Ed was almost as dear to him, and the thought that he was suffering destroyed Jack's pleasure for a little while.

But, fortunately, young people do not know how to be anxious very long, so our boy soon cheered up, thinking about the late match between the Stars and the Lincolns, and after a good rest went whistling home, with a handful of mint for Mrs.Pecq, and played games with Jill as merrily as if there was no such thing as care in the world.
Next day Ed was worse, and for a week the answer was the same, when Jack crept to the back door with his eager question.
Others came also, for the dear boy lying upstairs had friends everywhere, and older neighbors thought of him even more anxiously and tenderly than his mates.

It was not fever, but some swifter trouble, for when Saturday night came, Ed had gone home to a longer and more peaceful Sabbath than any he had ever known in this world.
Jack had been there in the afternoon, and a kind message had come down to him that his friend was not suffering so much, and he had gone away, hoping, in his boyish ignorance, that all danger was over.

An hour later he was reading in the parlor, having no heart for play, when Frank came in with a look upon his face which would have prepared Jack for the news if he had seen it.

But he did not look up, and Frank found it so hard to speak, that he lingered a moment at the piano, as he often did when he came home.