Her woes cast aside and filled with excitement, Mrs. Curtis dried her tears and returned to the other room with the girl. Through the window Charles Augustus could be seen hobbling about in a game with the active Helen. His mother watched his awkward movements intently for a moment.

"In a few months he will be running about without the crutch," she whispered and, swinging about, she seized Virginia by her shoulders, looked deep into her eyes as she murmured gently, "May G.o.d bless you and yours for what you are doing for me and mine, and may happiness be yours and theirs until the end of time."

Charles Augustus displayed greater interest in the journey he was about to take than in the fact that he might no longer need his crutch. As he pa.s.sed through the meadow with the girls he explained his position.

"It's great fun to travel on the cars. I don't care a bit where I go, so it's some place else." Possible objections arising from the change struck him. "When I come back, will you come and see me, even if I don't have a crutch?" he asked Helen.

The enchantress caught him in her arms and answered him with a kiss.

Regardless of this attention, dissatisfaction crept into his face. "If I don't have my crutch, I will catch you all of the time. There'll be no fun in playing with a girl who always has to be 'it.'"

His fears did not impress Helen the agile. "When you are able to play without your crutch," she promised him, "I shall fly with delight."

"Like an aeroplane?" inquired Charles Augustus with great seriousness.

They left him standing upon the sh.o.r.e. As they paddled away he was leaning on his crutch, watching something. Suddenly he made a hopping dart and dropped to the ground. Instantly he was up again, shouting triumphantly, "Look--look at the old bullfrog I caught." He held the slimy creature aloft, by one of its legs, for the admiration of the girls and asked, "Do you think that my mother will let me take him to New York with me?"

"Ask her," suggested the diplomatic Helen.

Notwithstanding the happy outcome of her efforts to help Charles Augustus, Virginia was very silent and preoccupied that evening.

"That child is homesick," Aunt Kate thought, as she kissed her good night and watched her slowly ascend the stairs, candlestick in hand.

As Virginia undressed, she was very thoughtful. She went over to the dresser and, holding Mrs. Henderson's letter close to the candle's flame, re-read it. There was a wistful, helpless look in her face when she was ready to climb into bed. "Oh, Daddy, Daddy," she whispered sadly, "please believe as mother did, so that I can come back home."

An hour afterwards she fell asleep upon a pillow moistened with tears.

The two girls were at the station in the morning to say good bye to Charles Augustus and his mother as they departed for New York.

Before the train left Charles Augustus complained to Helen, "Mother wouldn't let me take my frog to New York."

"That is too bad," commiserated the deceitful Helen.

"Mother said that the frog wouldn't care for New York. He might get lonesome there."

Helen gravely considered the problem. "Your mother is right, Charles. A frog would find few friends and little amus.e.m.e.nt in New York."

Virginia bade Mrs. Curtis good bye at the car steps. "You will write and tell us about everything, won't you?" she begged.

The older woman embraced her. "Good bye," she murmured. "Words can't tell what I would say to you, dear. Of course I will write."

Again the days pa.s.sed and the best of news came from New York. The operation was performed and the twisted muscles worked into place. The surgeon was confident of the success of his efforts and felt sure that, at the worst, Charles Augustus would only have a slight limp which would disappear with age.

Yet Virginia was not happy. Very sweet she was and thoughtful of others; but she was serious and often, too, a look of sadness rested on her face.

Aunt Kate watched her with the vigilant eye of a mother in those days.

One afternoon she discovered her niece alone in the hammock, viewing the pond with a melancholy countenance. "Land sakes, that child is moping again," she groaned. Leaving her work, she joined the girl and commanded, "Tell me your thoughts, Virginia?"

For the moment the girl was startled. "I was thinking about South Ridgefield," she confessed timidly.

"I knew it," Aunt Kate exclaimed, apparently much puffed up by her mind-reading ability. "You are trying to see how unhappy you can make yourself and every one else who looks at you."

Virginia was mute before this accusation.

"Were you thinking of your father?" asked Aunt Kate, proceeding with her examination of the witness.

The girl nodded sadly.

"Why do you think of him?" Aunt Kate seemed shocked at the depraved taste of Obadiah's daughter.

"Oh, Aunt Kate, I do wish that he would pay for Charles Augustus's operation. I would feel as if there might be some chance of my going home some day."

"I am sorry that you don't care for the company of Helen and me, Virginia."

The girl gave her aunt a pleading look. "You know what I mean. I love you and Helen dearly."

The older woman softened, patting her niece upon the cheek; but she stuck to the business at hand. "That water business would cost your father a lot of money, wouldn't it?"

"I think so," Virginia agreed.

"Hum," muttered Aunt Kate. "We'd better give Obadiah a light dose to begin on."

"I don't understand you, Aunt Kate," said the girl.

"No matter," responded the older woman. "What I want to know is, have you asked your father to pay for the operation on that lame boy?"

"No, he knows nothing about it," admitted Virginia. "Aunt Kate, I would be afraid to ask him after the way he talked to me."

"Afraid!" Aunt Kate was filled with astonishment. "Afraid of Obadiah?

My stars and garters! You must begin some place! How on earth do you expect him to give to something he never heard of? Don't you know child, that to get a Dale to do anything which costs money you must ask them not once, but thrice. Seventy times seven is about right for Obadiah."

"But, Aunt Kate, after what my father said, I couldn't ask him to help pay Charles Augustus's bill."

"Why not?" demanded Aunt Kate.

"I don't know why. I am sure, though, that I couldn't."

"I know why," declared Aunt Kate. "It is obstinacy--plain Dale obstinacy sticking out of you."

Virginia was silent for a moment, possibly reviewing her personal characteristics as illuminated by her aunt. Then she asked, "You think that I should ask him?"

"Certainly, give brother Obadiah a chance."

"But, Aunt Kate, he will refuse."

"We will write him then that you are going to stay with me."

"Oh," groaned Virginia, great tears springing into her eyes opened wide with alarm. "Then I could never go home as long as I live. I'd never see Daddy or Serena or even Ike again."

"Fiddlesticks, child, don't be a weakling." Her eyes twinkled. "This is no tragedy. It is only a difference of opinion, with brother Obadiah, as usual, wrong."

"It would be a tragedy if I could never go and see my father." Virginia shook her head sorrowfully. "I have been thinking about it lots lately, and sometimes I wonder if my mother would want me to stay away from home much longer."