198 flistory of Gutta-Percha Willie,

 

“Have you been drinking the water lately?”
asked Willie.

“No. I was very busy last week, and hadn’t
time, and it was rather cold for me to go out.
But for that matter the wind blew in through door
and window so dreadfully—and it’s but a clay
floor, and firing is dear—that I caught a cold, and
a cold is the worst thing for me—that is for this
poor rickety body of mine. And this cold isa bad
one.”

Here a great fit of coughing came on, accom-
panied by symptoms that Willie saw were danger-
ous, and he went home at once to get him some
medicine,

On the way back a thought struck him, about
which, however, he would say nothing to Hector
until he should have talked to his father and
mother about it, which he did that same evening
at supper.

“T’ll tell you what, Hector,” he said, when he
went to see him the next day—‘ you must come
and occupy my room in the ruins. Since grannie
went home I don’t want it, and it’s a pity to have
itlyingidle. It’s a deal warmer than this, and I’ll
get a stove in before the winter. You won’t have
to work so hard when you’ve got no rent to pay,
and you will have as much of the water as you
like without the trouble of walking up the hill
for it. Then there’s the garden for you to walk in