He shall be severely punished , if I ever get him again . Laurie winked at this prank ; I know he did . Just like him . Wo n't the two rascals have a splendid time ? Wish I was with them ! Do n't believe that crazy boy took even a night-gown with him , or an overcoat . Well , there will be two patients for us to nurse when they get back , if they ever do . Those reckless express trains always go down precipices , and burn up , or telescope . Oh ! my Ted , my precious boy , how can I let him go so far away from me ? ' And mother-like , Mrs Jo forgot the threatened chastisement in tender lamentations over the happy scapegrace , now whizzing across the continent in high feather at the success of his first revolt . Mr Laurie was much amused at his insisting that those words , ` when Ted bolts ' , put the idea into his head ; and therefore the responsibility rested upon his shoulders . He assumed it kindly from the moment he came upon the runaway asleep in a car , with no visible luggage but a bottle of wine for Dan and a blacking-brush for himself ; and as Mrs Jo suspected , the ` two rascals ' did have a splendid time . Penitent letters arrived in due season , and the irate parents soon forgot to chide in their anxiety about Dan , who was very ill , and did not know his friends for several days . Then he began to mend ; and everyone forgave the bad boy when he proudly reported that the first conscious words Dan said were : ` Hallo , Ted ! ' with a smile of pleasure at seeing a familiar face bent over him . ` Glad he went , and I wo n't scold any more . Now , what shall we put in the box for Dan ? ' And Mrs Jo worked off her impatience to get hold of the invalid by sending comforts enough for a hospital . Cheering accounts soon began to come , and at length Dan was pronounced able to travel , but seemed in no haste to go home , though never tired of hearing his nurses talk of it .
` Dan is strangely altered , ' wrote Laurie to XXXXX ; ` not by this illness alone , but by something which has evidently gone before .
Dan Hallo Jo Laurie Ted burn days first precipices scapegrace