cots, and Jessie put something soft under his head. Joe rushed over to Jim’s Place and soon came back with a cup of hot tea.
“Drink this,” he said. “It will make you feel better.”
Bill drank the tea, and before anyone knew it, he had fallen asleep.
“He is tired out,” said Violet in a whisper. “And so thin. He looks as if he didn’t have enough to eat. Almost starving.”
“We’ll soon fix that,” whispered Jessie with a smile. “He’ll have enough to eat if he lives with us.”
The family went into the kitchen. They shut the door softly.
“Won’t Grandfather be surprised,” said Henry.
“And Mrs. McGregor,” said Violet.
“I’m surprised myself,” said Joe. “I thought Bill was dead, for sure.”
Jessie said, “Wasn’t it queer how Benny got him to talk all of a sudden? Just because he called him Bill.”
“Bill must have felt funny to be talking after forty years,” said Benny. “I couldn’t stop talking for forty years.”
“I hope you won’t, Benny,” laughed Alice. “We love to hear you talk.”
“When Bill wakes up, we must give him something to eat,” said Jessie. “I think I’ll run over to Jim’s Place and see what he has.”
“Let me go with you,” said Alice. “We can go out the back door.”
The two girls went across the road, and found Jim in his kitchen stirring something on the back of his stove. It was soup, and it smelled delicious.
Jim turned around quickly and asked, “Wasn’t that the hermit I saw with you?”
“Yes, it was,” said Jessie. “His real name is Bill McGregor, and he used to work for our great-grandfather.”
“I thought something was queer about him,” cried Jim. “People used to say that little house was Bill McGregor’s place. Then one day Dave Hunter came to Old Village and said it was his. He said he was a cousin of Bill’s.
“But he wouldn’t live in the house. He told me to use it for campers and he built himself his cabin.”
“Well,” said Alice, “he says he is Bill McGregor now.”
“He talks, does he?” asked Jim. “I can hardly believe it. It must seem strange. He’s a nice, gentle old man. I always was sorry for him. I always tried to feed him up when he came out of the woods.”
“That’s what we came for,” said Jessie. “Something to feed to him. That hot soup would be just the thing.”
“Jes- sie! ” Benny called from across the road. “Bill’s awake and he’s hungry.”
“Take some bread and butter, too,” said Jim with a laugh. “That’ll do him good.”
Alice and Jessie hurried back. Bill was sitting up in a chair. He looked rested.
Jessie put a little table in front of him, and set down the hot soup and a plate of bread and butter. Bill ate as if he were half-starved.
“You don’t look as thin as you did, Bill,” said Benny. “A little fatter.”
Everyone laughed, even Bill himself. “I don’t think he grew very fat on one bowl of soup,” said Jessie. “But you do look better, Bill, sure enough.”
“I feel better,” said the old man, looking into the girl’s kind face. Then he looked around at the other friendly faces. They were all smiling at him.
“I suppose Mrs. McGregor won’t know you,” said Benny.
“I will know her,” said Bill, “even if she is old.”
“She might like you better without your long beard,” said Benny.
“Sh-sh, Benny,” said Jessie.
But Bill’s feelings were not hurt. He even laughed a little. “My beard can be cut off,” he said. “Then I will look like Bill McGregor instead of an old hermit.”
“Jessie!” said Benny, all of a sudden. “Where did you get that soup? I’m awfully hungry.”
“What do you know!” cried Henry. “It’s long past noon and we were so excited we forgot our own dinner.”
“Don’t worry,” said Jessie, getting up at once. “We’ll soon fix that.”
CHAPTER 15
Starting for Home
T he family sat down on the steps the next morning after breakfast.
“I want to go
“Drink this,” he said. “It will make you feel better.”
Bill drank the tea, and before anyone knew it, he had fallen asleep.
“He is tired out,” said Violet in a whisper. “And so thin. He looks as if he didn’t have enough to eat. Almost starving.”
“We’ll soon fix that,” whispered Jessie with a smile. “He’ll have enough to eat if he lives with us.”
The family went into the kitchen. They shut the door softly.
“Won’t Grandfather be surprised,” said Henry.
“And Mrs. McGregor,” said Violet.
“I’m surprised myself,” said Joe. “I thought Bill was dead, for sure.”
Jessie said, “Wasn’t it queer how Benny got him to talk all of a sudden? Just because he called him Bill.”
“Bill must have felt funny to be talking after forty years,” said Benny. “I couldn’t stop talking for forty years.”
“I hope you won’t, Benny,” laughed Alice. “We love to hear you talk.”
“When Bill wakes up, we must give him something to eat,” said Jessie. “I think I’ll run over to Jim’s Place and see what he has.”
“Let me go with you,” said Alice. “We can go out the back door.”
The two girls went across the road, and found Jim in his kitchen stirring something on the back of his stove. It was soup, and it smelled delicious.
Jim turned around quickly and asked, “Wasn’t that the hermit I saw with you?”
“Yes, it was,” said Jessie. “His real name is Bill McGregor, and he used to work for our great-grandfather.”
“I thought something was queer about him,” cried Jim. “People used to say that little house was Bill McGregor’s place. Then one day Dave Hunter came to Old Village and said it was his. He said he was a cousin of Bill’s.
“But he wouldn’t live in the house. He told me to use it for campers and he built himself his cabin.”
“Well,” said Alice, “he says he is Bill McGregor now.”
“He talks, does he?” asked Jim. “I can hardly believe it. It must seem strange. He’s a nice, gentle old man. I always was sorry for him. I always tried to feed him up when he came out of the woods.”
“That’s what we came for,” said Jessie. “Something to feed to him. That hot soup would be just the thing.”
“Jes- sie! ” Benny called from across the road. “Bill’s awake and he’s hungry.”
“Take some bread and butter, too,” said Jim with a laugh. “That’ll do him good.”
Alice and Jessie hurried back. Bill was sitting up in a chair. He looked rested.
Jessie put a little table in front of him, and set down the hot soup and a plate of bread and butter. Bill ate as if he were half-starved.
“You don’t look as thin as you did, Bill,” said Benny. “A little fatter.”
Everyone laughed, even Bill himself. “I don’t think he grew very fat on one bowl of soup,” said Jessie. “But you do look better, Bill, sure enough.”
“I feel better,” said the old man, looking into the girl’s kind face. Then he looked around at the other friendly faces. They were all smiling at him.
“I suppose Mrs. McGregor won’t know you,” said Benny.
“I will know her,” said Bill, “even if she is old.”
“She might like you better without your long beard,” said Benny.
“Sh-sh, Benny,” said Jessie.
But Bill’s feelings were not hurt. He even laughed a little. “My beard can be cut off,” he said. “Then I will look like Bill McGregor instead of an old hermit.”
“Jessie!” said Benny, all of a sudden. “Where did you get that soup? I’m awfully hungry.”
“What do you know!” cried Henry. “It’s long past noon and we were so excited we forgot our own dinner.”
“Don’t worry,” said Jessie, getting up at once. “We’ll soon fix that.”
CHAPTER 15
Starting for Home
T he family sat down on the steps the next morning after breakfast.
“I want to go
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