Saturday was a busy and a happy time to Jack,for in the morning Mr.Acton came to see him,having heard the story overnight,and promised to keep Bob's secret while giving Jack an acquittal as public as the reprimand had been.Then he asked for the report which Jack had bravely received the day before and put away without showing to anybody.
"There is one mistake here which we must rectify,"said Mr.Acton,as he crossed out the low figures under the word "Behavior,"and put the much-desired 100there.
"But I did break the rule,sir,"said Jack,though his face glowed with pleasure,for Mamma was looking on.
"I overlook that as I should your breaking into my house if you saw it was on fire.You ran to save a friend,and I wish I could tell those fellows why you were there.It would do them good.I am not going to praise you,John,but I did believe you in spite of appearances,and I am glad to have for a pupil a boy who loves his neighbor better than himself."Then,having shaken hands heartily,Mr.Acton went away,and Jack flew off to have rejoicings with Jill,who sat up on her sofa,without knowing it,so eager was she to hear all about the call.
In the afternoon Jack drove his mother to the Captain's,confiding to her on the way what a hard time he had when he went before,and how nothing but the thought of cheering Bob kept him up when he slipped and hurt his knee,and his boot sprung a leak,and the wind came up very cold,and the hill seemed an endless mountain of mud and snow.
Mrs.Minot had such a gentle way of putting things that she would have won over a much harder man than the strict old Captain,who heard the story with interest,and was much pleased with the boys' efforts to keep Bob straight.That young person dodged away into the barn with Jack,and only appeared at the last minute to shove a bag of chestnuts into the chaise.But he got a few kind words that did him good,from Mrs.Minot and the Captain,and from that day felt himself under bonds to behave well if he would keep their confidence.
"I shall give Jill the nuts;and I wish I had something she wanted very,very much,for I do think she ought to be rewarded for getting me out of the mess,"said Jack,as they'd rove happily home again.
"I hope to have something in a day or two that will delight her very much.I will say no more now,but keep my little secret and let it be a surprise to all by and by,"answered his mother,looking as if she had not much doubt about the matter.
"That will be jolly.You are welcome to your secret,Mamma.I've had enough of them for one while";and Jack shrugged his broad shoulders as if a burden had been taken off.
In the evening Ed came,and Jack was quite satisfied when he saw how pleased his friend was at what he had done.
"I never meant you should take so much trouble,only be kind to Bob,"said Ed,who did not know how strong his influence was,nor what a sweet example of quiet well-doing his own life was to all his mates.
"I wished to be really useful;not just to talk about it and do nothing.That isn't your way,and I want to be like you,"answered Jack,with such affectionate sincerity that Ed could not help believing him,though he modestly declined the compliment by saying,as he began to play softly,"Better than I am,I hope.I don't amount to much.""Yes,you do!and if anyone says you don't I'll shake him.I can't tell what it is,only you always look so happy and contented--sort of sweet and shiny,"said Jack,as he stroked the smooth brown head,rather at a loss to describe the unusually fresh and sunny expression of Ed's face,which was always cheerful,yet had a certain thoughtfulness that made it very attractive to both young and old.
"Soap makes him shiny;I never saw such a fellow to wash and brush,"put in Frank,as he came up with one of the pieces of music he and Ed were fond of practising together.
"I don't mean that!"said Jack indignantly."I wash and brush till you call me a dandy,but I don't have the same look--it seems to come from the inside,somehow,as if he was always jolly and clean and good in his mind,you know.""Born so,"said Frank,rumbling away in the bass with a pair of hands that would have been the better for some of the above-mentioned soap,for he did not love to do much in the washing and brushing line.
"I suppose that's it.Well,I like it,and I shall keep on trying,for being loved by everyone is about the nicest thing in the world.Isn't it,Ed?"asked Jack,with a gentle tweak of the ear as he put a question which he knew would get no answer,for Ed was so modest he could not see wherein he differed from other boys,nor believe that the sunshine he saw in other faces was only the reflection from his own.
Sunday evening Mrs.Minot sat by the fire,planning how she should tell some good news she had been saving up all day.Mrs.
Pecq knew it,and seemed so delighted that she went about smiling as if she did not know what trouble meant,and could not do enough for the family.She was downstairs now,seeing that the clothes were properly prepared for the wash,so there was no one in the Bird Room but Mamma and the children.Frank was reading up all he could find about some Biblical hero mentioned in the day's sermon;Jill lay where she had lain for nearly four long months,and though her face was pale and thin with the confinement,there was an expression on it now sweeter even than health.Jack sat on the rug beside her,looking at a white carnation through the magnifying glass,while she was enjoying the perfume of a red one as she talked to him.