pondering, till the waif asked,--
"Say, youse goin' to guv me dat present just de same, oin't youse?"
"Yes, I'll give you a present," acceded the girl, opening the book. "Ithink, Swot," she continued, "that we'll have to trouble Dr. Armstrong foranother Old Sleuth, as we shall probably finish this to-day. And tell himthis time it is my turn to pay for it," From her purse she produced adime, started to give it to the boy, hastily drew back her hand, andreplacing the coin, substituted for it a dollar bill. Then she beganreading rapidly--so rapidly that the end of the story was attained sometwenty minutes before the visitors' time had expired.
"Say," was her greeting on the following day, as Swot held up anotherlurid-looking tale and the dollar bill, "Ise told de doc youse wuzn'twillin' dat he, bein' poor, should bleed de cash dis time, an' dat youseguv me dis to--"
"You didn't put it that way, Swot?" demanded Miss Durant.
"Wot way?"
"That I said he was poor."
"Soytenly."
"Oh, Swot, how could you?"
"Wot's de matter?"
"I never said that! Was he--was he--What did he say?"
"Nuttin' much, 'cept dat I wuz to guv youse back de dough, for de bookswuz on 'im."
"I'm afraid you have pained him, Swot, and you certainly have pained me.Did he seem hurt or offended?"
"Nop."
"I wish you would tell him I shall be greatly obliged if he will come tothe ward to-morrow, for I wish to see him. Now don't alter this message,please, Swot."
That her Mercury did her bidding more effectively was proved by herfinding the doctor at the bedside when she arrived the next day.
"Swot told me that you wished to see me, Miss Durant," he said.
"Yes, and I'm very much obliged to you for waiting. I--How soon will it bepossible for him to be up?"
"He is doing so famously that we'll have him out of bed by Monday, Ihope."
"I promised him a present, and I want to have a Christmas tree for him, ifhe can come to it."
"Wot's dat?" came the quick question from the bed.
"If you don't know, I'm going to let it be a surprise to you, Swot. Doyou think he will be well enough to come to my house? Of course I'llsend my carriage."
"If he continues to improve, he certainly will be."
"Say, is dat de ting dey has for de mugs wot goes to Sunday-school, an'dat dey has a party for?"
"Yes, only this tree will be only for you, Swot,"
"Youse oin't goin' to have no udder swipes but me?"
"No."
"Den who'll git all de presents wot's on de tree?" inquired Swot,suggestively.
"Guess!" laughed Constance.
"Will dey all be for me?"
"Yes."
"Hully gee! But dat's grand! Ise in it up to de limit, doc, oin't Ise?"exclaimed the waif, turning to the doctor.
Dr. Armstrong smiled and nodded his head, but something in his face ormanner seemed to give a change to the boy's thoughts, for, after eyeinghim intently, he said to Constance,--
"Oin't youse goin' to invite de doc?"
Miss Durant coloured as she said, with a touch of eagerness yet shyness,"Dr. Armstrong, I intended to ask you, and it will give me a great deal ofpleasure if you will come to Swot's and my festival." And when the doctorseemed to hesitate, she added, "Please!" in a way that would have verymuch surprised any man of her own circle.
"Thank you, Miss Durant; I'll gladly come, if you are sure I sha'n't be aninterloper."
"Not at all," responded the girl. "On the contrary, it would be sadlyincomplete without you--"
"Say," broke in the youngster, "growed-up folks don't git tings off detree, does dey?"
Both Constance and the doctor laughed at the obvious fear in the boy'smind.
"No, Swot," the man replied; "and I've had my Christmas gift from MissDurant already."
"Wot wuz dat?"
"Ask her," replied Dr. Armstrong, as he walked away.
"Wot have youse guv 'im?"
Constance laughed, and blushed still more deeply, as, after a slightpause, she replied, "It's my turn, Swot, to say 'rubber'?" This said, shestooped impulsively and kissed the boy's forehead. "You are a dear, Swot,"she asserted, warmly.
With the mooting of the Christmas tree, the interest in Old Sleuthmarkedly declined, being succeeded by innumerable surmises of the rapidlyconvalescing boy as to the probable nature and number of the gifts itwould bear. In this he was not discouraged by Miss Durant, who, once thereadings were discontinued, brought a bit of fancy-work for occupation.
"Wot's dat?" he inquired, the first time she produced it.
"A case for handkerchiefs."
"For me?"
"Did you ever have a handkerchief?"
"Nop. An' I'd radder have suttin' else."
"Can you keep a secret, Swot?"
"Bet youse life."
"This is for Dr. Armstrong."
Swot regarded it with new interest. "Youse goin' to s'prise 'im?"
"Yes."
"Den youse must sneak it quick w'en he comes in."
"Haven't you noticed that he doesn't come here any longer, Swot?" quietlyresponded the girl, her head bowed over the work.
"Oin't dat luck!"
"Why?" asked Constance, looking up in surprise.
"'Cause youse can work on de present," explained Swot. "Say," he demandedafter a pause, "if dere's anyting on de tree dat Ise don't cares for, canIse give it to de doc?"
"Certainly. Or better still, if you'll find out what he would like, I'lllet you make him a present."
"Youse payin' for it?" anxiously questioned the boy.
"Of course."
"Dat's Jim Dandy!"
Miss Durant recurred to this offer twice in the succeeding week, but toher surprise, found Swot's apparent enthusiasm over the gift had entirelycooled, and his one object was a seeming desire to avoid all discussion ofit.
"Don't you want to give him something, or haven't you found out what hewants?" she was driven to ask.
"Oh, dat's all right. Don't youse tire youself 'bout dat," was hismysterious reply. Nor could she extract anything more satisfactory.
It was a very different Swot McGarrigle who was helped into Miss Durant'scarriage by the doctor on Christmas eve from the one who had been liftedout at the hospital some six weeks before. The wizened face had filled outinto roundness, and the long-promised new clothes, donned for the firsttime in honor of the event, even more transformed him; so changed him, infact, that Constance hesitated for an instant in her welcome, in doubt ifit were he.
"I have the tree in my own room, because I wanted all the fun toourselves," she explained, as she led the way upstairs, "and downstairs weshould almost certainly be interrupted by callers, or something. Butbefore you go, Dr. Armstrong, I want you to meet my family, and of coursethey all want to see Swot."
It was not a large nor particularly brilliant tree, but to Swot it waseverything that was beautiful. At first he was afraid to approach, butafter a little Constance persuaded him into a walk around it, and finallytempted him, by an artful mention of what was in one of the largerpackages at the base, to treat it more familiarly. Once the ice wasbroken, the two were quickly seated on the floor, Constance cuttingstrings, and Swot giving shouts of delight at each new treasure.Presently, in especial joy over some prize, the boy turned to show it tothe doctor, to discover that he was standing well back, watching, ratherthan sharing, in the pleasure of the two; and, as the little chapdiscovered the aloofness, he leaned over and whispered something to thegirl.
"I want to, but can't get the courage yet," whispered back Constance. "Idon't know what is the matter with me, Swot," she added, blushing.
"Like me to guv it to 'im?"
"Oh, will you, Swot?" she eagerly demanded. "It's the parcel intissue-paper on my desk over there."
The waif rose to his feet and trotted to the place indicated. He gave aquick glance back at Miss Durant, and seeing that she was leaning over abundle, he softly unfo
lded the tissue-paper, slipped something from hisnewly possessed breast pocket into the handkerchief-case, and refolded thepaper. He crossed the room to where the doctor was standing, and handedhim the parcel, with the remark, "Dat's for youse, from Miss Constance an'me,