Phil smiled in even a broader sense.
“Why, to be sure you have a right to know, fellows,” he told them, frankly. “I’m not intending to keep it a secret. I was just wondering why I shouldn’t try and take this little chap down with me when we leave here, and see that he has one good chance to have this impediment to his speech removed. We can go to Montreal without a great deal of trouble; and in fact we had decided that we’d visit there, as we saw Old Quebec on the way up to the Saguenay region. What d’ye think of it?”
“I object!” burst out Lub, to the surprise of his mates.
“Why, what’s got you, Lub?” demanded X-Ray, indignantly; “I always thought you’d be the last one to kick up a row, when a thing like this was being talked over.”
“I object on the grounds that it isn’t fair for Phil to take the burden all on himself,” continued the stout chum, resolutely, with his affectionate arm still hovering about the small boy, who had cuddled closer to him, as though recognizing a warm friend in Lub.
“Oh! I haven’t said I meant to do that, Lub!” exclaimed Phil.
“Well, we know you too well to believe it wasn’t in your mind to stand for every cent of the expense such an operation would cost,” continued the fat boy. “Course you wouldn’t feel it any more’n a flea-bite; but then that isn’t the question. You’ve got to think of us. We cut some punkins in this arrangement, and we insist on standing our share of any expense. How’s that, X-Ray, Ethan?”
“Bully for you, Lub!” ejaculated the former, enthusiastically, slapping the fat chum on the shoulder with almost crushing force that made Lub wince, though he immediately forced a broad smile to dominate his rosy face.
“Share and share alike, that’s the ticket!” declared Ethan, though doubtless the poor fellow was at the same time making a rapid mental calculation as to the state of his finances, for he had no private fortune, or rich parents, or doting aunt to help him tide over. “I’ve got another bundle of ginseng roots ready to ship down to my dealer, and if they fetch anything like the splendid price the last lot did I can spare enough to square my share of the bill. And I’ll do it willingly too, if it’s the means of giving this little fellow the gift of speech.”
There never were four boys quite as generous as Phil Bradley and his chums. Fond of manly sport they were, and full of a love for frolic, and such good times as came their way; but never failing to respond to a call for help, no matter what the source from which the appeal came.