was at its height, Grant had wandered
disconsolately about the house, refusing to be comforted, and looking so
pale and miserable as to be a mere shadow of his usual bright self, and
to cause Mrs. Burnam many an hour of anxiety lest he, too, were about to
be ill. Then came the sudden change for the better, and, for a day or
two, Grant was like a wild creature in the exuberance of his joy; but he
was restless and anxious to be at home with his brother again, sure that
no one else could take as good care of him as he. He had even waylaid
the doctor on the street one morning, and tried to bribe him to allow a
return home; but Dr. Brownlee was firm, and Grant had been forced to
bide his time.

The whole Everett household had been radiant with its new happiness,
during these last few weeks. It would have been enough for them all to
have Ned brought back to life, after their terrible hours of suspense;
and for days they hovered about the boy, almost unable to believe that
their bright, affectionate, impish Ned was to remain with them, after
all. Even Mrs. Pennypoker had cast aside her strict principles of
discipline, and coddled him and fussed over him to her heart's content,
while Wang openly prided himself on being the means of his recovery.

"Wang went 'way off out doors," he had confided to Louise; "all lonee;
hollered heap loud to Up-in-Sky. Up-in-Sky no say anything; he sabe, all
samee; came down heap quick to help Mas' Ned."

In the midst of this rejoicing there had come a cause for even increased
happiness. On the morning after Ned had turned the dangerous corner, and
started on his slow journey back into life once more, Dr. Brownlee had
gone into the parlor where Mr. Everett sat writing letters, and had
closed the door behind him. His stay was only a short one; then Mr.
Everett came out, and went in search of Louise.

"Come, my girl," he said gently; "Winthrop is waiting for you. Your
mother would have been very happy to-day, as happy as I am." And he led
her to the parlor door; then he went away, and left them alone together.

To Louise, it had seemed as if the world had suddenly been created anew
that spring. The days flew by like one long, happy dream, while she
spent hour after hour amusing her brother during his tedious
convalescence, or left him to Mrs. Pennypoker's care when she escaped to
the parlor, to enjoy the doctor's short, but frequent calls. Ned had
been as rapturous as his sister when the good new