CHAPTER VII.
Effie's little room faced the east. She never drew down her blind atnight, and the sun was shining all over her face when her mother came inthe next morning to call her.
Mrs. Staunton, standing in her nightdress in the middle of the room,called Effie in a shrill voice.
"What in the world is the matter?" said her daughter, sitting up, andpushing back her hair from her eyes.
"What I feared," said Mrs. Staunton. "I am not going to break down;don't think it for a minute. I am as well as possible." She trembled allover as she spoke. There was a purple spot on one cheek, the other wasdeadly pale. A blue tint surrounded her lips. "I am perfectly well,"continued Mrs. Staunton, breathing in a labored way. "It is only that Ihave got a bit of a---- Your father is ill, Effie. He has gotit--the--dip--dip--diphtheria. He is almost choking. Get up, child; getup."
"Yes, mother," said Effie.
She tumbled out of bed. Her pretty cheeks were flushed with sleep; hereyes, bright and shining, turned toward the eastern light for a moment.
"Oh, mother," she said, with a sudden burst of feeling, "do, do let uskeep up our courage! Nothing will save him if we lose our courage,mother."
"We won't," said Mrs. Staunton; "and that's what I came to speak about.He must have good nursing--the very best. Effie, I want you to get MissFraser to come here."
"Miss Fraser! But will she leave little Freda Harvey?"
"She must leave her--the child is completely out of danger--anyone cannurse her now. She must leave her and come here, and you must go andfetch her. Your father may lose his life in the cause of that littlechild. There is not a moment to lose--get up, Effie. You can go at onceto The Grange. Go, go quickly and bring Dorothy Fraser. We none of uscan nurse him as she will. She will do it. He has been murmuring in hissleep about her, about something she did for little Freda, clasping histhroat all the time and suffocating. One glance showed me what ailed himwhen I awoke this morning. He has a hard fight before him, but he mustnot die--I tell you, child, your father must not die!"
"No, no, mother! God will spare him to us," said Effie. Tears dimmed hereyes, she got quickly into her clothes.
"Now, I will go," she said. "I will bring Dorothy back with me."
"If there is any difficulty," said Mrs. Staunton, "if she hesitates fora moment, you must remember, there is only one thing to be done."
"Yes, mother; what do you mean?"
"You must offer to nurse Freda Harvey instead of her--do youunderstand?"
"And I am not to come back to father when he is ill?" said Effie,aghast.
"That is not the point," exclaimed Mrs. Staunton. "The only thing to beconsidered is, what will save him, and you and I, and our feelings, areof no consequence. His life is so valuable that no sacrifice is toogreat to keep it. Go, child, go. If you can come back, come--if not,stay."
"And who will manage the children--they ought not to remain in thehouse."
"Don't worry about the children. Get Dorothy as quickly as possible."
Effie buttoned her dress and pinned on her hat, and then went out on thelanding.
"Where are you going, child? Why don't you go downstairs?"
"I must kiss father first."
"What folly!--why should there be this delay?"
"I won't be a minute."
Effie turned the handle of the bedroom door, and went softly into theroom. Her father was lying on his back--there was a livid look about hisface. Great beads of perspiration stood on his brow. His eyes wereclosed. He did not see Effie when she came into the room, but when shebent down and kissed his forehead, he opened his eyes and looked at her.He said something which she could not distinguish--he was too hoarse tomake any words articulate.
"I am going for Dorothy," she said, with a smile,--"she'll soon make youbetter,--good-by. God bless you--father. I love you--father, I loveyou."
His eyes smiled at her, but his lips could not speak.
She went quickly out of the room.