“You shall. Sit down on the porch here while I take your coat in and hang it by the stove to dry. I’ll send Tim for the doctor at once.”
When Mrs. Raynor returned up stairs a little later, Florence met her at the door of her brother’s room, where Rex had been carried, Bert being away at boarding school.
“He’s very sick, don’t you think, mama?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so, my dear. I want to do all I can for him. I can’t help thinking how grateful I should be to have any one do as much for our Bert.”
“And see what nice clothes he wears,” went on Florence in the same whispering tone. “How do you suppose he ever got into association with that fellow down stairs?”
“Hush, dear,” cautioned her mother. “Behind those poor clothes is a very warm heart.”
“But is he going to stay, too?” went on Florence.
“He wants to. Perhaps we can find something for him to do about the garden.”
“Do you think he’s honest, though?”
“We must run our chances on that. He is certainly very different from most fellows of his appearance.”