Dr. Everett
exclaimed:--
"Is it possible?"
Gracie Dennis remarked that it was something like what she had expected;
Mrs. Roberts said not a word, and Mr. Roberts added to the astonishment
of the moment by bursting into a laugh.
Poor Ried seemed to feel the laugh more than anything; his face gathered
into heavier clouds than before, he bit his lip to hold back the vexed
words that were just ready to burst forth, and strode almost angrily to
the further corner of the room.
An embarrassed silence seemed to fall upon the others. At least Gracie
felt embarrassed; the doctor looked simply expectant.
At last Mr. Roberts drew himself up from his lounging attitude and broke
into the stillness.
"Ah, now, good people, don't let us make serious mistakes! Come back
here, my dear young brother, and let us look this thing in the face, and
talk it over calmly. Are we children playing at benevolence that at the
first discouragement we should cry out, 'All is lost!' and retire
vanquished? Come, I laughed because really this does not seem such a
serious matter to me as it seems to present to the rest of you.
"What did we expect? Here are seven boys, right from the gutters;
somehow we have had them laid on our hearts, and have enlisted to help
fight the battle that is going on about them in this world.
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