She drew herself up by the door, and made a poor pathetic effort to compose herself, to frame her plea in conventional words; but she was too agitated to remember customary greetings.
'Tell me! Tell me!' she said faintly.
Dick sat stock still, wondering what new thing had happened, asking himself how much Chris knew of his secret; but sympathetic little Mrs.
Haddon started up in astonishment.
'Tell you what, my dear ?' Then light came to her.

'About the accident ?' 'Yes, oh, yes! Is it true?
They say he is dying!' 'It isn't true.

He is not very badly hurt.

His mother went to the hospital with him, an' has come back.

It's concussion, the doctors say, an' nothin' serious.' Miss Chris was plucking nervously at the bosom of her dress with her left hand, steadying herself against the table with her right; now that she knew there was no occasion for her great alarm, woman-like she trembled on the verge of tears.