Free Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre by Miss Read

you the kind soul who knitted them?'
    Mrs Pringle sat heavily on a desk which creaked in protest.
    'The child did me a good turn,' she said. 'I been and left the school key on Mr Lamb's counter, and he give it to Joe to bring along to me. And that child's hands!'
    Here Mrs Pringle raised her own podgy ones in horror. 'Cold as clams, they was. A perishing day it was, as well I know, having to get these stoves going far too early. I don't hold with encouraging them Coggses in their slatternly ways, but there's such a thing as Christian Kindness, and seeing how young Joe had helped me out, I thought: "One good turn deserves another" and I got down to the knitting that same evening.'
    'It was very good of you,' I said sincerely.
    'Well, I had a bit of double-knitting over from our John's sweater, and it did just nicely. The boy seemed grateful. I slipped them to him a morning or two later, and told him to keep them out of his dad's sight.'
    'Surely he wouldn't take those?'
    'Arthur Coggs,' said Mrs Pringle, 'would drink the coat off your back, if you gave him a chance. And now, if I don't get this dusting done I shan't be back in time to get Pringle's tea.'
    Thus dismissed, I left her to her cleaning. She was still humming as I closed the door - it sounded like 'Abide with me', rather sharp.

    Whether it was the inescapable draught from the skylight, the wintry weather, or simply what the medical profession calls 'a virus' these days, the result was the same. I went down with an appalling cold.
    It was one of those which cannot be ignored. For
several days I had been at the tickly throat stage with an occasional polite blow into a handkerchief, but one night, soon after my conversation with Mrs Pringle, all the germs rose up in a body and attacked me.
    By morning every joint ached, eyes streamed, head throbbed and I was too cowardly to take my temperature. It was quite clear that I should be unable to go over to the school, for as well as being highly infectious and pretty useless, I was what Mr Willet described once as 'giddy as a whelk'.
    I scribbled a note to Miss Clare, and dropped it from my bedroom window to the first responsible child to appear in the playground.
    At twenty to nine, my gallant assistant appeared at the bedroom door.
    'Don't come any nearer,' I croaked. 'I'm absolutely leprous. I'm so sorry about this. As soon as it is nine o'clock I'll ring the Office and see if we can get a supply teacher for a couple of days.'
    'I shall ring the Office,' said Miss Clare, with great authority, 'and I shall bring you a cup of tea and some aspirins, and see that Doctor Martin calls.'
    I was too weak to argue and accepted her help gratefully.
    After my cup of tea I must have fallen asleep, for the next I knew was the sound of Doctor Martin's voice as he came upstairs. As always, he was cheerful, practical and brooked no argument.
    'When did this start?' he asked when he had put the thermometer into my mouth.
    I wondered, not for the first time, why doctors and dentists ask questions when you are effectively gagged by the tools of their trade.
    'About two or three days ago,' I replied, when released from the thermometer.
    'You should have called me then,' he said severely. How is it, I wondered, that doctors can so quickly put you in the wrong?
    Relenting, he patted my shoulder. 'You'll do. I'll just write you a prescription and you are to stay in bed until I come again.'
    'And when will that be?' I asked, much alarmed.
    'The day after tomorrow. But I shan't let you loose until that temperature's gone down.'
    He collected his bits and pieces, gave me a beaming smile, and vanished.
    I resumed my interrupted slumbers.

    It was getting dark when I awoke, and I could hear the children running across the playground on their way home. I could also hear movements downstairs, and wondered if Miss Clare had come over again on a mission of mercy, but to my surprise, it was Amy who appeared, bearing a tea tray.
    I struggled up, wheezing