The dispenser had just bade him "good-bye," and had told him in wishing him "God speed" that he was very sorry to lose him, and would most likely have to wait a long time before he again had help as efficient; and then he had given him a tip of half-a-crown, and had shaken hands with him. So Tom's heart was quite as full as Ted's, and of the two, being the older and bigger and stronger, he was far the most anxious to hide the emotion he felt.
"Have you seen Jack?" he asked, giving his head a bit of a shake and crushing his trouble down right bravely.
"Jack Green?" asked Ted shortly. He was not a little jealous of Jack Green, who was his chum's other chum.
"Aye! Where is he?"
"I haven't seen him--not all the afternoon," returned Ted curtly.
"I'll go and find him," said Tom, disengaging his arm from Ted's close grasp.
The two lads parted then, for Tom swung away in the direction of the playground, leaving Ted staring blankly after him; and there he stood for full five minutes, until, his eyes blinded with pain, he could see no longer, and then he turned away and hid his face upon his arm against a friendly sheltering wall.
Hid his face upon his arm against a friendly sheltering wall
But by-and-by his jealousy of Jack Green began to wear away. Perhaps, after all, he argued, Tom only wanted to hide his trouble. Tom was a big lad, and was even more ashamed than Ted of being betrayed into weeping and such-like exhibitions of weakness. So, by the time they turned in for the night--the last night--Ted had forgotten the pain of the afternoon.