"I remember the boy very well," Mr. Bryant said; "and I hope you will have him punished."
Charley's mother smiled. "We shall try to prevent him from hurting any one again," she said. "My boy and I have a plan; but wont your little girl come in? Charley will be delighted to see her."
Cannot you imagine how pleased our little friend was when his mother ushered Mr. and Mrs. Bryant and Ida into the chamber? His face, to be sure, was very pale; but his eyes sparkled, and he held out his hand cordially to welcome them.
Ida looked very solemn when she saw the bandage around the boy's head. At first she could not be persuaded to go near the couch, but clung to her mother, saying, softly, "I want to go home."
But in less than five minutes she was chatting away as if she had known the sick boy all her life.
Oh, how prettily the color flashed over Charley's thee, when he saw what his friends had brought him!
He looked at the pictures, and kept saying, "Thank you," ever so many times.
Mrs. Monson thanked them, too, and said, "Nothing could have pleased Charley more, because he is so fond of hearing about animals."
By and by Mrs. Bryant said it was time for them to go; but her husband told Charley he wanted to know the plan about Oscar Russel first; for it was very certain that he must be prevented from throwing stones, and doing such things injurious to himself and others.
Charley blushed and glanced at his mother.