ce more than the
doctor would have approved of, "would you like me to get a real
doctor's book and read you about each disease as it comes in the book
and just what the doctors use to cure it with?"

"Phyllie," he said, sitting up in bed and waving the poor bandaged
hand with delight shining from under the bandage above his eyes, "you
go a running and git that book as fast as you kin. I will promise to
lie right still and listen all day and all night forever. Hurry!"

I called Miss Priscilla to come quick as I saw her turning in the
gate, and I took my hat and started down-town for the only bookstore
in Byrdsville, which is kept in the post-office by the post-master. If
I couldn't find a book about diseases there, I was determined to go
and beg or borrow or steal one from the doctor himself. But I found
the very one I wanted. It was called "First Aid in the Family," and it
described more accidents and diseases than it seemed possible for
mortal man to have. It was a large book and I was glad it cost five
dollars. The post-master said a man had left it there for him to sell
six months ago, and that it cost too much for most of the people in
Byrdsville to doctor by. He offered to send it as soon as his boy came
back, but I was in too much of a hurry to get back to Lovelace Peyton
to wait, so I took it in my arms and started home with it.

On the way I met Helena Kirby walking down-town with the Petway boy,
and they looked right into my face and passed me without speaking. It
might have been because I was carrying the big book, but I didn't know
Helena was that proud. It hurts me for people to treat me that way
without any reason but just dislike for me and perhaps because they
think it wicked about Father's money.

Just a little farther along I met Tony, and he took the book to carry
for me, and I told him about Helena and the Petway boy looking at me
and not offering to speak to me. Tony got red up to the roots of his
hair, being mad, and looked like he would just as soon as not eat them
both alive.

"Now, see here, Phyllis," he spluttered, "don't you pay one bit of
attention to what a pair of jolly idiots like those two do or say. You
are all right and we all know it. No matter what happens, we're for
you. See?"

"Thank you, Tony," I said gratefully, but I didn't "see," and I was so
puzzled over that "no matter what happens" that I felt weak in my
brain.

In a few minutes still worse happened. Belle and Mamie S