Part 19

And so the happy summer sped. September came, and with it Mr. Louis Le Bras and his wife, who arrived at the cottage on the tenth. Mrs. Le Bras had improved greatly in health, and was very grateful to her brother-in-law and his wife for having enabled her to leave, by taking charge of Felix. When she and her husband saw how much Felix had improved in his manners, and appearance in general, they were still more grateful for the pains that had been taken with him. His letters had, however, somewhat prepared them for the change, as they were such great contrasts to the letters he had been accustomed to write; although it was very seldom that he had been induced to write a letter, until his uncle and Pierre took the matter in hand. When Felix showed them the library he was buying, with money he earned himself, they could hardly believe their eyes and ears, especially when they saw the books were not simple story-books, like those Felix had been accustomed to look over so carelessly, and stumble over in the reading, but substantial works containing useful information, several of them being "Science Primers," written by famous professors. But their astonishment was not at an end; for Felix further informed them that he had read all these books aloud to Pierre, and could understand and pronounce every word in them. After this, Mr. Le Bras told his brother and his wife how all this wonderful change had come about in so brief a time, and advised his brother to continue similar methods with Felix by hiring Pierre, who fully understood how to manage and interest such a boy, for his tutor for the next year. Mr. Louis Le Bras said he should be only too glad to engage Pierre, and would give him a good price for his valuable service.

Johnny and Sue and their father and mother remained at the cottage about a week after the arrival of the owner, and then Mr. Le Bras said he could not leave his office for another day; and Mrs. Le Bras said, if that was the case, she could not stay longer either, as she had remained more on her husband's account than her own, because he had been so much in need of just such an outing as he had had this summer.

Felix looked very solemn when the day came for his uncle and aunt and Johnny and Sue to return home, and was only consoled by the fact that Pierre, of whom he had grown very fond, was to stay with him right along. It was agreed, too, that Johnny and Sue might come to New York and spend the winter holidays, as their first visit from home without their father and mother. Mr. Louis Le Bras and his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham and Ruth, accompanied them to the station. When the cars started, Felix quite broke down: he took out his handkerchief, and wiped his eyes very hard. Turning to Pierre, who was holding his hand, he said, "It seems to me as if the sun hasn't half shone to-day, and now it's almost as dark as night;" and then, as the train disappeared, he wept outright.

Yet the sun was shining brightly all the time.

Johnny and Sue, too, found a similar use for their handkerchiefs.

"I hope you are not so very sorry to return to your own home, children," said their mother.

"No," replied Johnny, trying hard not to snuff any more. "I am glad to go home, though the beach was so grand: but I was awful sorry to have to leave Felix; I wish we could always live together!"

"So do I," said Sue: "I love him dearly!"

"For my part," said Mr. Le Bras, "I feel wonderfully happy at the way it has all turned out. I always thought I would like to have you and Felix love each other as his father and I love one another, but I was afraid it never could come about. Just to think, Johnny, how you wanted to get away from him, and we couldn't blame you either, and how the sky-room was contrived as a refuge!

"And Johnny let him right into it, first thing," said Sue.

"But I am glad we discovered the room, father," replied Johnny.

"Certainly! It is a great acquisition: it opens a new world. I haven't told you how I have spent almost all my evenings, alone at home, up there. We can't part with that glorious view when the cold weather comes. I intend to have some men come, right off, and put a partition where the curtains are, and then have it plastered and papered. We will set up one of our spare stoves by November; and you can fill a large box, outside the partition, with coal, as you get time,--which will be good exercise for you,--and keep it filled. Then, any Saturday you choose, or any other day, when any of us feel like going up there to enjoy the view, we can build a fire, even in mid-winter, and, lo! we are as good as out of doors, without the discomforts."

"What a grand place to see a winter storm from!" exclaimed Johnny, in delight.

"And to see the snow or ice all over the trees!" added Sue.

"This is a good illustration," remarked Mrs. Le Bras, "of how some of the things which we dread most turn out to be among the most fortunate incidents that come to us. To think how we all dreaded Felix's visit! and now let us see how many nice things it has brought us."

"A whole summer at the seaside, in a beautiful cottage, with lots of pleasant acquaintances and good times," said Johnny.

"And your bicycle, and all the fun you have had with it, and the dog-cart for me," said Sue.

"And the sky-room," added Johnny.

"And getting acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham and Ruth, for always," said Sue.

"And Felix's improvement," said Mr. Le Bras.

"And Pierre's having such a good place," said Mrs. Le Bras.

"And Ruth's being adopted," said Johnny; "for you know, Mr. Frothingham said it would never have come into his head, if you had not advised it so strongly."

"And your aunt Mary's getting better," said Mrs. Le Bras.

"And a check for a thousand dollars, my dear," said Mr. Le Bras, taking a slip of paper from his pocket-book, and handing it to her. "Louis fairly insisted upon my taking this; and when I saw it would make him feel very badly if I refused, I consented; though it secretly annoyed me greatly, to take pay for doing a favor to my own brother, and benefiting my own nephew. Still, Louis has money enough, and he might as well throw it away in this way as any other, I suppose."

Mrs. Le Bras looked at the check in blank astonishment.

"You see, poor Louis was almost beside himself with delight over Felix's improvement: he said he should never have known how to bring it about himself; and, in fact, he didn't so much as suppose the boy had it in him to try to be a scholar, or behave as well as some boys did, and he had always said he would give a thousand dollars to have Felix taught to behave himself decently. So I must take the money, or grieve him; and there it is."