man." This last was
performed with particularly fine effect by Carl and Louise, and
everybody knows how funny it is when well done.

John was carried home again very tired, but with a radiant face, eager
to show his silver key. As the spring days grew warm and pleasant his
wheeled chair was often seen on the sidewalk, or in the Hazeltines'
garden, where he liked to watch the games of tennis and croquet,
drawing clever little caricatures of the players meanwhile. Somebody
was always ready to wheel him about, and in the pleasure of young
companionship he grew stronger, and his face lost much of its pathetic
look.

About this time old Mr. Ford, whose eyes were growing dim, discovered
that when the print of his paper was particularly fine a pair of
strong young eyes were ready to lend their service. Sweet-tempered
Ikey had always been willing enough to help when it occurred to him,
but his thoughts were likely to be anywhere else than at home, so that
the broadest hints were lost on him. Now, with the little key to
remind him, he was oftener on the lookout for opportunities, and as
the months passed his grandfather was heard to say: "Isaac is a fine
boy, only a little mischievous," and Mrs. Ford added: "Yes, he is
really growing like his father."

The letters that found their way across the sea were not homesick in
these days, and Ikey's mother ceased to worry about him.

In ways like these the silver keys did their work. Their owners did
not forthwith turn into models of helpfulness and unselfishness; such
things need time to grow, and this is exactly what they began to do.
Only little sprouts, hardly to be noticed at first, they gave promise
of being sturdy plants some day.

CHAPTER XXI.

WORK AND PLAY.

Miss Brown sat in her accustomed place by the window, where the sun
was pouring in in a springlike way, though it was only February. Her
sitting-room wore a festive air; the curtains looked crisp and white
as if they were just hung, the old mahogany shone with more than its
ordinary lustre, and on a table at her side stood a bowl filled with
white carnations. She looked about her with happy eyes, for she had
been away a month and had discovered that there was no place like
home, after all.

From the pleasant room she turned to the window, and her glance went
across the sunny street and rested on the Big Front Door.

It opened presently, as she rather expected, and Bess and Louise came
out with their w