|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 36
"Gosh! What luck!" said Beany, looking at his brother. "Are
they brothers?"
"They are related some way," said the Colonel, smoking at his
cigar.
"Gosh! what luck!" said Porky, looking at Beany. "Always
something to take the joy out of life!"
"You ought to be glad for 'em," said Mrs. Potter. "I declare,
boys, I didn't know as there was a jealous hair in both your
heads! How you do talk!"
"That's all right, mom," said Porky. "We are not jealous; only
it was just exactly what we wanted to do, and it's a sort of
jolt. Is that who the sweaters are for, mom?"
"Yes, I thought I might as well," said Mrs. Potter. She glanced
at the Colonel. He was looking at his cigar. Mr. Leffingwell
was staring at the ceiling. She glanced at Mr. Potter. His
right eyelid quivered. "Yes," said Mrs. Potter, "Colonel Bright
thought they might like to have them." She smiled at Porky and
Beany--strange, soft, tender, sad, wonderful smile.
"Come, see if they are going to fit," she said.
Mr. Leffingwell blew his nose.
All the while that the preparations for the boys' journey went
swiftly on, time, pain-filled and gloomy, dragged itself away in
the two hospital rooms where the Wolf and the Weasel lay wounded.
By carefully questioning his nurse, the Wolf, who was not so
badly hurt as it was at first thought, found out that the Weasel
was his next door neighbor. That question settled, the Wolf
settled himself to the task of getting well. In a few days to
the amazement of those attending him, he was able to sit up.
They commenced leaving him alone for an hour or so at a time.
Two days more, wrapped in a heavy bathrobe, he was lifted into a
reclining chair, and allowed to look out of the window. How
could the nurse guess that the moment she left, her helpless
patient rose to his feet and falteringly at first, moved here and
there about the room, stopping every moment or two to rest? When
she returned she found him quietly seated, resting, as she had
left him. He did indeed look tired and pale, so she hurried him
back to bed. The next day and the next this was repeated. Then
came his chance. His nurse was going to a lecture in the
assembly room on the first floor. She would be gone a couple of
hours.
She placed the Wolf in his chair by the window, looked at his
bandages, set a bell beside him, and left a pile of magazines on
the wide window sill at his elbow. Then, with repeated warnings
to rest and not overdo, she left him.
As soon as he heard the last light pad-pad of the girl's
rubber-heeled shoes, the Wolf stood up. He stood firmly. He
tied the bathrobe about him and went to the door. There he
waited, listening. All was quiet. He opened the door a little.
As he did so, a nurse and a doctor came out of the Weasel's room,
went slowly down the ball, and turned into a room at the corner.
The Wolf listened more intently still, and went out into the
hall. Between the room occupied by the Wolf and the one where
the Weasel lay, there was a space. A table and a chair stood
there. It was where the night nurse sat. On it was a writing
tablet, pens, ink, and a couple of little bottles. One of them
caught the eye of the Wolf. The blue color of the glass told him
that it was a deadly poison even before lie read the label. He
put it in his pocket.
Then he gently turned the handle of the door, and went in. For a
moment he thought the room was empty. The shade at the window
was drawn closed. The Wolf swept the room with a swift glance
then his eyes rested on the bed.
Ah! Did you start then, ever so slightly, you cruel killer, you
merciless destroyer? What good now is the blue vial in your
pocket? Of what use the clenched fist, and writhing, clutching
fingers? You have come too late, Wolf; you have lost your poor
too! Look and look and look again at that peaceful bed. See how
straight the sheet is and how decently it is drawn up. Go over,
Wolf, and draw it down and see what it covers! Hurry, Wolf,
because you have but little time to remain undisturbed! Already
the nurse and doctor have finished making their report; already a
narrow, white stretcher is being prepared.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|