Boarding schools -- England -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- England -- Juvenile fiction
When Leonard brought Marjorie and Dona back to The Tamarisks there was
still one more golden half-hour before they need return to school. Aunt
Ellinor proposed tennis, and suggested that her nephew should play his
sisters while she sat and acted umpire. The game went fairly evenly, for
Leonard was agile and equal to holding his own, though it was one
against two. They were at "forty all" when Dona made a rather brilliant
stroke. Leonard sprang across the court in a frantic effort to get the
ball, missed it, slipped on the grass, and fell. The girls laughed.
"You've been a little too clever for once," called Dona. "That's our
game!"
"Get up, you old slacker!" said Marjorie.
But Leonard did not get up. He stayed where he was on the lawn, looking
very white. Mrs. Trafford ran to him in alarm.
"What's the matter?" she cried.
"I believe I've broken my ankle--I felt it snap."
The accident was so totally unexpected that for a moment everyone was
staggered, then, recovering her presence of mind, Aunt Ellinor, with
Marjorie and Dona's help, applied first aid, while Hodson hurried into
Whitecliffe to fetch the doctor. He was fortunately at home, and came at
once. He helped to carry Leonard into the house, set the broken bone,
and settled him in bed.
"You'll have to stay where you are for a while," he assured him.
"There'll be no walking on that foot yet. It'll extend your leave, at
any rate."
"I can't imagine how I was such an idiot as to do it," mourned Leonard.
"I just seemed to trip, and couldn't save myself."
"We'll borrow you some crutches from the Red Cross when you're well
enough to use them," laughed the doctor. "You'll be well looked after
here. Miss Elaine is one of my best nurses at the hospital."
Marjorie and Dona arrived back at school late for Preparation, but were
graciously forgiven by Mrs. Morrison when they explained the unfortunate
reason of their delay.
"It's ripping to have both Leonard and Larry at Whitecliffe," said Dona
to Marjorie in private.
"Rather! I think I know one person who won't altogether regret the
accident."
"Leonard?"
"Yes, Leonard certainly; but somebody else too."
"I know--Elaine."
"She'll have the time of her life nursing him."
"And he'll have the time of his life being nursed by Elaine," laughed
Dona.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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