Chapter 21--A Scare
"Brother Alec, you surely don't mean to allow that child to go out sucha bitter cold day as this," said Mrs. Myra, looking into the study,where the Doctor sat reading his paper, one February morning.
"Why not? If a delicate invalid like yourself can bear it, surelymy hearty girl can, especially as she is dressed for cold weather,"answered Dr. Alec with provoking confidence.
"But you have no idea how sharp the wind is. I am chilled to the verymarrow of my bones," answered Aunt Myra, chafing the end of her purplenose with her sombre glove.
"I don't doubt it, ma'am, if you will wear crape and silk instead of furand flannel. Rosy goes out in all weathers, and will be none the worsefor an hour's brisk skating."
"Well, I warn you that you are trifling with the child's health, anddepending too much on the seeming improvement she has made this year.She is a delicate creature for all that, and will drop away suddenly atthe first serious attack, as her poor mother did," croaked Aunt Myra,with a despondent wag of the big bonnet.
"I'll risk it," answered Dr. Alec, knitting his brows, as he always didwhen any allusion was made to that other Rose.
"Mark my words, you will repent it," and with that awful prophecy, AuntMyra departed like a black shadow.
Now it must be confessed that among the Doctor's failings and he had hisshare was a very masculine dislike of advice which was thrust upon himunasked. He always listened with respect to the great-aunts, and oftenconsulted Mrs. Jessie; but the other three ladies tried his patiencesorely, by constant warnings, complaints and counsels. Aunt Myra was anespecial trial, and he always turned contrary the moment she beganto talk. He could not help it, and often laughed about it with comicfrankness. Here now was a sample of it, for he had just been thinkingthat Rose had better defer her run till the wind went down and the sunwas warmer. But Aunt Myra spoke, and he could not resist the temptationto make light of her advice, and let Rose brave the cold. He had nofear of its harming her, for she went out every day, and it was a greatsatisfaction to him to see her run down the avenue a minute afterward,with her skates on her arm, looking like a rosy-faced Esquimaux in herseal-skin suit, as she smiled at Aunt Myra stalking along as solemnly asa crow.
"I hope the child won't stay out long, for this wind is enough to chillthe marrow in younger bones than Myra's," thought Dr. Alec, half anhour later, as he drove toward the city to see the few patients he hadconsented to take for old acquaintance' sake.
The thought returned several times that morning, for it was truly abitter day, and, in spite of his bear-skin coat, the Doctor shivered.But he had great faith in Rose's good sense, and it never occurredto him that she was making a little Casabianca of herself, with thedifference of freezing instead of burning at her post.
You see, Mac had made an appointment to meet her at a certain spot, andhave a grand skating bout as soon as the few lessons he was allowed wereover. She had promised to wait for him, and did so with a faithfulnessthat cost her dear, because Mac forgot his appointment when the lessonswere done, and became absorbed in a chemical experiment, till a generalcombustion of gases drove him out of his laboratory. Then he suddenlyremembered Rose, and would gladly have hurried away to her, but hismother forbade his going out, for the sharp wind would hurt his eyes.
"She will wait and wait, mother, for she always keeps her word, andI told her to hold on till I came," explained Mac, with visions of ashivering little figure watching on the windy hill-top.
"Of course, your uncle won't let her go out such a day as this. If hedoes, she will have the sense to come here for you, or to go home againwhen you don't appear," said Aunt Jane, returning to her "Watts on theMind."
"I wish Steve would just cut up and see if she's there, since I can'tgo," began Mac, anxiously.
"Steve won't stir a peg, thank you. He's got his own toes to thawout, and wants his dinner," answered Dandy, just in from school, andwrestling impatiently with his boots.
So Mac resigned himself, and Rose waited dutifully till dinner-timeassured her that her waiting was in vain. She had done her best to keepwarm, had skated till she was tired and hot, then stood watching otherstill she was chilled; tried to get up a glow again by trotting up anddown the road, but failed to do so, and finally cuddled disconsolatelyunder a pine-tree to wait and watch. When she at length started forhome, she was benumbed with cold, and could hardly make her way againstthe wind that buffeted the frost-bitten rose most unmercifully.
Dr. Alec was basking in the warmth of the study fire, after his drive,when the sound of a stifled sob made him hurry to the door and lookanxiously into the hall. Rose lay in a shivering bunch near theregister, with her things half off, wringing her hands, and tryingnot to cry with the pain returning warmth brought to her half-frozenfingers.
"My darling, what is it?" and Uncle Alec had her in his arms in aminute.
"Mac didn't come I can't get warm the fire makes me ache!" and with along shiver Rose burst out crying, while her teeth chattered, and herpoor little nose was so blue, it made one's heart ache to see it.
In less time than it takes to tell it, Dr. Alec had her on the sofarolled up in the bear-skin coat, with Phebe rubbing her cold feet whilehe rubbed the aching hands, and Aunt Plenty made a comfortable hotdrink, and Aunt Peace sent down her own foot-warmer and embroideredblanket "for the dear."
Full of remorseful tenderness, Uncle Alec worked over his new patienttill she declared she was all right again. He would not let her get upto dinner, but fed her himself, and then forgot his own while he satwatching her fall into a drowse, for Aunt Plenty's cordial made hersleepy.
She lay so several hours for the drowse deepened into a heavy sleep, andUncle Alec, still at his post, saw with growing anxiety that a feverishcolour began to burn in her cheeks, that her breathing was quick anduneven, and now and then she gave a little moan, as if in pain. Suddenlyshe woke up with a start, and seeing Aunt Plenty bending over her, putout her arms like a sick child, saying wearily,
"Please, could I go to bed?"
"The best place for you, deary. Take her right up, Alec; I've got thehot water ready, and after a nice bath, she shall have a cup of my sagetea, and be rolled up in blankets to sleep off her cold," answered theold lady, cheerily, as she bustled away to give orders.
"Are you in pain, darling?" asked Uncle Alec, as he carried her up.
"My side aches when I breathe, and I feel stiff and queer; but it isn'tbad, so don't be troubled, uncle," whispered Rose, with a little hothand against his cheek.
But the poor doctor did look troubled, and had cause to do so, forjust then Rose tried to laugh at Dolly charging into the room with awarming-pan, but could not, for the sharp pain took her breath away andmade her cry out.
"Pleurisy," sighed Aunt Plenty, from the depths of the bath-tub.
"Pewmonia!" groaned Dolly, burrowing among the bedclothes with thelong-handled pan, as if bent on fishing up that treacherous disease.
"Oh, is it bad?" asked Phebe, nearly dropping a pail of hot water in herdismay, for she knew nothing of sickness, and Dolly's suggestion had apeculiarly dreadful sound to her.
"Hush!" ordered the Doctor, in a tone that silenced all furtherpredictions, and made everyone work with a will.
"Make her as comfortable as you can, and when she is in her little bedI'll come and say good-night," he added, when the bath was ready and theblankets browning nicely before the fire.
Then he went away to talk quite cheerfully to Aunt Peace about its being"only a chill"; after which he tramped up and down the hall, pulling hisbeard and knitting his brows, sure signs of great inward perturbation.
"I thought it would be too good luck to get through the year without adownfall. Confound my perversity! Why couldn't I take Myra's advice andkeep Rose at home. It's not fair that the poor child should sufferfor my sinful over-confidence. She shall not suffer for it! Pneumonia,indeed! I defy it," and he shook his fist in the ugly face of an Indianidol that happened to be before him, as if that particula
rly hideous godhad some spite against his own little goddess.
In spite of his defiance his heart sunk when he saw Rose again, forthe pain was worse, and the bath and blankets, the warming-pan andpiping-hot sage tea, were all in vain. For several hours there was norest for the poor child, and all manner of gloomy forebodings hauntedthe minds of those who hovered about her with faces full of thetenderest anxiety.
In the midst of the worst paroxysm Charlie came to leave a message fromhis mother, and was met by Phebe coming despondently downstairs with amustard plaster that had brought no relief.
"What the dickens is the matter? You look as dismal as a tombstone," hesaid, as she held up her hand to stop his lively whistling.
"Miss Rose is dreadful sick."
"The deuce she is!"
"Don't swear, Mr. Charlie; she really is, and it's Mr. Mac's fault," andPhebe told the sad tale in a few sharp words, for she felt at war withthe entire race of boys at that moment.
"I'll give it to him, make your mind easy about that," said Charlie,with an ominous doubling up of his fist. "But Rose isn't dangerouslyill, is she?" he added anxiously, as Aunt Plenty was seen to trot acrossthe upper hall, shaking a bottle violently as she went.
"Oh, but she is though. The Doctor don't say much, but he don't call ita 'chill' any more. It's 'pleurisy' now, and I'm so afraid it will bepewmonia to-morrow," answered Phebe, with a despairing glance at theplaster.
Charlie exploded into a stifled laugh at the new pronunciation ofpneumonia, to Phebe's great indignation.
"How can you have the heart to do it, and she in such horrid pain? Harkto that, and then laugh if you darst," she said with a tragic gesture,and her black eyes full of fire.
Charlie listened and heard little moans that went to his heart and madehis face as sober as Phebe's. "O uncle, please stop the pain, and let merest a minute! Don't tell the boys I wasn't brave. I try to bear it, butit's so sharp I can't help crying."
Neither could Charlie, when he heard the broken voice say that; but,boy-like, he wouldn't own it, and said pettishly, as he rubbed hissleeve across his eyes,
"Don't hold that confounded thing right under my nose; the mustard makesmy eyes smart."
"Don't see how it can, when it hasn't any more strength in it than meal.The Doctor said so, and I'm going to get some better," began Phebe,not a bit ashamed of the great tears that were bedewing the condemnedplaster.
"I'll go!" and Charlie was off like a shot, glad of an excuse to get outof sight for a few minutes.
When he came back all inconvenient emotion had been disposed of, and,having delivered a box of the hottest mustard procurable for money, hedeparted to "blow up" Mac, that being his next duty in his opinion. Hedid it so energetically and thoroughly that the poor Worm was cast intothe depths of remorseful despair, and went to bed that evening feelingthat he was an outcast from among men, and bore the mark of Cain uponhis brow.
Thanks to the skill of the Doctor, and the devotion of his helpers, Rosegrew easier about midnight, and all hoped that the worst was over. Phebewas making tea by the study fire, for the Doctor had forgotten to eatand drink since Rose was ill, and Aunt Plenty insisted on his havinga "good cordial dish of tea" after his exertions. A tap on the windowstartled Phebe, and, looking up, she saw a face peering in. She wasnot afraid, for a second look showed her that it was neither ghost norburglar, but Mac, looking pale and wild in the wintry moonlight.
"Come and let a fellow in," he said in a low tone, and when he stood inthe hall he clutched Phebe's arm, whispering gruffly, "How is Rose?"
"Thanks be to goodness, she's better," answered Phebe, with a smile thatwas like broad sunshine to the poor lad's anxious heart.
"And she will be all right again to-morrow?"
"Oh, dear no! Dolly says she's sure to have rheumatic fever, if shedon't have noo-monia!" answered Phebe, careful to pronounce the wordrightly this time.
Down went Mac's face, and remorse began to gnaw at him again as he gavea great sigh and said doubtfully,
"I suppose I couldn't see her?"
"Of course not at this time of night, when we want her to go to sleep!"
Mac opened his mouth to say something more, when a sneeze came upon himunawares, and a loud "Ah rash hoo!" awoke the echoes of the quiet house.
"Why didn't you stop it?" said Phebe reproachfully. "I dare say you'vewaked her up."
"Didn't know it was coming. Just my luck!" groaned Mac, turning to gobefore his unfortunate presence did more harm.
But a voice from the stair-head called softly, "Mac, come up; Rose wantsto see you."
Up he went, and found his uncle waiting for him.
"What brings you here at this hour, my boy?" asked the Doctor in awhisper.
"Charlie said it was all my fault, and if she died I'd killed her. Icouldn't sleep, so I came to see how she was, and no one knows it butSteve," he said with such a troubled face and voice that the Doctor hadnot the heart to blame him.
Before he could say anything more a feeble voice called "Mac!" and witha hasty "Stay a minute just to please her, and then slip away, for Iwant her to sleep," the Doctor led him into the room.
The face on the pillow looked very pale and childish, and the smile thatwelcomed Mac was very faint, for Rose was spent with pain, yet could notrest till she had said a word of comfort to her cousin.
"I knew your funny sneeze, and I guessed that you came to see how I did,though it is very late. Don't be worried, I'm better now, and it is myfault I was ill, not yours; for I needn't have been so silly as to waitin the cold just because I said I would."
Mac hastened to explain, to load himself with reproaches, and to begher not to die on any account, for Charlie's lecture had made a deepimpression on the poor boy's mind.
"I didn't know there was any danger of my dying," and Rose looked up athim with a solemn expression in her great eyes.
"Oh, I hope not; but people do sometimes go suddenly, you know, and Icouldn't rest till I'd asked you to forgive me," faltered Mac, thinkingthat Rose looked very like an angel already, with the golden hair looseon the pillow, and the meekness of suffering on her little white face.
"I don't think I shall die; uncle won't let me; but if I do, remember Iforgave you."
She looked at him with a tender light in her eyes, and, seeing howpathetic his dumb grief was, she added softly, drawing his head down, "Iwouldn't kiss you under the mistletoe, but I will now, for I want you tobe sure I do forgive and love you just the same."
That quite upset poor Mac; he could only murmur his thanks and get outof the room as fast as possible, to grope his way to the couch at thefar end of the hall, and lie there till he fell asleep, worn out withtrying not to "make a baby" of himself.