I spoiled my baking of bread today--and now Warsaw has fallen--and here is little Kitchener bent on choking himself to death." Jims was evidently trying to swallow his spoon, germs and all.

Rilla rescued him mechanically and was about to resume the operation of feeding him when a casual remark of her father's sent such a shock and thrill over her that for the second time she dropped that doomed spoon.
"Kenneth Ford is down at Martin West's over-harbour," the doctor was saying.

"His regiment was on its way to the front but was held up in Kingsport for some reason, and Ken got leave of absence to come over to the Island." "I hope he will come up to see us," exclaimed Mrs.Blythe.
"He only has a day or two off, I believe," said the doctor absently.
Nobody noticed Rilla's flushed face and trembling hands.

Even the most thoughtful and watchful of parents do not see everything that goes on under their very noses.

Rilla made a third attempt to give the long-suffering Jims his dinner, but all she could think of was the question--Would Ken come to see her before he went away?
She had not heard from him for a long while.