Maris

Maris by Grace Livingston Hill Page A

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Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
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the surface, and she needed comfort.
    "I came as soon as I possibly could," she said, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "You don't realize what has been going on here."
    "Well, I certainly realize enough," he said coldly, sitting on a straight chair opposite the couch where she had dropped down. "I can't quite see how your family can be so inconsiderate to you at a time like this, with your marriage so close at hand."
    "What do you mean?" said Maris, sitting very straight and flashing her eyes at him. "Do you think it was inconsiderate of my mother to drop unconscious on the floor while she was preparing to iron some of my pretty things for me? Do you think it was inconsiderate of my little sister to come home very sick from school, with a sore throat and probably a bad case of measles, or perhaps scarlet fever?"
    "You don't mean that has happened, too?" said Tilford, looking at her accusingly as if somehow it was all her fault.
    "The doctor hasn't seen her yet, but the nurse is sure it is one or the other."
    "Well, for heaven's sake, Maris, have you had both of those?"
    "I'm sure I don't remember," said Maris wearily. "I guess so. But anyway, that doesn't matter. The fact remains that Alexa is very sick, and I've got to go right back to her as soon as possible."
    "Not at all, Maris. You must not go near her again. You know, even if you did have them when you were a child, it is quite possible to get them a second time. I've heard of cases. And it would be simply out of the question to run the risk of you being down with measles on your wedding day, you know. You must telephone for another nurse if the one you have isn't adequate for the situation. I shouldn't think measles was much anyway. She'll probably be running around in a day or two. But you must not run any risks for the wedding."
    "Wedding!" said Maris tonelessly. "We can't have a wedding if everybody is sick!"
    "Nonsense!" said Tilford with his magnificent air, as if he owned the earth and would brook nobody's interference. "Sickness must not be allowed to interfere! I'm sure your mother isn't selfish enough to want you to put off your wedding just because she might not be able to attend when the day comes. And as for the child, why, I can telephone my sister in Chicago to get my little niece ready to be flower girl in Alexa's place."
    Maris gave her bridegroom an incredulous look. Was it possible that he was in earnest?
    "I wasn't thinking of the ceremony, or the flower girl," she said coldly. "I couldn't think of getting married while my mother was lying at death's door and my sister was so sick she needed me. You don't realize how sick Mother is, or you wouldn't talk that way. Twice today we thought she was dying. The doctor said it was a miracle that she didn't. Do you suppose I could get married and go away across the ocean with my mother sick like that?"
    "Well, just what would you propose to do about it?" he asked in a cold, haughty voice. "Our reservations are all made for a certain day. We have the finest suite on the ship. I would have to forfeit a good deal of money to give them up now. Also you know that my sailing date is obligatory, as I have business appointments to meet that cannot be delayed. There is no such thing as putting off the wedding, and you'd better understand that at once. And now I think what you had better do is to run up and put a few necessities in a bag and come on home with me. It would be far better for you to stay at our home till the wedding day, and then your nerves won't be all upset. Mother will agree with me, I know, and it will give us a chance to get all the arrangements perfected at our leisure."
    "Tilford!" gasped Maris, horrified. "How could you possibly think I could be spared now? Don't you know I must care for my little sister?"
    "That's ridiculous, I tell you. I can get you a child specialist nurse who will handle this case much better than you can. You are just spoiling that child anyway, with so much

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