me."

"Hurry along," cried Joel feverishly. But Tom had gotten no further than
the hall, when Joel howled, "Come back, Tom, I'll try--to--to bear it."
And Tom flying back, Joel was buried as far as his face went, in
Mamsie's cushion, sobbing as if his heart would break.

"It will disturb--them," he said gustily, in between his sobs.

Tom Beresford let him cry on, and thrust his hands in his pockets, to
stalk up and down the room. He longed to whistle, to give vent to his
feelings; but concluding that wouldn't be understood, but be considered
heartless, he held himself in check, and counted the slow minutes, for
this was deadly tiresome, and beginning to get on his nerves. "I shall
screech myself before long, I'm afraid."

At last Joel rolled over. "Come here, do, Tom," and when Tom got there,
glad enough to be of use, Joel pulled him down beside the sofa, and
gripped him as only Joel could. "Do you mind, Tom? I want to hang on to
something."

"No, indeed," said Tom heartily, vastly pleased, although he was nearly
choked. "Now you're behaving better." He patted him on the back. "Hark,
Joe! The doctor's laughing!"

They could hear it distinctly now, and as long as he lived, Joel
thought, he never heard a sweeter sound. He sprang to his feet,
upsetting Tom, who rolled over on his back to the floor.

Just then in rushed Polly and Jasper, surrounding him, and in a minute,
"Oh, is Tom sick?"

"No," said Tom, picking himself up grimly, "only Joe's floored me, he
was so glad to hear the doctor laugh."

"Oh, you poor, poor boy!" Polly was mothering Joel now, just as Mamsie
would have done; and Tom looking on with all his eyes, as he thought of
his own home, with neither mother nor sister, didn't hear Jasper at
first. So Jasper pulled his arm.

"See here, Beresford, you and I will go down to the library, I think."

"All right," said Tom, allowing himself to be led off, though he would
much have preferred remaining.

"Now, Joel," said Polly, after they had gone, and the petting had
continued for some minutes, "you must just be a brave boy, and please
Mamsie, and stop crying," for Joel had been unable to stop the tears.

"I--I--didn't--see--Phronsie coming," wailed Joel afresh.

"Of course you didn't," said Polly, stroking his black curls. "Why, Joey
Pepper, did you think for an instant that any one blamed you?" She
leaned over and set some kisses, not disturbing Joel that some of them
fell on his stubby nose.

"