Chapter VIII: Great News

JACKIE was delighted on coming out of school to find Mrs. Winter and Stray waiting for him; and when the old woman spoke of a walk, and asked him to go with her, his blue eyes shone with pleasure.

"Oh, yes, please, do let me!" he answered quickly. Then the blue eyes clouded suddenly; and he said with a sigh, "No, thank you, Mrs. Winter."

"Why not, my dear?" she inquired in surprise.

"Because I promised Bob I'd go straight home," he replied.

"Oh, yes! I had forgotten! But Bob knows I'm here to meet you, and he wishes you to come with me; so it's all right."

"Oh, how jolly! Let's go and look at the shops, shall we?"

Mrs. Winter nodded smilingly. A ten minutes' walk brought them to one of the busiest streets in the city, where there were most attractive shops. Jackie liked toyshops best, next to them the sweet shops; and, oh, how Mrs. Winter wished that she had a few pence she could spare to buy a present for her little companion!

"I'm sorry I've no money to spend, Jackie," she said regretfully, by-and-bye.

"So'm I," the little boy replied; "we'd buy something for Bobbie if you had, wouldn't we? But, never mind, we can tell him about all the beautiful things—he'll like to hear about them."

"Fortunately there's no charge for looking," Mrs. Winter remarked, as they stopped before a toyshop. "Do you see that big Teddy-bear, Jackie?"

"I like horses better than Teddy-bears," he told her, "I like that horse there." He pointed to a toy worth a couple of shillings. "Bobbie was going to buy it for me, only Aunt Martha wouldn't let him have the money. He says when father comes home perhaps I may have it—if it's not sold before then."

"If it is, I daresay there are others in the shop you will like as well. Come, my dear, it's nearly five o'clock—time we turned homewards now."

The last shop they stopped to look at was a sweet shop. Jackie's eyes fastened themselves on some sugar mice—white ones and pink ones.

"I wonder if they're 'spensive," he said wistfully.

"They're marked a penny each," Mrs. Winter answered. Oh, surely she could spare one penny? Yes, if she drank her tea without milk for a couple of days. She took her purse from her pocket, opened it, and the next moment a penny was in her little companion's hand.

"Buy yourself a mouse, my dear!" she said kindly.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Jackie answered. He had flushed with pleasure, but his blue eyes were lifted to her face wonderingly. "You said you hadn't any money to spend," he reminded her.

"I know I did, and I thought I hadn't," she replied, "but I've suddenly remembered that I can do without this penny. Now, are you going to have a white mouse or a pink one?"

"I've seen white mice," the little boy remarked thoughtfully, "but never pink ones. I wonder if there are really pink mice—the pink ones lock very pretty, don't they? I think I'll have a pink one."

He went into the shop and made his purchase, whilst Mrs. Winter waited outside. The girl who took his order offered him the mouse without putting it in paper.

"I want it wrapped up; please," he said, "I'm not going to eat it— not now anyway."

"Paper's so dear on account of the war that we've got to be careful of it," she told him. Nevertheless she put the pink mouse into a little paper bag. "There, my dear," she said, handing him his purchase, "will that do?"

"Oh, yes, thank you!" smiled Jackie. He took the bag and gave her his penny.

"Good afternoon!" she nodded.

"Good afternoon, miss!" the little boy answered politely, as he left the shop.

He rejoined Mrs. Winter, and ten minutes later they reached home. As they entered the house by the side door Mrs. Mead came into the passage from the shop. She had a newspaper in her hand.

"I've been up with Bob," she said, addressing Mrs. Winter, "and have taken him news of his father. It's in the newspaper—indeed, it's in every newspaper, I hear. My brother's proved himself a real hero, Mrs. Winter; he's done a very brave deed—gone out under fire again and again and brought in several men who were wounded. Now, what do you think of that?"

"I think it was splendid of him!" Mrs. Winter declared. "Oh, how proud you must feel of him, Mrs. Mead! And he is quite safe himself? Yes? Oh, thank God! Jackie, you don't understand, darling!" She stooped and kissed the little boy who stood by listening, looking very puzzled.

"How fond you are of children!" exclaimed Mrs. Mead. "I've bought two newspapers," she went on, "and I've given one to Bob—he'll let you see it, I daresay. The other I want to keep to show folks. Run upstairs to Bob, Jackie, he'll explain to you about father! I'll send your tea upstairs. You shall have cake and jam, as it's a red-letter day, I'm sure. And why not invite Mrs. Winter to tea with you? You won't have to wait for tea till your kettle boils if you wouldn't mind having it with the boys for once in a way, Mrs. Winter."

"Mind?" cried Mrs. Winter. "Oh, I should like it! You are kind, Mrs. Mead."

Mrs. Mead looked pleased but surprised. She did not know how very bare was the corner cupboard in which her attic lodger kept her stores.

"Well, and aren't you kind to the children?" she said. "See, what you've done for Bob! I couldn't have spared the time to look after him as you've done. Don't talk of being kind!"

Mrs. Mead bustled away, whilst Mrs. Winter went upstairs; Jackie had run on. When the old woman had taken off her bonnet and cloak she hastened to the boys' attic, and found Bob posted up in bed. He had made Jackie understand what their father had done.

"And he might have been killed himself," he was saying as Mrs. Winter entered the room, "but God kept him safe. Oh, if he had been killed—"

"'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,'" Mrs. Winter interposed softly.

Bob looked at her with a simply radiant smile.

"Oh," he cried, "I do feel so proud of father! Hasn't he done splendidly? I wonder what Tom Smith will call him now! A common Tommy, indeed!"

By-and-bye Lizzie appeared with the tea things. She cleared the dressing-table, which was made of two wooden boxes, and laid the meal there; and Jackie put his pink mouse in the centre—not to be eaten, but to be looked at.

"There," she said, "now you've got everything—bread and butter, and jam, and cake, and a real good cup of tea—and all you've to do is to enjoy it."

"It's quite a feast," Mrs. Winter replied, adding, "Thank you, Lizzie."

Lizzie departed smiling; but in a few minutes she returned, something wrapped in newspaper in her hand.

"Here's a nice meaty bone which the first-floor lodger didn't want," she said; "it's for Stray. Missus said he was to have it."

So Stray, too, had a share in the attic feast.