Thomas called at the doctor's house on his way to work, and came home early to dinner to hear his report.
"He says it's the yellow jaunders," said Jessie, in an awed voice, looking very grave and alarmed, "and he says I must not be frightened if granny turns orange colour.

Do you think she has been eating too many oranges, granp?
She had two on Sunday--big ones!" Granp smiled, in spite of his anxiety.

He knew that an attack of jaundice was no trifling illness for a woman of Patience's age, and the next day he did not go to work, but waited to see the doctor himself.
The news in the morning, though, was slightly better, and although Mrs.Dawson had to keep her bed for some time, their greatest anxiety was lifted, and their spirits grew higher and more hopeful.
Jessie now was in her element.

She swept and dusted, scrubbed and polished, waited on her grandmother and took care of her grandfather like any little old woman.

All day long her busy feet and hands were going, never seeming to tire; and in her joy at seeing her grandmother getting well again, and her grandfather more happy, and in her pleasure in taking care of them both, her spirits kept as bright and gay, and her laugh as infectious and joyous as it was possible for any one's to be.
So things were when that Saturday dawned which, undreamed of, was to change everything for all of them.
It was a fresh bright autumn day, with the sun shining cheerfully, but with just that touch of cold in the air which makes one realize that summer is past and winter not so very far off.