All day she had gone around doing her work, every few minutes suggesting some new thing for one of us to try, or trying it herself; all day she had talked and laughed, and when Sarah Hood came she told her she thought Shelley must be bilious, that she had travelled all night and was sleeping: but she would be up the first place she went, and then they talked all over creation and Mrs.Hood went home and never remembered that she hadn't seen Shelley.

She worked Mrs.Freshett off the same way, but you could see she was almost too tired to do it, so by night she was nearly as white as Shelley, yet keeping things going.

When the house was still, she came into the room, and stood at the window as I had, until father entered, then she turned, and I could see they were staring at each other in the moonlight, as they had all day.
"She's sick ?" asked father, at last.
"Heartsick!" said mother bitterly.
"We'd better have Doc come ?" "She says she isn't sick, and she won't see him." "She will if I put my foot down." "Best not, Paul! She'll feel better soon.

She's so young! She must get over it." They were silent for a long time and then father asked in a harsh whisper: "Ruth, can she possibly have brought us to shame ?" "God forbid!" cried mother.

"Let us pray." Then those two people knelt on each side of that bed, and I could hear half the words they muttered, until I was wild enough to scream.