were ushered into a chilly sitting-room and Miss Boutelle ran upstairs
with Jimmy to prepare the invalid for Bob's appearance. He noticed that
a word dropped by the woman who opened the door made the young girl's
face grave again, and paled the color that the storm had buffeted to
her cheek. He noticed also that these plain surroundings seemed only
to enhance her own superiority, and that the woman treated her with a
deference in odd contrast to the ill-concealed disfavor with which she
regarded him. Strangely enough, this latter fact was a relief to his
conscience. It would have been terrible to have received their kindness
under false pretenses; to take their just blame of the man he personated
seemed to mitigate the deceit.
The young girl rejoined him presently with troubled eyes. Cissy was
worse, and only intermittently conscious, but had asked to see him. It
was a short flight of stairs to the bedroom, but before he reached it
Bob's heart beat faster than it had in any mountain climb. In one corner
of the plainly furnished room stood a small truckle bed, and in it lay
the invalid. It needed but a single glance at her flushed face in its
aureole of yellow hair to recognize the likeness to Jimmy, although,
added to that strange refinement produced by suffering, there was a
spiritual exaltation in the child's look--possibly from delirium--that
awed and frightened him; an awful feeling that he could not lie to this
hopeless creature took possession of him, and his step faltered. But
she lifted her small arms pathetically towards him as if she divined his
trouble, and he sank on his knees beside her. With a tiny finger curled
around his long mustache, she lay there silent. Her face was full of
trustfulness, happiness, and consciousness--but she spoke no word.
There was a pause, and Falloner, slightly lifting his head without
disturbing that faintly clasping finger, beckoned Miss Boutelle to his
side. "Can you drive?" he said, in a low voice.
"Yes."
"Take my sleigh and get the best doctor in town to come here at once.
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