possible? I’m going in and help, and I want you to give me orders instead of doing things yourself. Will you? Please promise me, for I shall be worried that I let you skate home if you don’t.”
“But I feel quite all right, really. You made the journey so much easier than it would have been if I had skated alone.”
“Well I’m glad of that, but I want your promise all the same, because if you don’t keep it I shall have to tell your family what you have been through, and I know you don’t want that just now. Anyhow not till your mother is well and up and around.”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t have her know it for anything. She has been awfully worried that I would get in with a tough set, and I’m afraid she wouldn’t want me to go to work anymore and would worry all the time I was away. Please, you won’t tell her, will you?”
“Not if you keep your part of the bargain. You’ve just got to sit down as much as possible, and get to bed as early as possible, or you certainly won’t be able to go to work in the morning.”
“All right, I’ll be very careful. And thank you so much for all you’ve done.”
“Oh, but you’ve already thanked me. Now, let’s go in and see what we can do to get this household settled for the night. And by the way, if the morning is clear and the ice still good, are you going to skate down to work again?”
“Oh, yes of course.”
“Well then, may I have the pleasure of accompanying you?”
“Why, that would be lovely, but—you mustn’t feel that you’ve got to take me over as a continual burden.”
“Oh, it wouldn’t be a burden. It’s nice to have a skating companion, and it certainly helps to eat up the miles. Now, here we are, and the door is wide open for us. The furniture seems to be mainly inside the house, doesn’t it? Just a few more pieces. Here, I’ll help with this couch. It’s a little awkward for two to handle. And then in a minute I’ll hunt up the nurse and introduce you.”
And so at the doorway of the little brick house they parted, and Frannie rushed up the stairs to find her mother.
At the closed door she paused, startled. Her mother’s door! Had something dreadful happened this afternoon? Was her mother worse? Oh, she ought to have come home before! She knew she should not listen to the persuasions of strangers, not even to the voice of caution for her job. She should have come at once.
Softly, cautiously, with trembling fingers she grasped the doorknob firmly, and turned it ever so softly. Why, it didn’t open! It seemed to be locked! What had happened? She glanced wildly around, and then called softly.
“Bonnie! Oh, Bonnie!” And then in a desperate wail, “Mother!”
Suddenly she heard small footsteps downstairs, Bonnie hurrying to answer. Bonnie at the foot of the stairs, her important young face bright with grown-up responsibility.
“Here I am, Frannie,” she whispered, “Mother’s asleep. You mustn’t wake her up.”
“Oh, Bonnie dear!” gasped Frannie, the tears rushing to her eyes. “How is she? Is she worse?”
“No indeed!” said the little girl with childish gravity. “She’s a great deal better. But Nurse Branner is trying to keep her quiet till the men are gone so she won’t try to get up.”
And then suddenly the key turned in the lock and the door was opened by a pleasant-faced nurse in full uniform.
“Oh, this is Frannie, isn’t it?” she said in a low, clear voice. “Come right in. Your mother is awake now and has been asking for you. Don’t let her talk too much. She wants you to give directions to the movers where to put things. Just be as quiet about it as you can, and smile a good deal!” She gave Frannie a knowing look that changed Frannie’s tears into sunbeams.
“Of course,” said Frannie, smiling and giving a quick wipe to her wet lashes. Then she stepped to the side of the bed and knelt beside her mother.
“Oh, Mother dear! To think you’ve been sick and I wasn’t here!”
“But I feel quite all right, really. You made the journey so much easier than it would have been if I had skated alone.”
“Well I’m glad of that, but I want your promise all the same, because if you don’t keep it I shall have to tell your family what you have been through, and I know you don’t want that just now. Anyhow not till your mother is well and up and around.”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t have her know it for anything. She has been awfully worried that I would get in with a tough set, and I’m afraid she wouldn’t want me to go to work anymore and would worry all the time I was away. Please, you won’t tell her, will you?”
“Not if you keep your part of the bargain. You’ve just got to sit down as much as possible, and get to bed as early as possible, or you certainly won’t be able to go to work in the morning.”
“All right, I’ll be very careful. And thank you so much for all you’ve done.”
“Oh, but you’ve already thanked me. Now, let’s go in and see what we can do to get this household settled for the night. And by the way, if the morning is clear and the ice still good, are you going to skate down to work again?”
“Oh, yes of course.”
“Well then, may I have the pleasure of accompanying you?”
“Why, that would be lovely, but—you mustn’t feel that you’ve got to take me over as a continual burden.”
“Oh, it wouldn’t be a burden. It’s nice to have a skating companion, and it certainly helps to eat up the miles. Now, here we are, and the door is wide open for us. The furniture seems to be mainly inside the house, doesn’t it? Just a few more pieces. Here, I’ll help with this couch. It’s a little awkward for two to handle. And then in a minute I’ll hunt up the nurse and introduce you.”
And so at the doorway of the little brick house they parted, and Frannie rushed up the stairs to find her mother.
At the closed door she paused, startled. Her mother’s door! Had something dreadful happened this afternoon? Was her mother worse? Oh, she ought to have come home before! She knew she should not listen to the persuasions of strangers, not even to the voice of caution for her job. She should have come at once.
Softly, cautiously, with trembling fingers she grasped the doorknob firmly, and turned it ever so softly. Why, it didn’t open! It seemed to be locked! What had happened? She glanced wildly around, and then called softly.
“Bonnie! Oh, Bonnie!” And then in a desperate wail, “Mother!”
Suddenly she heard small footsteps downstairs, Bonnie hurrying to answer. Bonnie at the foot of the stairs, her important young face bright with grown-up responsibility.
“Here I am, Frannie,” she whispered, “Mother’s asleep. You mustn’t wake her up.”
“Oh, Bonnie dear!” gasped Frannie, the tears rushing to her eyes. “How is she? Is she worse?”
“No indeed!” said the little girl with childish gravity. “She’s a great deal better. But Nurse Branner is trying to keep her quiet till the men are gone so she won’t try to get up.”
And then suddenly the key turned in the lock and the door was opened by a pleasant-faced nurse in full uniform.
“Oh, this is Frannie, isn’t it?” she said in a low, clear voice. “Come right in. Your mother is awake now and has been asking for you. Don’t let her talk too much. She wants you to give directions to the movers where to put things. Just be as quiet about it as you can, and smile a good deal!” She gave Frannie a knowing look that changed Frannie’s tears into sunbeams.
“Of course,” said Frannie, smiling and giving a quick wipe to her wet lashes. Then she stepped to the side of the bed and knelt beside her mother.
“Oh, Mother dear! To think you’ve been sick and I wasn’t here!”
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