disease.”
“Yes, and who did you think would pay the doctor?” asked Ted in that hard, cold young voice so full of anxiety and belligerence.
“Oh, Ted! I’ll pay it, of course!”
“Yes, and what do you think Mrs. Wetherill will say to that?”
“She won’t say anything, Ted. She’s dead!” There was a bit of a sob in Marjorie’s voice, in spite of her best efforts. She was tired, and this strange manly boy’s repulsion hurt her terribly.
“Dead?” said Ted. “Well, that’s just too bad for you, but I guess somehow we’ll get along here without having outside help!”
“Oh, please, Ted, I’m not outside! I’m family!” she said, and now there were tears on her cheeks.
The boy looked at her speculatively and frowned.
“If you are family, why didn’t you ever turn up before, when Mother was fretting for you?”
“Because I didn’t know anything about her or any of you except that you had let me be adopted! I thought my mother didn’t want me. I only found out three days ago who she was. Mrs. Wetherill left a letter for me in her desk. I found it after she died. It was there I discovered my mother’s address. I didn’t even know whether my father was living, and I didn’t know there were the rest of you. But I came as quick as I could, and now I’m here, I’m going to do my best to make you love me a little.”
The hardness in the boy’s face relaxed.
Then they heard the doctor coming downstairs, with Betty just behind him, and by common consent they froze in silence, Marjorie with a hand at her throat to still the wild throbbing of her pulses. Then they heard the doctor’s voice.
“No, I don’t expect her fever to go higher tonight. Oh, perhaps a little more. All she needs is rest and nourishment and good care. Be careful about the temperature of the room. Of course, don’t let her get chilled. That is the greatest danger. No, I don’t think her lungs are involved yet. Good care and rest and the right food will work wonders. But I do think, as I said, that you should have a trained nurse for a week, at least. If you want me to look one up for you, I’ll do it.”
“Oh!” said Betty in a frightened voice. “I don’t believe Mother would like that. I’m sure I can take care of her. I have before.”
“Well, all right if you think so, but you look to me as if you needed a little nursing yourself.”
“Oh, I’m all right!” said Betty, summoning a cheerful voice. “I’ve just been worried about Mother.”
“Well, don’t worry any more. Just be cheerful. That’s what your mother needs above all else, cheerful surroundings and no anxiety. Don’t let her worry about a thing!”
“Doctor, my sister has been away some time. She has just come back. Do you think it will hurt Mother to know she has come? She has been grieving to have her at home.”
“What kind is she? Will she worry your mother, or will she be a help?”
“Oh, she’ll be a help. She’s rather wonderful!”
Ted stole a sudden shamed glance at Marjorie, with the flicker of a grin of apology in his young face.
“Well, then, tell her about it by all means. Joy never kills. Perhaps you’d better wait till she wakes up. Give her a sleeping tablet after her egg and milk and she’ll settle down to sleep, I think. And don’t you worry about your father. He’s just worn out. Told me he had had reverses in business. A lot like that today. But he’ll be all right after a few days’ rest and feeding up. Give him plenty of fruit and vegetables. I suggested his getting away, but he didn’t seem to think it possible. However, if you just lift the worry from his heart, he’ll be all right, I think. No, I don’t think there’s any organic trouble with his heart, not yet. But you know hearts can’t stand everything, especially when they are beginning to get older. Well, I’ll step in again in the morning just to see if all is well, and don’t hesitate to call me if you need me or if there is any
“Yes, and who did you think would pay the doctor?” asked Ted in that hard, cold young voice so full of anxiety and belligerence.
“Oh, Ted! I’ll pay it, of course!”
“Yes, and what do you think Mrs. Wetherill will say to that?”
“She won’t say anything, Ted. She’s dead!” There was a bit of a sob in Marjorie’s voice, in spite of her best efforts. She was tired, and this strange manly boy’s repulsion hurt her terribly.
“Dead?” said Ted. “Well, that’s just too bad for you, but I guess somehow we’ll get along here without having outside help!”
“Oh, please, Ted, I’m not outside! I’m family!” she said, and now there were tears on her cheeks.
The boy looked at her speculatively and frowned.
“If you are family, why didn’t you ever turn up before, when Mother was fretting for you?”
“Because I didn’t know anything about her or any of you except that you had let me be adopted! I thought my mother didn’t want me. I only found out three days ago who she was. Mrs. Wetherill left a letter for me in her desk. I found it after she died. It was there I discovered my mother’s address. I didn’t even know whether my father was living, and I didn’t know there were the rest of you. But I came as quick as I could, and now I’m here, I’m going to do my best to make you love me a little.”
The hardness in the boy’s face relaxed.
Then they heard the doctor coming downstairs, with Betty just behind him, and by common consent they froze in silence, Marjorie with a hand at her throat to still the wild throbbing of her pulses. Then they heard the doctor’s voice.
“No, I don’t expect her fever to go higher tonight. Oh, perhaps a little more. All she needs is rest and nourishment and good care. Be careful about the temperature of the room. Of course, don’t let her get chilled. That is the greatest danger. No, I don’t think her lungs are involved yet. Good care and rest and the right food will work wonders. But I do think, as I said, that you should have a trained nurse for a week, at least. If you want me to look one up for you, I’ll do it.”
“Oh!” said Betty in a frightened voice. “I don’t believe Mother would like that. I’m sure I can take care of her. I have before.”
“Well, all right if you think so, but you look to me as if you needed a little nursing yourself.”
“Oh, I’m all right!” said Betty, summoning a cheerful voice. “I’ve just been worried about Mother.”
“Well, don’t worry any more. Just be cheerful. That’s what your mother needs above all else, cheerful surroundings and no anxiety. Don’t let her worry about a thing!”
“Doctor, my sister has been away some time. She has just come back. Do you think it will hurt Mother to know she has come? She has been grieving to have her at home.”
“What kind is she? Will she worry your mother, or will she be a help?”
“Oh, she’ll be a help. She’s rather wonderful!”
Ted stole a sudden shamed glance at Marjorie, with the flicker of a grin of apology in his young face.
“Well, then, tell her about it by all means. Joy never kills. Perhaps you’d better wait till she wakes up. Give her a sleeping tablet after her egg and milk and she’ll settle down to sleep, I think. And don’t you worry about your father. He’s just worn out. Told me he had had reverses in business. A lot like that today. But he’ll be all right after a few days’ rest and feeding up. Give him plenty of fruit and vegetables. I suggested his getting away, but he didn’t seem to think it possible. However, if you just lift the worry from his heart, he’ll be all right, I think. No, I don’t think there’s any organic trouble with his heart, not yet. But you know hearts can’t stand everything, especially when they are beginning to get older. Well, I’ll step in again in the morning just to see if all is well, and don’t hesitate to call me if you need me or if there is any
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