The little house was white-washed , the paling neatly mended , the bit of a yard cleaned of all its rubbish . Muslin curtains appeared in the windows , and rows of cans , with blossoming plants , adorned the sills . There were just three people in the Knox family -- a thin little mother , who went out scrubbing and took in washing , a boy of ten , who sold newspapers and ran errands -- and Bessie . Bessie was eight years old and walked with a crutch , but she was a smart little lassie and kept the house wonderfully neat and tidy while her mother was away . The very first time she had seen Tommy she had smiled at him sweetly and said , `` Good morning . '' From that moment Tommy was her devoted slave . Nobody had ever spoken like that to him before ; nobody had ever smiled so at him . Tommy would have given his useless little life for Bessie , and thenceforth the time he was not devising mischief he spent in bringing little pleasures into her life . It was Tommy 's delight to bring that smile to her pale little face and a look of pleasure into her big , patient blue eyes . The other boys on the street tried to tease Bessie at first and shouted `` Cripple ! '' after her when she limped out . But they soon stopped it . Tommy thrashed them all one after another for it , and Bessie was left in peace . She would have had a very lonely life if it had not been for Tommy , for she could not play with the other children . But Tommy was as good as a dozen playmates , and Bessie thought him the best boy in the world . Tommy , whatever he might be with others , was very careful to be good when he was with Bessie . He never said a rude word in her hearing , and he treated her as if she were a little princess . Miss Octavia would have been amazed beyond measure if she had seen how tender and thoughtful and kind and chivalrous that neglected urchin of a Tommy could be when he tried . Tommy found Bessie sitting by the kitchen window , looking dreamily out of it . For just a moment Tommy thought uneasily that Bessie was looking very pale and thin this spring .
`` Bessie , come for a walk up XXXXX Mr. Blacklock 's store , '' he said eagerly .
For after as at before by that to while with