“But I thought that the Harrow’s girl’s affliction dated back some months?” he said.
“Yes, sir; well—listen. This is how it is now.” Tommy began, rounding his inky fingers and joining the tips before him. “First Betty started in doing like you advised her——”
“Yes?”
Tommy raised his eyes from the skeleton dome of his hands.
“Did you get a hunch from what I said about my cousin in Jersey, Mr. Meadowcroft?” he asked ingenuously.
“Possibly, Sir Wizard.”
“Well, no matter, I haven’t mentioned it,” Tommy said magnanimously. “But anyway, right in the midst of her thinking how she was to begin straight off acting as if she wasn’t fat, something made her think of Rose. It came to her all in a flash, she said—just like one of my tricks, you know—why couldn’t Rose do the same? Why couldn’t she start right in and act as if she wasn’t blind? Of course, Rose was blind, but then, so was Betty fat; and if she could act as if she was just like anybody, Rose could act as if she could see. Well, Betty thought and thought of it, but she had to wait till Saturday till she could see Rose. And all the time she was thinking of it and forgetting other things and stepping along spry and all that.”
Mr. Meadowcroft understood the whole situation.
“And how did the other girl take it?” he inquired.
“Well, Rose took to it like quicksilver takes to gold—especially if it’s your mother’s ring and she don’t know you borrowed it,” rejoined Tommy, grinning, and trying another chair. “Rose is crazy over it, too. She was in our class in school, you know, awful bright, but gee! full of mischief and pep, and what do you suppose? Betty thinks she can go to the high school with the rest of us. Rose has set her heart on it and so has Betty hers even more. But don’t say anything about it yet, because they haven’t asked Rose’s mother yet. She’s awful careful of Rose and awful timid about her, and they hardly dare to tell her about this. And anyhow, as it is, she’s sort of stunned—having Rose flying about the house and going out with Betty and eating her meals at the table and begging to wash the dishes when she used to hate it.”