giving her something to make her sleep for a little while, and by the time you get home she’ll be just waking up and won’t think there was anything much the matter perhaps.”
“Oh, you are very kind and thoughtful. But we have never had to be such a lot of trouble to strangers.”
“Well, don’t think of us as strangers, call us neighbors,” said the young man, with a confidence-inspiring smile that somehow loosened the tightness around the girl’s heart and made it possible for her to breathe again. She wavered a pale little white smile in answer.
“You see, I’m sure you can trust the doctor. He’s very skillful. He is Dr. Ransom, Lady Winthrop’s own physician, and besides, he promised me he would go back again just before noon, and then will go straight to his office and from there telephone me how things are going. I am sure he will do that. And I promise to telephone you here immediately. May I do that, Mr. Chalmers?” He looked toward Frannie’s boss, who bowed assent graciously, and Frannie began to feel as if the reeling ground beneath her feet was gradually steadying.
“Oh! That will help a lot,” she murmured. “But—the movers will be coming this afternoon with the rest of our furniture, and there will be nobody to tell them where to put things!”
Her practical young eyes had taken on their frightened look again.
“Mother would never lie still and let that go on. She will get right up and go to work unless I’m there!”
“Not with Nurse Branner there!” laughed Valiant Willoughby. “You don’t know her if you think that could happen. But I do. She nursed me through a broken leg once, and believe me there isn’t a thing that woman doesn’t understand and can’t take charge of. You’ll find she’ll ferret out the most suitable spot for every article and have it placed there right on the dot, and no patient of hers will get out of bed and go to work. She’ll see to that! Now, will you be good, Miss Fernley? And I give you my word of honor to phone the latest news from your home at noon or know the reason why. Does that satisfy you?”
“Thank you so much. That will be wonderful. Now I can go back to my work.”
Then Mr. Chalmers interrupted.
“Miss Fernley, I’m afraid it is going to be a strain on you to finish those letters I gave you this morning. If you like I’ll call Miss Dart and let you read them to her and she can take them down and type them, and then you can go home.”
But Frannie’s business pride rose to the front. She clutched her precious notebook firmly and shook her head.
“No indeed, Mr. Chalmers, I’d rather do them myself. You explained so fully what you wanted in some of the letters that I would hate to have you have to do that all over again. No, I’m sure since Mr. Willoughby has been so kind, that everything will be all right. I know that my mother would much rather have me stay here and make good than to rush home, since she has a good doctor and an efficient nurse. I would be silly to worry about her. I’ll bring the letters to you when I have them finished, and if there are any changes to be made I’ll have plenty of time to recopy.”
“Well, if you are sure you won’t worry—”
“No, I won’t worry,” promised Frannie with a grave, capable smile.
The two men glanced at the girl with approval.
“Well, good-bye, Miss Fernley,” said Willoughby. “I’ll be calling you around noon. And thank you, Mr. Chalmers, for your courtesy to us both.”
The young man walked away, and the boss gave one keen look at his secretary and then slowly made his way back to his own office, while Frannie settled down to do some of the most tensely careful work she had ever done in the line of typing. She somehow felt that her skill was in question, she was being put to the test, and she must not let even her anxiety for her beloved mother steal her thoughts away from the duty of the moment. This must come first, even before her mother. She