w.
Always she had been the comforter and Mary the one to be consoled, but
for a few moments their positions were reversed. Conscious that her
coming had lifted a burden from her mother's shoulders, the burden of
enduring her anxiety alone, she tiptoed into Jack's room, ready to begin
playing the Jester at once with some merry speech which she was sure
would bring a smile.

But he was lying asleep, and the jest died on her lips as she stood and
gazed at him. She had expected him to look ill, but his face, white and
drawn with great dark shadows under his closed eyes, was so much
ghastlier than she had pictured, that it was a shock to find him so. She
stole out of the room again to the sunny little back porch, as sick at
heart as if she had seen him lying in his coffin. He was no more like
the strong jolly big brother she had left, than the silent shadow of
him. She was thankful that her first sight of him had been while he was
asleep. Otherwise she must have betrayed her surprise and distress.

[ILLUSTRATION: "OUT ON THE PORCH SHE HEARD FROM NORMAN HOW IT HAD
HAPPENED."]

Out on the porch she heard from Norman how it had happened. Jack had
seen the danger that threatened two of the workmen, and had sprung
forward with a warning cry in time to push them out of the way, but had
been caught himself by the falling timbers. The miners had always liked
Jack, Norman told her. He could do anything with them. And now they
would get down and crawl for him if it would do any good.

From her mother and the nurse Mary heard about the operation that had
been made to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord. It seemed
successful as far as it went. They could not hope to do more than to
make it possible for him to sit up in a wheeled chair. The injury had
been of such a peculiar character that they were fortunate to accomplish
even that much. It would be several weeks before he could attempt it.
Jack did not know yet how seriously he had been injured. They were
afraid to tell him until he was stronger. The Company was paying all the
expenses of his illness, and there was an accident insurance.

At first Mary insisted on sending away Huldah, the faithful woman who
had been the maid of all work in her absence, protesting that "a penny
saved was a penny earned," and that she herself was amply able to do the
work, and that she could economize even if she couldn't bring in any
money to the family treasury. But she was soon persuaded of t