talk, no matter
how much she may try. But I mustn't scold you, I suppose; you are too
young for such a responsibility, and your friend there is extremely
ill."

Then he went downstairs and consulted Bertie's parents, and the result
was that a letter was written to the city aunt begging her to come and
help take care of the two sick children. The doctor wrote it himself,
stating as delicately as he could the extreme urgency of the case, the
inefficiency of the mother, the dangerous illness of the children, and
the impossibility of securing any assistance in the care of them except
that of an inexperienced little girl, who was herself in constant danger
of being added to the list of patients.

In answer to this appeal, after a couple of days, Mrs. Jamieson, who, if
a silly, overindulgent mother, was a much more efficient woman than her
sister, made her appearance in Squantown, and under her supervision
matters were soon in a better condition, and Katie was no longer needed.
She had made herself extremely useful, however, and all the family were
unfeignedly obliged to her. The children could not bear to have her go,
and Mr. Sanderson insisted upon giving her as much money as she would
have earned during the days she had been absent from the mill. Dr. Bolen
said she showed no signs of having taken the infection and it would be
quite safe for her to go home if she would change all her clothes for
those which Eric took to the bindery and Mr. Sanderson carried home,
leaving everything she had worn in the sick-room behind her, and then
would take a long walk, where the wind could blow her hair about and
freshen her up thoroughly.

Tessa and Katie had a long, long talk that night. The former had many
things to tell of what had happened both in the mill and at home during
the absence of the latter; how the rag-room had been closed and
fumigated, the foreign rags all burned, and the girls and Miss Peters
enjoyed a three days' holiday without having it deducted from their
wages; how the old cat had presented the household with a lovely family
of downy kittens, for which Alfred had made a little house in a box out
in the yard; and how both boys had been very patient toward her cookery,
laughing at her mistakes and helping her with their superior knowledge;
and how they had stayed at home and played games with her every evening,
thus preventing her from taking to novels again to cheer her loneliness,
as she should otherwise have