if anything happened to Kit some other father would feel as he
felt on that ride from the station.

He slipped into Bet's room and looked at her for a moment as if to
assure himself that she was safe, then went to Kit. The doctor was
alone at the bedside.

"Will she live, Doctor?" he asked, his voice trembling with emotion.

"It will be a hard pull tonight to keep this from developing into
pneumonia. She's strong and ought to pull through--but one never can
tell. She's a sick girl."

Mrs. Stacey spoke:

"I do not see how I can impose on you in this way, Colonel Baxter. I
feel as if we should get the child to the hospital."

"Please don't say that, Mrs. Stacey. Consider the Manor your home and
Kit's until she is perfectly well again. Get the best nurse you know
of, Doctor."

"She will need watching every hour tonight if we are to prevent a
serious illness. I will remain here, and I've already called up a good
nurse."

In the morning Kit was resting quietly. The terrible wheezing had
ceased and the fever was coming down.

In her delirium, Kit had cried, "Help, help!" until Bet, awakened by
her cries, wrapped herself up and crept into the room.

"Go back to bed," ordered the doctor. "You'll be sick next."

"No, I won't, Doctor Snow. Kit needs me, I must help her. Please let
me speak to her. I'm sure I can quiet her."

Bet knelt by the bed and clasped Kit's hand. "Listen Kit," she said
quietly but firmly. "This is Bet; I'm all right. We're both safe at
home."

Kit started up, "No, no. Bet is drowned! I saw her so white."

"Kit dear, listen to me. This is Bet. I'm right here beside you!"
Bet repeated the sentence over and over until at last the sick brain
seemed to grasp the idea and the girl quieted down, and even slept for
a few minutes.

"She'll be all right now," the doctor announced to Colonel Baxter, who
had come in to inquire how Kit was. "And you'd better get your
daughter back to bed. She's been under a strain and needs rest."

The Colonel lifted Bet tenderly in his arms and carried her to her room.

"Sit by me, Dad, I'm frightened," she sighed. "It's so comfortable to
have you. I want to hold on to you, then I don't think about that
storm."

The Colonel took the little hand in his and held it until she finally
relaxed and fell asleep. Not until the lines of strain had left her
face, to be replaced by a peaceful expression, did he go back to his
own room.

Even then