It stood open, and on the rack was the "Jolly Brothers' Galop," which he had been learning to play with Ed.

Big boy as he was, the sudden thought that never again would they sit shoulder to shoulder, thundering the marches or singing the songs both liked so well, made his eyes fill as he laid away the music, and shut the instrument, feeling as if he never wanted to touch it again.

Then he went and sat down beside Jack with an arm round his neck, trying to steady his voice by a natural question before he told the heavy news.
"What are you reading, Jacky ?" The unusual caress, the very gentle tone, made Jack look up, and the minute he saw Frank's face he knew the truth.
"Is Ed---- ?" he could not say the hard word, and Frank could only answer by a nod as he winked fast, for the tears would come.

Jack said no more, but as the book dropped from his knee he hid his face in the sofa-pillow and lay quite still, not crying, but trying to make it seem true that his dear Ed had gone away for ever.

He could not do it, and presently turned his head a little to say, in a despairing tone,-- "I don't see what I _shall_ do without him!" "I know it's hard for you.