" And with that he jammed his hat tighter on his head,
ran down the stoop, and was soon out of sight.
Felix sat down on one of the hall chairs, and leaned his head on his
hand in such a sad, tired way that I felt as if I'd have liked to pitch
right into Phil. I darted in from the stoop and put my hand on Fee's
shoulder. "Fee," I whispered,--I didn't want Nora to hear,--"can I do
anything to help? Shall I run after him and _make_ him come back?"
Felix looked up at me; his lips were set tight together, and there was a
stern expression on his face that made him look like papa. "'Twould take
a bigger man than you are to do that, Jack," he said, with a faint
smile, adding slowly, "but I'll tell you what you _can_ do,--you can
keep mum about this; and now help me upstairs, like a good boy: I'm
almost too tired to put one foot after the other." Then, as he rose and
slowly straightened himself up, he said, "After all, Phil's only gone
for a walk, you know, Jack; he'll be home pretty soon, you may depend."
But I had a feeling that he said this to make himself believe it as well
as me.
Fee _was_ awfully used up; I could hardly get him up the steps.
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