The Boxcar Children (8 page)

XI—The Doctor Takes a Hand

T
HE DAYS WENT BY
happily for the boxcar children. They found more treasures in the dump, and Henry worked every day for Dr. Moore.

One noon Henry came home with some new stockings for Benny. Benny was very happy about them and made everyone admire them. And when Jessie looked at the new stockings, she had a happy thought.

She carefully washed Benny’s old stockings and hung them up to dry. That afternoon she and Violet sat down, with the workbag between them, to make a bear for Benny.

“You must make a tail, too, Jessie,” begged Benny, watching her put on the arms and legs and head.

“Bears don’t have tails,” said Jessie. “Your old bear didn’t have a tail.”

“But this bear must have a tail,” replied Benny, knowing that Jessie would put on two tails if he asked her to.

“What kind of tail?” asked Jessie at last.

“Long and thin,” said Benny happily, “so I can pull it.”

“Benny!” cried Jessie, laughing.

But she made a tail, long and thin, just as Benny had ordered.

“What’s his name, Jessie?” asked Benny, when at last the bear was handed over to him.

“I haven’t thought about a name,” replied Jessie. “Why don’t you think up a nice name for him?”

“Well, you made him out of my old stockings. Let’s name him Stockings.”

“All right, Stockings it is,” agreed Jessie, trying not to laugh.

And from that day on, the bear’s name was Stockings as long as he lived. And he lived to be a very old bear, indeed.

One afternoon Jessie saw how long Benny’s hair was getting, and she cut it with Violet’s scissors. Benny stood quietly while she did it.

But while his sisters were getting supper, he said to himself, “Jessie cut my hair. I’ll get Violet’s scissors and cut Watch’s hair. He will look better.”

He found Violet’s scissors and made Watch lie down on his side. Then he began to cut the hair off.

Benny said, “Good dog, Watch. You are Jessie’s dog, and so I will cut a J in your hair. Hold still now.”

Watch lay still, and Benny began to cut a J. It was not a very good J, but it looked a little like one.

Soon Benny had cut off all the hair on one side, with a J in the middle. He stood admiring his work, and just then Jessie came to see what he was doing.

“Benny!” she cried. “What are you doing?” Then she began to laugh.

“Oh, Violet, come and see!” she called. “Watch looks so funny.”

Jessie laughed and laughed until she almost cried. Violet laughed until she did cry.

Then she could not stop crying. She cried and cried. At last Jessie made up her mind that Violet was really sick.

“You must go to bed, Violet,” she said. She helped her carefully into the boxcar and put pine needles all around her and under her. Then she wet a handkerchief in the cold water of the brook and laid it on her little sister’s hot head.

“I wish Henry would come home!” said Jessie. “What shall we do?”

When Henry came at last, he looked at Violet and said that maybe she had a cold. “Maybe she sat too long by the brook,” he said.

“If Violet is very sick, she ought to go to the hospital,” said Jessie.

“Yes, I know that,” said Henry. “And we don’t want her to go to a hospital if we can help it. We should have to tell her name.”

“Yes,” said Jessie. “Then Grandfather could find us.”

The two older children sat up with Violet. They put cold water on her head. But after dark Violet shook all over, and Jessie was frightened. She covered Violet all over with pine needles, but still she shook. They could not get her warm.

“I’m going to get Dr. Moore,” said Henry. “I’m afraid Violet is very sick.”

Then Henry started to run. He ran even faster than he had run in the race. Down the hill into the town he ran, until he came to Dr. Moore’s house.

“Please come!” he cried. “Violet is very sick!”

The doctor said, “Come and get into my car.”

He did not ask Henry which way to go, but the car went up the right road. When they came to the woods, he said to Henry, “Stay here in the car.”

He ran alone up the hill to the boxcar. It seemed like magic that he knew where to go.

When Dr. Moore came back, he was carrying Violet in his arms. Jessie and Benny and Watch came, too. They all got into the car.

“Are you going to take her to a hospital?” asked Henry.

“No,” said Dr. Moore. “I’m taking her to my house.”

When they stopped at last, Dr. Moore carried Violet into the house and said to his mother, “Violet is very sick. We must put her to bed.”

Mrs. Moore hurried around, opening beds and bringing pillows, and Mary came from the kitchen with hot-water bottles. After awhile Violet began to get warm.

Then Mrs. Moore came to get the other children. “You must stay here all night,” she said.

She gave Henry and Benny a big bed, and Jessie slept in a little one. But Violet was so sick that the doctor did not go to bed all night. He would not leave her. He sat by her side until ten o’clock in the morning.

Before ten o’clock a man came to see the doctor. Mary told him he could wait. So he sat down in the living-room. Soon Benny came in.

“Where
is
the doctor?” asked the man, crossly.

“He is up in Violet’s room,” answered Benny.

“This means five thousand dollars to him if he will come down,” said the man.

“Oh, he can’t come now,” said Benny.

“What do you mean, boy?” asked the man. “What is he doing?”

“He’s taking care of my sister Violet,” said Benny. “She is sick.”

“And you mean he wouldn’t leave her even if I gave him five thousand dollars?” asked the man.

“Yes,” answered Benny. “That’s what I mean.”

Then the man said, “You see, I have lost a little boy, and I think the doctor knows where he is. My little boy is just about as old as you are.”

“Well, if you don’t find him, maybe you can have me,” remarked Benny. “I like you.”

“You do?” cried the man. “Come and get up in my lap.”

Benny climbed into the man’s lap. “Have you got a dog?” he asked.

“No,” said the man. “He is dead now. But you can see him in my watch. Here it is.”

Benny looked at the dog. “He looks like a very good dog,” he said. “I have a dog, too. His name is Watch.”

Just then Watch came in with Dr. Moore.

“Good morning,” said Dr. Moore. “Benny, you can go and play with Watch.”

Benny ran out, and the man said, “Dr. Moore, where are my grandchildren?”

“That little boy is one of them,” said Dr. Moore quietly.

“That beautiful little boy!” said the man.

“Yes,” said Dr. Moore. “They are all good children. But they are afraid of you. They are afraid you will find them.”

“How do you know that?” asked the man.

“They have changed their name,” said the doctor. He looked at the man in a queer way. “The big boy changed his name on Field Day. You saw him then.”

“I saw him? What did he change his name to?” asked the man.

“Henry James,” said the doctor.

“The running boy!” cried the man. “The boy who won the free-for-all! I liked that boy. So I am his grandfather.”

XII—James Henry and Henry James

D
R. MOORE WENT
to get his mother. “Mother,” he said, “this is Mr. James Henry Alden. He wants to take his grandchildren to live with him,”

“I’m afraid they won’t want to go with you,” said Mrs. Moore, “until they learn to like you. And they won’t want to go while Violet is so sick.”

“Can’t I see them?” begged Mr. Alden. “I won’t tell them who I am.”

“That would help,” agreed the doctor. “If they grow to like you before they know who you are, things will be easier.”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Moore. “Stay here with us for awhile. The children will learn to like you, and then we can tell them that you are their grandfather.”

“Thank you,” said Mr. Alden. “I will go home and get some clothes and come back. And I will give you the five thousand dollars.”

But Dr. Moore would not take the money.

“I just want these children to be happy,” he said.

When Mary learned that she was to cook for Mr. Alden, she was frightened. “How can I cook for him?” she cried. “He has everything. He is a very rich man.”

“You can cook for anyone,” said Dr. Moore, kindly. “Just get one of your good chicken dinners and make some cherry dumplings.”

At dinner Mr. Alden saw all his grandchildren but Violet. He smiled with delight when he saw Jessie come into the room in her quiet way.

“Children,” said Mrs. Moore, “this is Mr. Henry.”

Benny laughed. “Henry and Mr. Henry,” he remarked. “That is funny.”

Henry shook hands with Mr. Alden before he sat down at the table.

“Where have I seen that man before?” he thought.

The children liked to hear Mr. Henry talk. He told them about a big cucumber in his garden. The cucumber was growing inside a bottle, and he couldn’t get it out.

“Why not?” asked Benny.

“It is too big,” said Mr. Alden.

“How did it get in?” asked Benny.

“It was a little cucumber when it went in,” said Mr. Alden. “A cucumber will grow just the same in a bottle. It will grow so big you can’t get it out.”