,
while she shook with sobs of mingled pity and fear. Then she started up
again, to force back her tears as she said, with all the pride and
energy of the MacGregors in her firm, clear voice,--

"Howard, don't rush round so; you'll only make Charlie worse. It may not
be so bad; but you go, quick as you can, for Dr. Brownlee. Run every
single step of the way, and don't you come back without him."

For an instant, Howard stared admiringly at the determined little figure
before him; then he rushed away, glad to get out of sight, where he
could rub the tears off from his cheeks, and feeling an immediate relief
in the need for prompt action. Twenty minutes later he came back,
accompanied by the doctor, whom he had met on the street, not far from
his office.

As Allie rose from her place beside the sofa, she was filled with a
momentary dislike of this handsome, well-dressed young man, with the red
carnation in his button-hole, who came into the room with a sort of
quiet briskness, and addressed a half-laughing remark of greeting to
Charlie. But as she watched him, she soon realized that there was
nothing unsympathetic in his cheerfulness; and she felt a quick trust in
him, when she looked up into his kind gray eyes, while he bent over
Charlie and took the handkerchief from his face. An older person would
have read much from the sudden frown which passed across his forehead;
but Allie failed to catch it, and was cheered by his next words,----

"Only a scratch or two, and a little cut. We'll patch you up soon, my
boy, so you needn't worry. There's a little glass left here, though,
that we want to get out of the way, first of all. You say your parents
are away?" he asked, turning to Allie. "Do you suppose you can help me a
little; or are you afraid?"

Allie's cheeks grew white at the thought; and the doctor, as he watched
her, added kindly,--

"Or perhaps your brother"--

But Howard had fled, to shut himself up in his mother's room. Allie
could hear him moving restlessly about, behind the closed door.

"I'll help if I can," she said bravely, though her rigid lips would
scarcely form the words; and she dropped her hand on Charlie's cold
fingers, to feel them close around it, with a grateful pressure, as the
doctor said approvingly,--

"That's a brave girl! Now, has your mother anything that I could use for
bandages?"

Allie hurried away in search of the great "emergency basket," which her
mother always kept well stoc