the next day all the papers told of the impending operation on the millionaire’s daughter by the distinguished surgeon. his picture was in many of the publications, including the leader. the operation was performed that day, and was a success as far as the first stages went. it would be some time, the stories said, before the plaster casts could be removed, and then it would be known whether or not the little girl would ever walk again.
larry read every line that was published about the eminent physician and the operation, for he felt that his sister’s case might be similar to that of the millionaire’s daughter. he said nothing at home of the hope he had that lucy might be made well and strong, for he did not want to raise expectations that might later be dispelled. when he heard from dr. carrolton he thought that would be time enough to tell his mother, and to prepare lucy for the operation and ordeal which she must go through.
there were anxious days of waiting for larry.242 as he performed his work at the leader office he kept track, by means of the various papers, of dr. carrolton’s progress. the physician was traveling over the country, making cures that were almost marvelous. larry began to fear the doctor had forgotten his promise, and was almost beginning to despair when, one day, there came a letter addressed to “mr. larry dexter,” with his street number and all on it. up in one corner was the eminent doctor’s name.
larry’s fingers trembled so much he could scarcely open the envelope, but he managed to take out the single sheet of paper it contained and read this message:
“my dear boy: i have not forgotten you, your sister, or the promise i made. if nothing happens to prevent i shall call at your house a week from to-day and see the little girl. i hope i may be able to cure her.”
then larry decided to tell his mother. at first mrs. dexter was too surprised to know what to say. then, as the full realization of what the doctor’s visit might mean,—the cure of her daughter,—she could not help weeping, but the tears were those of joy.
“oh, larry, larry!” she exclaimed softly. “it is too good to be true!”
“we must break the news gently to lucy,” said243 the boy. “we don’t want to get her excited, for it might have a bad effect on her nerves.”
poor lucy was frightened and pleased by turns when they told her. she had long before given up hope of ever being able to walk like other girls, and had resigned herself to her fate. now that there seemed to be a ray of hope she hardly dared indulge in the pleasant thoughts that came to her.
“oh, if i ever could walk right again!” she exclaimed, and her eyes filled with tears.
“oh, dr. carrolton can cure you,” said larry with confidence in his tone. “i’ve read all about the cases in the papers, and most of them are lots worse than yours is.”
“oh, if i could only walk again, like other girls, and run and play, and—and go to work,” sighed lucy, “i would be the happiest girl in all the world.”
“you will,” said larry, and he prayed that what he hoped would come to pass.
that week was full of excitement. in the first place, all unexpectedly, a trained nurse came to the house one day, and said she had been sent by dr. carrolton to prepare lucy for the operation.
“will i have to go to the hospital?” asked lucy, with fright in her tone.
“no, dear,” said the nurse. “dr. carrolton has decided that you will be better off at home. i am going to get you ready.”
244 “will you—will you stay with me when—when he operates?” asked the girl in a pleading tone.
“of course i will, dearest,” said the kind-hearted nurse, putting her arms around the girl. “your mother will be here too, and we will take good care of you, never fear.”
“will it hurt very much?” asked lucy.
“not much, dear. it may, a little. will you mind?”
“not—if it makes me well,” replied lucy.
the dexter household was much upset for the next few days. a room had to be prepared for lucy, and this the trained nurse arranged. then came a man, bringing a strange sort of folding table on which the little girl was to lie while the great doctor operated on her. larry could hardly do his work for thinking of what was to happen, and mrs. dexter was so nervous that she did not know what to do.
but lucy proved herself a brave girl. she was cheerful, and even joked at times, telling larry she would soon be running races with him. the younger children did not know what was going on. kind neighbors cared for them at times, when there was too much for mrs. dexter to do.
at last came the day for the operation; dr. carrolton came in his carriage, with another physician to help him. all save the nurse and the doctors were banished from the room where lucy was taken.
245 mr. emberg, who had heard of what was going on, excused larry from work that day, for he knew the copy boy’s heart would be at home with his sister. mrs. dexter wept at times, and several women friends came in to comfort her.
there was an hour of anxious waiting. then from the room where the operation had been performed came dr. carrolton.
“will she—is it—can—” began larry, but he was excited and stammered so he could not talk.
“we hope it will be a success,” said the physician in kind tones. “it was a bad case. much worse than i had supposed. but if we can make her walk again, larry, my boy, if we can have her run around like other little girls, we’ll do it!”
larry gritted his teeth to keep back the tears that were all too ready to flow. but he put on a brave front.
“thank you, doctor,” was all he could say.
“now she must be kept very quiet,” the surgeon said. “the nurse will stay with her, but she must not be disturbed. i will stop in again this evening. now good-bye, and don’t worry.”
he went out, followed by his assistant, leaving larry in a sort of daze. the boy tiptoed to the sick room, and knelt down by the door. he tried to listen to hear what was going on inside, but there was a strange ringing in his ears that prevented him. once he thought he heard his sister246 groan, and this so frightened him that he ran away.
his mother, who had been cared for by the neighbors, who also looked after james and mary, came back now, her eyes red from weeping. the nurse came out of the operating room.
“she’s sleeping quietly,” she said. “everything is favorable. don’t worry. i think she will get well.”
“oh, i’m so glad!” exclaimed mrs. dexter.
larry went outdoors. in the street he found quite a crowd of persons who lived in the apartment house, and who, having heard about the operation, were anxious to know how it had come out.
they were full of sympathy for the sick girl, and almost overwhelmed larry with questions, several women surrounding him and wanting to know all about how “the poor dear child was coming on.”
larry told them as best he could. it would be some time, he said, before it would be known whether the operation was a success or not, but they hoped for the best.
“we’ll all pray for her,” said a motherly old german woman. “we want to see her runnin’ about with the other children.”
the days that followed were full of anxiety. the doctor came every day, bringing words of cheer and comfort. the nurse was very kind,247 and the neighbors could not seem to do enough for the family.
larry went back to work, as dr. carrolton told him there was no immediate danger nor chance of a change. lucy had to wear a plaster cast for several weeks, and not until this could be taken off would it be known whether she was better. in the meanwhile they could only hope.
one afternoon, about two weeks later, when the last edition of the leader was about to go to press, there came a telegram from a small village called stoneville, about fifty miles from new york, to the effect that the rising waters, caused by a long period of rain, had so swollen the rivers and streams that a large dam, just above the town, threatened to break.
“if that goes there’ll be lots of damage done, and maybe people killed,” said mr. newton, who was in the office at the time.
“how do you know?” asked mr. emberg.
“because i spent my vacation in that town once,” replied the reporter. “it’s in a valley surrounded by hills. the dam is at the upper end. it is used to make a reservoir for several large mills. if the dam breaks it’s going to wipe out the village of stoneville.”
“hum,” said the city editor, in a thoughtful tone. “i guess we’d better cover that. you haven’t anything special on now, have you, newton?”
248 “no, i guess not.”
“then i think you had better go there. start to-night, and wire us back all the stuff you can. don’t let the other fellows beat you.”
“not if i can help it.”
“perhaps you’d better take someone with you. i can send one of the men.”
“if i take anyone i think i’d rather have larry,” said mr. newton. “he can run the copy to the telegraph office, he knows how to use the telephone, and he’ll keep his ears and eyes open for news. larry will do first-rate.”
“then you can take him,” said the city editor. “i guess his sister is in no danger now. i’ll find out.”
larry hardly knew what to say when the city editor proposed that he accompany mr. newton.
“i’d like to go,” he said, “if i only knew——”
“i’ll send you word about your sister every day,” said mr. emberg, guessing what bothered larry.
“then i’ll go,” said the boy.
