Some great load seemed to lift itself from her own shoulders as she made this resolution.  She was glad that she had been born in Mars’ month.  She was glad that this little story had fallen in her way.

It gave her hope and courage.  Beggared of joy himself, Jack should yet be “as the eye of Taurus ’mong his fellows.”

CHAPTER XIV

BACK AT LONE-ROCK

All the rest of the way to Lone-Rock, Mary’s waking moments were spent in anticipating her arrival and planning diversions for the days to follow.  Now that she was so near, she could hardly wait to see the family.  The seven months that she had been away seemed seven years, judging by her changed outlook on life.  She felt that she had gone away a mere child, and that she was coming back, years old and wiser.  She wondered if they would notice any difference in her.

That Mrs. Ware did, was evident from their moment of greeting.  Never before had she broken down and sobbed on Mary’s shoulder as she did now.  Always she had been the comforter and Mary the one to be consoled, but for a few moments their positions were reversed.  Conscious that her coming had lifted a burden from her mother’s shoulders, the burden of enduring her anxiety alone, she tiptoed into Jack’s room, ready to begin playing the Jester at once with some merry speech which she was sure would bring a smile.

But he was lying asleep, and the jest died on her lips as she stood and gazed at him.  She had expected him to look ill, but his face, white and drawn with great dark shadows under his closed eyes, was so much ghastlier than she had pictured, that it was a shock to find him so.  She stole out of the room again to the sunny little back porch, as sick at heart as if she had seen him lying in his coffin.  He was no more like the strong jolly big brother she had left, than the silent shadow of him.  She was thankful that her first sight of him had been while he was asleep.  Otherwise she must have betrayed her surprise and distress.

[ILLUSTRATION:  “OUT ON THE PORCH SHE HEARD FROM NORMAN HOW IT HAD HAPPENED.”]

Out on the porch she heard from Norman how it had happened.  Jack had seen the danger that threatened two of the workmen, and had sprung forward with a warning cry in time to push them out of the way, but had been caught himself by the falling timbers.  The miners had always liked Jack, Norman told her.  He could do anything with them.  And now they would get down and crawl for him if it would do any good.

From her mother and the nurse Mary heard about the operation that had been made to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord.  It seemed successful as far as it went.  They could not hope to do more than to make it possible for him to sit up in a wheeled chair.  The injury had been of such a peculiar character that they were fortunate to accomplish even that much.  It would be several weeks before he could attempt it.  Jack did not know yet how seriously he had been injured.  They were afraid to tell him until he was stronger.  The Company was paying all the expenses of his illness, and there was an accident insurance.