about his "arrant." He chose a
street set thick with dwelling-houses as like one another as peas in
a pod are like. He tramped down one side of the street, up the other,
till at last he came upon what he sought. A smart sign hung on that
particular house, and Jem Three mounted the high steps and rang the
door-bell.

"Is this a doctor's house? There's a sign that says--"

"The doctor isn't at home," the smart maid said smartly. "Will you
leave your address on the slate, or will you call again at office
hours--two till six."

"I'll call somewheres else," Jem Three said briefly.

He called at many doors in many rows of pea--of houses. It was
sometime before he succeeded in his quest. When at length he found a
doctor at home, he was closeted with him for a brief space and then
drove away with him in a trim little gig to a great, many-windowed
house where pale people were sunning themselves in wheel-chairs about
the doors. Jem Three made a call at the many-windowed house.

* * * * *

It was with considerable curiosity that two people down by the sea
awaited the boy's return from his trip, but oddly enough it was
neither Uncle Jem nor Judith that he sought out at first. It was
Judith's mother, at her work down-beach at the summer cottage. Jemmy
Three went straight to her. He had got home earlier than he expected
and mother had worked later, so they walked back together in the
cool, clear evening, talking all the way.

"Don't tell Judy," the boy said the last thing, as they parted. "I
mean, not _it_. It'll be splendid to surprise her, Mis' Lynn!"

"If we can, Jemmy," the mother answered gently. "If it succeeds. The
more I think of it the more it makes me tremble, Jemmy; but we'll do
our best and leave the part we cant't do with the One who can do it."
The gentle voice trembled into silence. Mother could "make poetry,"
too. Jemmy caught off his hat suddenly, and the very act was a little
prayer.

* * * * *

"Judy, are you awake?"

Mother stood over the bed in her scant white nightgown. When Judith
answered, she sat down beside her and felt for one of her calloused,
oar-toughened little hands.

"Judy, would it be--be all right to use some of the mackerel-money?
Mother's got to go away for a little while--just a little while, Judy.
Jemmy says he talked with a man in the city who would give me some
work to do in his kitchen for a little while. But--why, I thought I'd
take Blossom, Judy, and of course