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"Oh, a hand-organ!" somebody shouted, and they flocked to the windows. "And he's got a monkey!" squealed Brida. "Oh, that's 'count o' my birthday!" cried the happy Elsie. "I do wish he'd come up here!" Her words floated down to the organ grinder, and at once he allowed the monkey more length of cord.
She had come to look forward to her quiet talks with the blue-eyed lad as the happiest portion of the whole day, for Miss Hortensia Price still stayed in the convalescent ward, and the Doctor had been too busy to take her out in his automobile. Elsie and Brida and Aimee and the rest were all good comrades, yet none of them possessed David's powers of quick comprehension.
Them music grew faint and fainter, and was finally lost in the noise of the street. The children returned to their various occupations, giving Polly furtive tokens of sympathy on their way back. Leonora squeezed her hand; Cornelius patted her shoulder; Moses gently pulled a curl one of his friendly amusements; and Brida, who was now about on crutches, stooped to kiss her cheek.
The children were very quiet until they were sure that the singing was over. Then Brida voiced everybody's thought. "Was n't that beautiful!" Presently Polly was going about her little nightly tasks humming the melody to herself. She was quick to catch an air, and with a bit of prompting from David she soon had the words.
"Not qui-te," objected loyal little Brida, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that they were far enough away from the ears of the boy under discussion. "I did n't say quite," returned Elsie, in a lover voice, "I said almost. 'Course, nobody tells 'em so good as Polly she's 'special!" "But David is a dandy fine feller!" asserted Cornelius. "He can play ball, reg'lar baseball!
"Brida, do not talk to Polly!" The sudden command startled the child almost into tripping. "I was n't talkin'!" she protested. "I was only kissin' her." "Well, come away from her clear away," for the little girl was not making very quick time. "I'm comin' s' fas' 's I can!" she pouted. "I can't run on these old crutches so there!"
And I won't say a word to Miss Lucy about it till Popover is here! It's her birthday to-day, and it'll be such a beautiful surprise! I've been wishing and wishing we had something to give her." "Oh, not me darlin' kitty!" returned Brida, in sudden dismay. "No, no!" laughed Polly reassuringly. "I only meant the surprise. Popover can amuse the whole ward, and won't Miss Lucy be pleased!"
Then she remembered how pleased Brida would be to see her kitten again, and that gave her new strength and courage. She was very tired when she came to the little shop numbered 703; but with the glad thought that the "brown house" could not be far off she began to look for it.
"Cornelius and Moses," he counted, "and Elsie and Polly," his eyes had reached the little girl with a crutch, whose pale face was growing pink and paler by turns, "and Leonora and Brida," he went on; "that makes six." "Oh, me too?" squealed Brida delightedly, clutching her chair for support in the trying moment.
"Me-ew!" came again, louder than before. This time there was no mistaking its locality. Miss Price sprang from her chair, and strode straight to where Brida lay trembling. Popover's insistence for more air and a free outlook was causing the coverlet to rise and fall in a startling way. "How came that cat here?" demanded the nurse, pulling aside the bedclothing. "I brought her," answered Polly.
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