the whole day!” Saying this she gave a nod to the driver of her car and waved the young people a happy good-bye.
“I guess I can organize a picnic, all right,” Minnie laughed gaily, as she took Frank’s arm and they stepped back to the sidewalk. “She ought to give you boys a first-class picnic, and I’ll see that she does.”
The girls said good-bye, and then over to the hospital walked Frank, his clothes dried on him, but looking slouchy, rough-dried, and anything but the neatly dressed boy that Frank Allen was. Lanky walked alongside.
There the news the nurse gave was of the very best, and Frank walked into the room, to see his father lying on the bed smiling happily, holding up his arms as if he would take his boy in them.
Fred Cunningham had suffered contusions which were very painful, and the doctor kept him in bed, announcing that he would not allow the young man to leave the hospital for several days.