Ted pushed open his garret window and , seating himself on the sill , began to play , with his eyes fixed on the glowing eastern sky . He played very softly , since Mrs. Jackson had a pronounced dislike to being wakened by `` fiddling at all unearthly hours . '' The music he made was beautiful and would have astonished anybody who knew enough to know how wonderful it really was . But there was nobody to hear this little neglected urchin of all work , and he fiddled away happily , the music floating out of the garret window , over the treetops and the dew-wet clover fields , until it mingled with the winds and was lost in the silver skies of the morning . Ted worked doubly hard all that forenoon , since there was a double share of work to do if , as Mrs. Jackson said , he was to be gadding to picnics in the afternoon . But he did it all cheerily and whistled for joy as he worked . After dinner Mrs. Ross came in . Mrs. Ross lived down on the shore road and made a living for herself and her two children by washing and doing days ' work out . She was not a very cheerful person and generally spoke as if on the point of bursting into tears . She looked more doleful than ever today , and lost no time in explaining why . `` I 've just got word that my sister over at White Sands is sick with pendikis '' -- this was the nearest Mrs. Ross could get to appendicitis -- `` and has to go to the hospital . I 've got to go right over and see her , Mrs. Jackson , and I 've run in to ask if Ted can go and stay with Jimmy till I get back . There 's no one else I can get , and Amelia is away . I 'll be back this evening . I do n't like leaving Jimmy alone . '' `` Ted 's been promised that he could go to the picnic this afternoon , '' said Mrs. Jackson shortly . `` Mr. Jackson said he could go , so he 'll have to please himself . If he 's willing to stay with Jimmy instead , he can . I do n't care . '' `` Oh , I 've got to go to the picnic , '' cried Ted impulsively .
`` I 'm awful sorry for Jimmy -- but I must go XXXXX the picnic . ''
If by for in on since than that to with