Two Little Women

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER VII

  TWO BIG BROTHERS

  "Whoop-oo! Whoop-ee! Hoo-ray!! Where are you? Hey! Hi!!"

  With half a dozen steps, Bob Rose ran up the staircase of his new homein Berwick, to Dotty's room.

  As he had been at school when the family moved he had never seen thehouse before, and now, the school term over, he had come home forvacation and his first thought was for his broken-armed sister.

  It was two weeks since the accident, but Dotty was still in bed. Her armwas doing nicely, but she was such a nervous and excitable child that itwas thought best to keep her as quiet as possible. She was sitting up ina nest of pillows and a rose coloured kimono was draped round herbound-up arm. But she waved the other hand gaily as Bob dashed into theroom.

  "Well, old girl," he cried, "this is the limit! The idea of yoursmashing yourself like this! Here I've played every old kind of ball andeverything else and never broke one of my two hundred and eight blessedbones! And you just go out on lady-like roller skates and come acropper. Fie upon you! does it hurt much?"

  "You bet it hurts, Bob! Nothing like it did at first, but it hurts agood deal, and it's awful uncomfortable. I can't move it, you know, andI can't do hardly anything for myself."

  "Pooh! pshaw! of course you can do things for yourself. What a chump youare, Dot. Why it's your left arm, you ought to be able to do everythingin creation with your right arm alone, except maybe play the piano orclap your hands. I'll show you how to do things. Is your right arm allright?"

  "Yes, I s'pose so, but I haven't used it any."

  "Jiminy crickets, isn't that just like a girl! Honest, Dot, I thoughtyou'd have more spunk. But I'll put you through, with bells on!"

  Bob Rose, just turned eighteen, was a boyish duplicate of Dotty. He hadthe same snapping black eyes and his hair though short had a curly twistto it which, though he hated it himself made a becoming frame for hishandsome face. He was overflowing with mischief and life and was devotedto athletic or outdoor sports of all kinds. He was very fond of hissister and the two had always been great chums, though frequentlyindulging in spirited quarrels.

  "What's this place like, anyway?" he inquired, as he sat on the edge ofDotty's bed and draped his long arm over the footboard. "You've got ajolly room all right," and he looked round admiringly at the pretty roseand grey effects.

  "Yes, isn't it lovely! It was my birthday present,--the furnishings, Imean. I wrote you about it, you know. We were going to fix up a lovelyroom for you, too, but after I broke my arm, Mother and Aunt Claradidn't have time to do anything but tend to me."

  "Well, they'll catch time now. I want a room fixed up for me as good asyours,--but not so dinky-fussy. I'll pick out the things myself. Youneedn't think you own the whole shooting-match, Miss Dotty-Doodles! Ijust guess Brother Bob home on his vacation will come in for his shareof attention! You won't be neglected, I'll look out for that, but justremember that I'm here, too. What's the town like?"

  "I don't know myself much. You see we had our party and I met a lot ofthe boys and girls and then the very next day I smashed myself and ofcourse I haven't seen any of them since."

  "But you can pretty soon now. Why, it's only your arm, your legs are allright, you can walk, can't you? Why don't you go downstairs and havepeople come to see you?"

  "I couldn't see people in a dressing-gown!"

  "Well, Mother can rig you up a basque or a polonaise or something. Orput on a raincoat or an Indian blanket,--but for goodness' sake get outand around. I'll stir you up--"

  "Here, here, what's going on?" and Mrs. Rose came in just in time tohear Bob's last words. "You're not to stir Dotty up, Bob, we want tokeep her quiet."

  "Quiet nothing! She'll dry up and blow away if she doesn't get a moveon! You're going to rig her up some sort of civilian dress Mother andget her downstairs this very day. She's not sick or going into adecline, is she?"

  The influence of Bob's breezy chatter had wrought a change in Dotty.During the two weeks that had just passed she had become peevish andfretful from enforced inactivity and now the thought of getting up andgoing downstairs had brought the smiles to her face and the light to hereyes.

  Moreover, Mrs. Rose was impressed also by the determination of her bigyoung son and began to think that perhaps his way might be right afterall.

  "Now you've got to tend to me, Mumsie," Bob said in his wheedlesomeway, as he caressed his mother in a big bearish fashion. "You've got tofix up a room for me, all just as I want it, and you've got to make mechocolate cakes and all sorts of good things to eat, and you've got todo lots of things for your prodigal son. Dotty has had her turn and nowit's mine, but while you're busy about me, I'll look after Dot, blessher old heart!" And Bob blew a kiss from his finger tips to his prettysister who had already begun to take a new interest in life.

  "Hello, Aunt Clara," Bob called out as Mrs. Bayliss passed through thehall, "come in here and help us dressmakers. Can't you rig up a costumefor Dot that will be presentable to wear downstairs?"

  "Downstairs!" exclaimed Aunt Clara; "did the doctor say she could godown?"

  "Dr. Bob said so!" and the boy laughed. "I know all about broken arms,and there's no use giving in to them too much. The more you do for them,the more you may. Now Dotty is going to forget hers and have just asgood a time as if she never broke it. I say, Dot, how's that chum ofyours, you wrote me about? Is this her picture? Wow! Ain't she thepeach!"

  Bob picked up the picture of Dolly from Dotty's dressing-table andadmired it openly. "Does she really look like that?"

  "Yes," and Dotty waxed enthusiastic; "she's beautiful. Just like a pinkyrose with blue eyes."

  "She broke her leg didn't she, in your all-comers' scrap?"

  "Yes; she can't move for six weeks."

  "Well, two weeks are gone now, that's something. Can't I see her? I'dlike to sympathise."

  "Oh, yes, Bob, of course you must see her, but I don't want you to goover there till I can go with you."

  "Oh, I'm not going to wait for that. I must have a peep at thisblue-eyed fairy for myself. Any go to her?"

  "Not much," and Dotty smiled. "Dolly's a perfect dear, but she's slow."

  "All right, we'll have to hurry her along a little. When does herbrother come home? Have you ever seen him? What's he like?"

  "He's coming day after to-morrow. No, I've never seen him, but Dollythinks he just about made the world."

  "Well, I'll reserve my opinion till I see the bunch. Honest, old girl,I'm glad you're getting along as well as you are, but I'm going to dowonders for you. It's going to be lucky for you that you've got Brotheron the job. Why, Dot, we were all going camping this summer, you know,what about that?"

  "We haven't planned for the summer yet, Bobs," said his mother. "Perhapsby August, if Dotty is all right, we can go somewhere for awhile."

  "You bet we will!" returned Bob. "Dotty will be all right!"

  * * * * *

  The next day but one Mrs. Rose took her big boy over to call on DollyFayre.

  Though unable to leave her bed, Dolly could sit up and was allowed tosee a few visitors each day. It was her nature to be quiet, so she was amuch more tractable patient than Dotty and her broken bone had alreadybegun to knit and was getting along nicely. It was very monotonous tosit or lie there day after day, but Dolly was patient and always tookthings placidly. Her parents and Trudy read to her and played games withher and entertained her in various ways and Dolly was as cheerful as anylittle girl could be in such circumstances.

  It was a bitter disappointment to her that she could not take part inthe Closing Exercises of her class. But she was reconciled to her fateand made no complaints, though deeply regretting her enforced absencefrom school. Her classmates came to see her occasionally, but they wereso busy preparing for the celebration that they had little time forsocial calls.

  Dotty looked forward eagerly to the homecoming of her brother Bert andshe also awaited with some curiosity the meeting with Bob Rose.

&
nbsp; However, she had heard so much about Bob from Dotty, that she was notsurprised when the merry-faced boy appeared at her bedside with a gayand cheery greeting.

  "I'm Bob," he said, holding out his hand, and not waiting for hismother's more formal introduction.

  "I'm Dolly," and the blue eyes smiled at him as a little white handclasped his own.

  "By Jove, you do look like your picture, only you're prettier!"exclaimed Bob as he took the chair Mrs. Fayre offered him.

  "It's my new cap," and Dolly smiled from beneath the lacy frills androsebud decorations of a dainty new cap that Trudy had just made forher. She wore a Japanese kimono of pale green silk embroidered withwhite cherry blossoms, and as she sat surrounded by embroidered pillowsand lace coverlets, Bob thought he had never seen a prettier picture.

  "You look like a princess," he said. "Princess Dolly."

  "I _am_ a princess," she smiled back; "Mother and Trudy are my ladies inwaiting and do just as I bid them. How much you look like Dotty."

  "Glad you think so; I think Dot's a raving beauty. But I say, it's ashame you two girls had to go and break each other up just when we weregoing to have a perfectly good old summer time."

  "I know it; isn't it a shame. But we'll have to wait till next summerand have the fun then."

  "'Deed we won't! You'll be outdoors by the first of August, won't you?"

  "Yes," and Dolly made a wry face, "but that's about the same as sayingthe first of Eternity!"

  "Oh, not so bad as that. And anyhow I'm an inventive genius, and I'llbet we can have some fun even before August."

  A bustle and commotion was heard downstairs just then and Dolly's facelighted up as she heard a familiar voice.

  "Oh," she cried; "there's Bert! Come on up, Bert."

  "Sure thing!" came the reply, and in another minute Bert Fayre stood inthe doorway.

  He was a tall, slender boy of seventeen with brown hair and eyes and helooked at Dolly with a pained expression.

  "Poor old Doll!" he said softly; "I'm _so_ sorry for you!"

  "Oh, it isn't very bad now, Bert," and Dolly smiled cheerfully. "Come onin and meet Mrs. Rose and Bob. They're our next door neighbours."

  Bert came in and greeted the visitors with an easy grace. Then goingover to Dolly he kissed her affectionately and sat down beside her.

  The two boys silently sized each other up and each concluded that theother seemed to be "A little bit of all right."

  They attended different schools, and soon were deep in a discussion oftheir school doings. Dolly lay back among her pillows and looked atthem. She adored her brother and she decided that Dotty's brother wasalso worthy of consideration. She liked Bob's breezy offhand way whichwas not at all like Bert's gentle, kindly manner. But they were twoawfully nice boys and she felt sure they were going to be friends. Ifonly she could be up and around and have good times with them! A slightpang of envy swept over her, as she heard Bob enthusiastically declarethat he was going to have Dot out of bed and downstairs in short order.For no amount of enthusiasm or energy could work that miracle for Dolly,in less than a month. But she did not show this disappointment andchatted gaily with the boys and with Mrs. Rose and her own mother.

  * * * * *

  As the days went by the four young people became good friends. The boyswere chummy from the first and nearly every day they carried messagesback and forth for the girls. But there were long hours when the girlswere alone, and both patient Dolly and impatient Dotty deeply wishedthey had never tried that roller-skate race.

  "There's no use celebrating the Fourth of July," said Bertdisconsolately, a few days before the Fourth. "We don't want acelebration that the girls can't see."

  "Then let's have one that they can see," said Bob; "I'll tell you whatwe'll do,--I've a brilliant idea."

  His idea was a brilliant one, so much so that it required theco-operation of both families with the exception of the two girls, fromwhom it was kept a secret.

  But the two D's were told that the evening of the Fourth would be a redletter day for them and they looked forward eagerly to whatever it mightbe.

  About seven o'clock on Fourth of July evening, Mrs. Fayre came intoDolly's room with her arms full of red, white and blue material. Thisproved to be a voluminous robe-like drapery which transformed Dollyinto a goddess of liberty. A liberty cap was put upon her golden headand a silk flag was presented to her.

  "Stunning!" exclaimed Bert, who came in to view the effect. "Just youwait, old girl, and we'll bring you something you'll like better yet!"

  So Dolly waited and in a few moments she could hear out in the hall muchgiggling and many footsteps. Then Trudy came in and arranged a screen sothat the doorway from the hall was hidden. Dolly watched breathlesslyand soon heard people coming in behind the screen and recognised theboys' voices as well as those of her father and Mr. Rose.

  "I know you're there, Bob and Bert," she called out. "Come here Bob andsee the goddess of liberty."

  "Wait a minute," said Bert, and there was more giggling and whispering.

  "Now!" said somebody and then the screen was whisked away and Dolly sawstanding before her,--Dotty!

  It really was Dotty, smiling with eagerness and dressed like Dolly inred, white and blue.

  "Oh, Dotty!" and "Oh, Dolly!" rang out at the same moment and the twogirls stared hard at each other, for they had not seen one another'sfaces since that fatal moment when they came together on their rollerskates.

  "I'm just crazy to run over there and grab you!" cried Dotty, "but Ipromised I wouldn't touch you, or I might break us up all over again."

  "Well, do come over here and sit beside me, so I can be sure it's reallyyou. How is your arm? Does it hurt you now? Oh, what a beautiful sling!"

  Dotty's left arm was in a large sling made of dark blue studded withsilver stars and her whole dress was of red and white stripe. Herliberty cap was just like Dolly's own, and she wore white stockings andred slippers.

  "You poor dear," she said as she came over and sat down by Dolly's side;"to think I can dress and go outdoors while you're still tied to yourbed."

  "But I can wave both arms about, and you can't," said Dolly as she wavedher flag above her head.

  "I think you're six of one and half a dozen of the other," said Bert."Now look here, Doll, we're going to push your bed up to the window soyou can see out."

  "Why?" asked Dolly; "it's almost dark now."

  "Never you mind. Little girls shouldn't ask questions. Grab that otherbed-post, Bob. Here, Dad, take hold of the head-board."

  Propelled by willing arms the bed was rolled over to the big bay windowand arranged so that Dolly had full view of the lawn between the houses.

  Then a big easy chair was arranged for Dotty and the two girls wereadvised that if they would stay there they would see something worthwhile.

  "Oh, it's so good to see you again," said Dotty, as the others all leftthe room; "do you hurt terribly?"

  "Not so much now, but it was awful at first. Wasn't yours?"

  "Oh, terrible. Let's not talk about it. How do you like Bob?"

  "He's splendid. How do you like Bert?"

  "I think he's great. Oh, Dolly, what fun we could have if we were onlywell."

  "You are. You can go outdoors."

  "Not much. This is a special dispensation to-night. And I have to havemy arm in a sling four weeks longer. It's in splints you know. I can'tdo hardly anything with one hand. Bob tries to teach me, but I'm asawkward as a cow. I'm so used to flying at everything with both handsthat I can't seem to manage."

  "It must be awful. Oh, Dot, there's a sky rocket!"

  Dotty turned quickly and looked out of the window. The skyrocket wasonly the beginning of a fine display of fireworks. Mr. Rose and Mr.Fayre had concluded that was the only sort of celebration the girlscould enjoy, so they had bought far more than their usual supply andthey made a fine showing.

  Bob had asked a number of the young people to come and see them andDolly and Do
tty recognised many from their post of observation in thewindow.

  But the mothers of the two girls would not let any of the young peoplego up to Dotty's room lest the excitement be too much for her.

  After the usual quota of rockets and Roman candles there were moreelaborate pieces which flamed into fire pictures against the summer sky.

  When the fireworks were all over and the young people gone away thegirls were told that there was a little more celebration yet to come.

  Dolly's bed was pushed back to its place and Dotty was enthroned besideit in her easy chair, when the two boys appeared, each bearing a tray ofgood things.

  "This is your Fourth of July party," said Trudy, who followed. "No onecan come to it except the three Roses and the three Fayres."

  Genie came in then, and the six brothers and sisters of the two familieshad a merry feast while their elders remained downstairs.

  "It's been a beautiful holiday," said Dolly, leaning back into herpillows as she finished her ice cream. "I never dreamed I'd have anyFourth of July celebration. The fireworks were beautiful and the partythings were lovely, but best of all is seeing Dotty again."

  "Yes," said Dotty, "I don't know how I've managed to live through thelast three weeks. But I expect I can come over to see you every daynow."

  "We'll see about that," said Mrs. Rose, coming in. "But this party mustbreak up now, and if it doesn't do any harm to our wounded soldiers wemay allow more of them. So say good-night, you two D's, and I'll take_my_ little goddess of liberty home."