CHAPTER VI.
THE EXAMINATION.
It really seemed as if fate was dead against Jim Hartland's winning the Gayton Scholarship For some time his mother, though saying nothing to the children, had not felt well. The shock of her husband's death, and the consequent change in circumstances, had done much to depress her, and the hard struggle to earn a scanty living had made her worse. She had done her best to keep up as long as possible; but on the Monday morning she was too ill even to get Jim's breakfast.
"Never mind, mother," said he cheerfully; "you stay in bed. I'll see to things. The lessons must go for a bit."
Being a handy sort of fellow, he made breakfast, carried some up to his mother and Susie, straightened things a bit downstairs, and then ran off to his work.
There still remained three weeks till the day of the examination; but, unfortunately for Jim, his mother's illness lasted two-thirds of that time. Mrs. Boden went in as often as she could, and a kindly neighbour did several odd jobs; but there were so many things to be done that Jim found all his time occupied.
"I should chuck the 'Gayton' if I were you," said the Angel one morning. "It will be no good to you if you win it, and with all these upsets you can't expect to be at your best."
"The fellows would think I was afraid of being beaten."
"What's the odds? Who cares what they think? There's no sense in working yourself half to death for nothing."
"Not a bit; but I'm going in all the same."