CHAPTER V

It was three days later, and Reggie was sitting up in bed doing a picture puzzle. The attack of croup had been a sharp one, but the worst was now over, although it had been decreed that the patient should spend another day in bed before being allowed to go about the usual business of life once more. Reggie had argued the subject long and seriously with both his mother and Ellen, protesting that he had never felt less like staying in bed in his life, but all his arguments had proved unavailing, and had been finally quenched by his father's remarking rather grimly, that he considered an attack of croup and three days spent in bed, a very light punishment for nearly frightening his mother into nervous prostration. After that Reggie was silent. He was quite aware of the fact that he had been shockingly naughty, and at the bottom of his heart was really very much ashamed of his conduct, but at the same time it didn't seem quite fair that he should be having all the blame and all the punishment, while Phyllis--who had really been just as much to blame as himself--was treated as quite the heroine of the hour, and went about with such a radiant expression of countenance that he sometimes longed to slap her. There was no doubt in Reggie's mind that Colonel Willoughby spoiled his little daughter much more than was good for her.

The picture puzzle was difficult, and not very interesting, and Reggie pushed away the pieces impatiently, and lay down on his back, with a grunt of disgust. Ellen looked up from her sewing.

"Don't kick the bed-clothes off, Master Reggie," she admonished severely; "you'll catch more cold if you do."

"I'm not doing it," returned Reggie, "but if I did I couldn't catch cold, because it's summer, and people never have colds in summer."

"Don't they, though? Besides, it isn't summer at all, and you know it; it's the second of February."

"Well, it's summer here, anyhow, even if it's winter somewhere else. I'm awfully hot. Can't I take off one of these blankets?"

"No, you can't, and you know it very well. I should really think you'd worried your poor mother enough already without wanting to worry her more by taking another cold."

Reggie winced. He was very fond of his mother, and he did not like to think of the anxiety he had caused her.

"Was Daddy frightened about us that night, too?" he inquired, curiously.

"Well, I should rather say he was. Everybody was frightened out of their senses, and with good reason, too. Suppose some of them black heathens had carried you off, and you'd never seen anybody belonging to you again?"

"What did Nurse say about it?"

"She used such language as I wouldn't demean myself by repeating," said Ellen, pursing up her lips primly, and looking mysterious. "She's a very high-tempered person, and when her temper's roused she isn't to be trusted as to language."

"Did she swear?" demanded Reggie in a tone of deep interest, and he raised himself on his elbow, so as to be able to see the expression of Ellen's face more distinctly.

"Don't use such words, Master Reggie; little boys shouldn't talk about swearing."

"Well, that's what people do when they use language other people can't repeat, isn't it?"

"Sometimes, but not always. Miss Phyllis's nurse didn't swear, but she--well, she said things she oughtn't to have, and Mrs. Starr and Colonel Willoughby don't consider her the proper person to have the care of children. Colonel Willoughby's looking for somebody to take her place, and he's going to pay her passage back to England."

This was an interesting piece of news, and Reggie pondered it for several minutes in silence. Then he spoke again.

"Everybody seems to like Phyllis very much, don't they?" he remarked reflectively.

"Certainly they do. Miss Phyllis is a very sweet little girl."

Reggie gave the unoffending bed-clothes a vicious kick.

"She ran away the same as I did," he said, in a rather aggrieved tone, "and she was just as naughty, only she didn't have any mother to be frightened about her, and her father wasn't frightened, because he didn't know she was lost till after she was found. I don't suppose she was punished a bit."

"Well, no, she wasn't," Ellen was forced to admit. "I suppose they thought she'd suffered enough through being so frightened, and I don't believe Colonel Willoughby could bring himself to punish her if he tried, for he seems to just about worship her."

Reggie heaved a deep sigh.

"I wonder how it feels to have people worship you," he remarked thoughtfully.

Ellen laughed in spite of herself.

"Well, I guess you ought to know," she said, "seeing the lot your father and mother think about you."

"Do you really believe they do?" Reggie demanded, eagerly.

"Do what?"

"Wor--I mean think a lot about me?"

But before Ellen could answer, the door was suddenly and unceremoniously burst open, and Phyllis, her eyes fairly dancing with happiness, came running into the room.

"Oh, Reggie," she cried joyfully, "I've had such a lovely time! Captain Allerton took papa and me in to Cairo in his motor-car, and we've been shopping."

Reggie said nothing, but deliberately turned his back upon his friend, and his face to the wall. Phyllis and Ellen gazed at him in astonishment, and some of the brightness died out of Phyllis's face.

"What's the matter, Reggie?" she inquired, anxiously; "does your head ache?"

"No," said Reggie, crossly.

"Don't you want to hear about what papa and I have been doing?"

"No, I don't."

"Don't bother with him, Miss Phyllis," said Ellen, indignantly. "He's been that cross and disagreeable all the morning there's no doing anything with him. Come and let me take off your things, and you can tell me all about it."

But Phyllis was not so easily daunted. She drew nearer the bed, and laid a brown paper package she had been carrying, with great pride, by Reggie's side.

"We bought you a present," she said, a little tremulously; "don't you want to look at it? We hoped you would like it."

Reggie turned partly around, and regarded the package with some curiosity.

"I don't believe it's anything I want," he said, grudgingly. "Girls never know the kind of things boys like."

"But papa chose this one, and it's awfully pretty, it truly is." Phyllis was almost in tears.

"I wouldn't give it to him at all if he's so rude," advised Ellen, with an indignant glance at the obstinate little face on the pillow. "I shall tell his father about him the minute he comes in."

"Oh, no, please don't do that!" cried Phyllis, in real distress.

"He doesn't mean to be rude--you don't, do you, Reggie? You needn't keep the present if you don't like it, but do please look at it."

Reggie leaned over and drew the package towards him.

"I guess I'll like it all right," he said, beginning to fumble at the string. "I didn't mean to be rude, only I don't think it's exactly fair for one person to go off for automobile rides when another person has to have the nasty old croup, and stay in bed all day."

"Oh, Reggie, I'm so sorry!" cried the conscience-smitten Phyllis. "I didn't know you'd mind. I wouldn't have gone if I had, I truly wouldn't. Please don't be angry about it, and I'll stay and play with you all the afternoon."

Reggie was softened, but boy-like, he was not fond of showing his feelings.

"That's all right," he said, gruffly; "I don't mind, only--only I wish you'd get me a pair of scissors to cut this old string. It feels as if there was a book inside. I like books when they're interesting."

"You'll love this one, I know you will," Phyllis assured him, her face once more wreathed in smiles, as she flew to the bureau in search of the required scissors. "Papa chose it because it's full of stories about brave people who had wonderful adventures, and it's got such lovely pictures in it."

When the book was finally undone, Reggie's eyes fairly shone with delight.

"It's a dandy!" he exclaimed, past sorrows and vexations alike forgotten in his interest in this new possession. "Look at that picture of a man riding on an elephant, and here's one of some people fighting Indians. I love books about brave people."

"Of course you do," said Phyllis, simply; "I suppose all brave people like to read about each other."

"What brave people?" Reggie inquired, regarding his friend in surprise.

"Why, you're one, of course. I suppose you're about as brave a boy as ever lived."

Reggie was fairly speechless with amazement for a moment, and then he made use, I am sorry to say, of a very slang expression, which he had been strictly forbidden ever to use. "Oh, come off!" he said, and blushed scarlet.

Phyllis did not know what "come off" meant, but she did know the meaning of the look on Reggie's face, and her own astonishment was increased in consequence.

"Why, of course you are," she maintained. "Don't you know everybody's talking about what you did the other night? Captain Allerton talked about it in the motor-car. He said he wouldn't ever forget the way you looked when you stood in front of him with your fists doubled up, and said you'd kill him if he dared to touch me. He said it was the bravest thing he ever saw anybody do. Papa said so, too, and he'd give anything in the world to have a boy just like you, and--"

"Look here, did your father really say that?" demanded Reggie. His eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"Yes, he did, he said it ever so many times, and he told me I ought to be proud to have such a brave little boy for my friend. I think I should be jealous, only he says he loves me better than any one else in the world, and I'm going to stay out here in Egypt with him till summer, and then he's going to take me back to England himself. He doesn't think Aunt Helen ought to have let Nurse and me come out by ourselves without knowing he would be able to meet us at the ship, and he's written her a letter about it."

"Do you think Daddy knows?" Reggie asked in a rather low voice.

"Knows what?"

"That thing about--about what your father and Captain Allerton said?"

"Why, yes, and he's just as proud of you as they are. He was on the terrace this morning when papa and I were there, and papa talked a great deal to him about you. He said he hoped you would go into the army when you grew up, because he was sure you would make a brave soldier, and you can't think how pleased your father looked."

"Did Daddy say anything?" Reggie appeared to be deeply absorbed in examining a pattern in the bed-spread, for he did not raise his eyes as he asked the question.

"Not very much, but he smiled, and his eyes had such a proud look in them. I think the thing he said was 'Oh, Reggie's a nice little beggar,' but you can't think how much he liked it."

Reggie swallowed hard two or three times, and there was something wet on one of his eye-lashes, but all he said was:

"That's all right. Now don't let's talk any more about that stuff. Get the jackstraws, and we'll have a game before lunch. I guess I don't mind staying in bed another day, after all, and--and, say, I'm awfully sorry I was rude about the book."

THE END

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[Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent hyphenation left as printed.]