On the whole, the world was good, she found. And, of all the good things

in it, the best was service. True, there were hot days and restless

nights, weary feet, and now and then a heartache. There was Miss Harrison,

too. But to offset these there was the sound of Dr. Max's step in the

corridor, and his smiling nod from the door; there was a "God bless you"

now and then for the comfort she gave; there were wonderful nights on the

roof under the stars, until K.'s little watch warned her to bed.

While Sidney watched the stars from her hospital roof, while all around her

the slum children, on other roofs, fought for the very breath of life,

others who knew and loved her watched the stars, too. K. was having his

own troubles in those days. Late at night, when Anna and Harriet had

retired, he sat on the balcony and thought of many things. Anna Page was

not well. He had noticed that her lips were rather blue, and had called in

Dr. Ed. It was valvular heart disease. Anna was not to be told, or Sidney.

It was Harriet's ruling.

"Sidney can't help any," said Harriet, "and for Heaven's sake let her have

her chance. Anna may live for years. You know her as well as I do. If

you tell her anything at all, she'll have Sidney here, waiting on her hand

and foot."

And Le Moyne, fearful of urging too much because his own heart was crying

out to have the girl back, assented.

Then, K. was anxious about Joe. The boy did not seem to get over the thing

the way he should. Now and then Le Moyne, resuming his old habit of

wearying himself into sleep, would walk out into the country. On one such

night he had overtaken Joe, tramping along with his head down.

Joe had not wanted his company, had plainly sulked. But Le Moyne had

persisted.

"I'll not talk," he said; "but, since we're going the same way, we might as

well walk together."

But after a time Joe had talked, after all. It was not much at first--a

feverish complaint about the heat, and that if there was trouble in Mexico

he thought he'd go.

"Wait until fall, if you're thinking of it," K. advised. "This is tepid

compared with what you'll get down there."

"I've got to get away from here."

K. nodded understandingly. Since the scene at the White Springs Hotel,

both knew that no explanation was necessary.




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