Miss Hope again, resisting Betty's attempts to press
her back against the pillow. "I wrote and wrote," the hoarse voice
babbled on. "You and David are so cruel--you will never send us word.
David!" she sat up straighter and pointed an accusing finger at Bob
standing in the doorway. "David! Faith and David----"

"You're making her worse," said Betty. "Go away, please, Bob. See,
she'll lie down now."

Exhausted, Miss Hope sank back on her pillow, and suddenly the
delirium left her.

"You're very good to me, my dear," she whispered weakly. "I think
I'll go to sleep."

Betty watched her for a few minutes till her even breathing told that
she really was asleep. Then she went in to see if Miss Charity had
been disturbed. She was awake and beckoned for Betty to come nearer
the bed.

"Was Faith here?" she whispered painfully. Betty had to put her ear
down to her mouth to hear. "Has she come at last?"

Betty shook her head sorrowfully. She had hoped the sick woman's
voice had not reached her sister.

"Miss Hope had more fever," she said compassionately. "She has gone
to sleep now. If I bring you a little nice beef tea, don't you think
you might take a nap, too?"

The old lady was childishly pleased with the idea of something to eat
again, and Betty fixed her tray daintily and toasted a cracker to go
with the cup of really delicious home-made beef tea. Miss Charity
drank every drop, and fifteen minutes later Betty had the
satisfaction of seeing her go to sleep.

Bob was out on the back porch, whittling furiously, a sure sign that
he was disturbed.

"They're my aunts, all right," he began, as soon as Betty appeared.
"I couldn't be quite sure, in spite of the name and the coincidences,
but now I know it. Do you think I look like them, Betty?"

"You look an awful lot like Miss Hope," said Betty. "You look like
Miss Charity, too, but not nearly as much. Miss Hope has blue eyes,
you see. You haven't seen Miss Charity yet, but her eyes are black.
I'm sure they are your aunts, Bob."

"Well, if they ever needed a husky nephew they need him now,"
declared Bob whimsically. "I don't know how long they've been sick,
but this place looks as though no one had cleaned it up in a year.
The animals need currying, too."

"They haven't been able to hire any help, I suppose," said Betty.
"And I don't believe you can get a hired man around here. The men are
all working in the oil fields. Ki is mad at the oil investors, and
that's