awn a list from
her pocket, and was running through the details half aloud with an
absorbed frown.

"I shall wait and see the doctor, Nurse," she said presently; "and if he
comes soon I shall _just_ get through my business, and catch the three
o'clock express."

No, it would be of no use, Ruth concluded, as she let her head fall
languidly back against the pillow--Aunt Clarkson was far too busy to
think about the cat.

Fortunately for her business, the doctor did not keep her waiting long.
Ruth was better, he said, and all she wanted now was cheering up a
little--she looked dull and moped. "If she could have a little friend,
now, to see her, or a cheerful companion," glancing at Nurse Smith, "it
would have a good effect."

He withdrew with Mrs Clarkson to the door, and they continued the
conversation in low tones, so that only scraps of it reached Ruth:

"--Excitable--fanciful--too much alone--children of her own age--"

Aunt Clarkson's last remark came loud and clear:

"We shall cure that at Summerford, Dr Short. We're not dull people
there, and we've no time for fancies."

She smiled, the doctor smiled, they shook hands and both soon went away.
Ruth leant her head on her hand. Was there no one who would understand
how much she wanted to see the kitchen cat? Would they all talk about
fancies? What were Lucy and Cissie and Bobbie to her?--strangers, and
the cat was a friend. She would rather stroke its rough head, and
listen to its purring song, than have them all to play with. It was so
sad to think how it must have missed her, how much she wanted to see it,
and how badly her head ached, that she felt obliged to shed a few tears.
Nurse discovered this with much concern.

"And there was master coming up to see you to-night and all, Miss Ruth.
It'll never do for him to find you crying, you know. I think you'd
better go to bed."

Ruth looked up with a sudden gleam of hope, and checked her tears.

"When is he coming?" she asked. "I want to see him."

"Well, I s'pose directly he comes home--about your tea-time. But if I
let you sit up we mustn't have no more tears, you know, else he'll think
you ain't getting well."

Ruth sank quietly back among her shawls in the big chair. An idea had
darted suddenly into her mind which comforted her very much, and she was
too busy with it to cry any more. She would ask her father! True, it
was hardly likely that he would have any thoughts to spare for such a
s