CHAPTER XX. Mickey's MiracleThat night Mickey's voice, shrill in exuberant rejoicing, preceded him down the highway, so the Hardings, all busy working out their new plans for comfort, understood that something unusually joyous had happened. Peaches sat straighter in her big pillow-piled chair, leaned forward, and smilingly waited. "Ain't he happy soundin'?" she said to Mrs. Harding, who sat near her sewing. "I guess he has thought out the best po'try piece yet. Mebby this time it will be good enough for the first page of the _Herald_." "Young as he is, that's not likely," said the literal woman. "There's no...
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CHAPTER XIX. Establishing Protectorates"I'm sorry no end!" said Mickey. "First time I ever been late. I was helping Peter; we were so busy that the first thing I knew I heard the hum of her gliding past the clover field, so I was left. I know how hard you're working. It won't happen again." Mickey studied his friend closely. He decided the time had come to watch. Douglas Bruce was pale and restless, he spent long periods in frowning thought. He aroused from one of these and asked: "What were you and Peter doing that was so very absorbing?" "Well about...
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CHAPTER XVIII. Malcolm and the Hermit Thrush"Mr. Dovesky, I want a minute with you," said James Minturn. "All right, Mr. Minturn, what is it?" "You are well acquainted with Mrs. Minturn?" "Very well indeed!" said Mr. Dovesky. "I have had the honour of working with her in many concerts." "And of her musical ability you are convinced?" "Brilliant is the only word," exclaimed the Professor. "My reason for asking is this," said Mr. Minturn: "one of our boys, the second, Malcolm, is like his mother, and lately we discovered that he has her gift in music. We ran on it through...
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CHAPTER XVII. Initiations in an Ancient and Honourable Brotherhood"Now father, you said if I'd help till after harvest, I could go to Multiopolis and hunt a job," Junior reminded Peter. "When may I?" "I remember," said Peter. "You may start Monday morning if you want to. Ma and I have talked it over, and if you're bound to leave us, I guess there'd never be a better time. I can get Jud Jason to drive the cream wagon for me, and I'll do the best I can at the barn. I had hoped that we'd be partners and work together all...
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CHAPTER XVI. The Fingers in the PieWhen Mickey went the following morning to bring water for the inevitable washing, Mrs. Harding said to him: "Is it possible that child is awake this early?" "No. She is sleeping like she'd never come to," said Mickey. "I'll wait 'til the last minute before I touch her." "You shouldn't wake her," said Mrs. Harding. "But I must," said Mickey. "I can't go away and leave her not washed, fed, and fixed the best I can." "Of course I understand that," said Mrs. Harding, "but now it's different. Then you were forced, this is merely...
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CHAPTER XV. A Particular NixPeaches awakened early the following morning, but Mickey was watching beside her to help her remember, to prompt, to soothe, to comfort and to teach. He followed Mrs. Harding to the kitchen and from the prepared food selected what he thought came closest filling the diet prescribed by the Sunshine Nurse, and then he carried the tray to a fresh, cool Peaches beside a window opening on a grassy, tree-covered lawn. Her room was bewildering on account of its many, and to the child, magnificent furnishings. She found herself stretching, twisting and filled with a wild desire...
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CHAPTER XI. The Advent of Nancy and PeterWhen Leslie began the actual work of closing her home, and loading what would be wanted for the country, she found the task too big for the time allotted, so wisely telephoned Douglas that she would be compelled to postpone seeing him until the following day. "Leslie," laughed Douglas over the telephone, "did you ever hear of the man who cut off his dog's tail an inch at a time, so it wouldn't hurt so badly?" "I have heard of that particular dog." "Well this process of cutting me out of seeing you a...
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CHAPTER X. The Wheel of Life"What are your plans for this summer, Leslie?" asked Mr. Winton over his paper at breakfast. "The real question is, what are yours?" "I have none," said Mr. Winton. "I can't see my way to making any for myself. Between us, strictly, Swain has been hard hit. He gave me my chance in life. It isn't in my skin to pack up and leave for the sea-shore or the mountains on the results of what he helped me to, and allow him to put up his fight _alone_. If you understood, you'd be ashamed of me...
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CHAPTER IX. James Jr. and MalcolmNellie Minturn returned to her room too dazed to realize her suffering. She had intended doing something; the fringed orchids reminded her. She rang for water to put them in, while her maid with shaking fingers dressed her, then ordered the car. The girl understood that some terrible thing had happened and offered to go with the woman who moved so mechanically she proved she scarcely knew what she was doing. "No," said Mrs. Minturn. "No, the little soul has been out there a long time alone, her mother had better go alone and see how...
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CHAPTER VIII. Big Brother"I've no time to talk," said Douglas Bruce, as Mickey appeared the following day; "my work seems too much for one man. Can you help me?" "Sure!" said Mickey, wadding his cap into his back pocket. Then he rolled his sleeves a turn higher, lifted his chin a trifle and stepped forward. "Say what!" It caught Douglas so suddenly there was no time for concealment. He laughed heartily. "That's good!" he cried. Mickey grinned in comradeship. "First, these letters to the box in the hall." "Next?" Mickey queried as he came through the door. "This package to the...
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CHAPTER VII. Peaches' Preference in Blessings"God ain't made a sweeter girl'An Lily, at keeps my heart a-whirl.If I was to tell an awful whopper,I'd get took by the cross old copper."Thus chanted Mickey at his door, his hands behind him. Peaches stretched both hers toward him as usual; but he stood still, swinging in front of him a beautiful doll, for a little sick girl. A baby doll in a long snowy dress and a lace cap; it held outstretched arms, but was not heavy enough to tire small wavering hands. Peaches lunged forward until only Mickey's agility saved her from...
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CHAPTER VI. The Song of a Bird"Leslie," said the voice of Mrs. James Minturn over the telephone, "is there any particular time of the day when that bird of yours sings better than at another?" "Morning, Mrs. Minturn; five, the latest. At that time one hears the full chorus, and sees the perfect beauty. Really, I wouldn't ask you, if I were not sure, positively sure, that you'd find the trip worth while." "I'll be ready in the morning, but that's an unearthly hour!" came the protest. "It is almost unearthly sights and sounds to which you are going," answered Leslie....
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CHAPTER V. Little Brother"Now what am I going to do yet to make the day shorter, Lily?" asked Mickey. "I guess I got everything," she answered. "There's my lunch. Here's my pictures to cut. Here's my lesson to learn. There's my sky and bird crumbs. Mickey, sometimes they hop right in on the sheet. Yest'day one tried to get my lunch. Ain't they sassy?" "Yes," said Mickey. "They fight worse than rich folks. I don't know why the Almighty pays attention if they fall." "Mebby nobody else cares," said Peaches, "and He feels obliged to 'cause He made 'em." "Gee! You...
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CHAPTER I. Happy Home in Sunrise Alley"_Aw KID, _come on! Be square!_" "_You look out what you say to me._" "_But ain't you going to keep your word?_" "_Mickey, do you want your head busted?_" "_Naw! But I did your work so you could loaf; now I want the pay you promised me._" "_Let's see you get it! Better take it from me, hadn't you?_" "_You're twice my size; you know I can't, Jimmy!_" "_Then you know it too, don't you?_" "_Now look here kid, it's 'cause you're getting so big that folks will be buying quicker of a little fellow...
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CHAPTER XVIII. The Pryor Mystery"And now old Dodson, turning pale, Yields to his fate--so ends my tale."It didn't take me long to see why Shelley liked Robert Paget. He was one of the very most likeable persons I ever had seen. We were sitting under the apple tree, growing better friends every minute, when we heard a smash, so we looked up, and it was the sound made by Ranger as Mr. Pryor landed from taking our meadow fence. He had ridden through the pasture, and was coming down the creek bank. He was a spectacle...
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CHAPTER XVII. In Faith Believing"Nor could the bright green world around A joy to her impart, For still she missed the eyes that made The summer of her heart."Soon as she had the piano, Shelley needed only the Paget man to make her happy as a girl could be; and having faith in that prayer, I decided to try it right away. So I got Laddie to promise surely that he'd wake me when he got up the next morning. I laid my clothes out all ready; he merely touched my...
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CHAPTER XVI. The Homing Pigeon"A millstone and the human heart, Are ever driven round, And if they've nothing else to grind, They must themselves be ground."It seemed to me that my mother was the person who really could have been excused for having heart trouble. The more I watched her, the more I wondered that she didn't. There was her own life, the one she and father led everything went exactly as she wanted it to; and if there had been only themselves to think of, no people on earth could have lived happier, unless...
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CHAPTER XV. Laddie, the Princess, and the Pie"O whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad." Candace was baking the very first batch of rhubarb pies for the season and the odour was so tempting I couldn't keep away from the kitchen door. Now Candace was a splendid cook about chicken gizzards--the liver was always mother's--doughnuts and tarts, but I never really did believe she would cut into a fresh rhubarb pie, even for me. As I reached for the generous big piece I thought of Laddie poor Laddie, plowing away at his Crusader fight, and not a hint...
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CHAPTER XIV. The Crest of Eastbrooke"Sow;--and look onward, upward, Where the starry light appears,-- Where, in spite of coward's doubting, Or your own heart's trembling fears, You shall reap in joy the harvest You have sown to-day in tears.""Any objections to my beginning to break ground on the west eighty to-day?" asked Laddie of father at breakfast Monday morning. "I had thought we would commence on the east forty, when planning the work." "So had I," said Laddie. "But since I thought that, a very particular reason has developed...
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CHAPTER XIII. The Garden of the Lord"With what content and merriment, Their days are spent, whose minds are bent To follow the useful plow."That spring I decided if school didn't stop pretty soon, I'd run away again, and I didn't in the least care what they did to me. A country road was all right and it was good enough, if it had been heaped up, leveled and plenty of gravel put on; and of course our road would be fine, because father was one of the commissioners, and as long as he filled that office, every road...
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Michael O'halloran - Chapter 20. Mickey's Miracle
