there is no one to answer my bell, and no one to wait on
me--and I'm perfectly sure that if I ever let myself go to bed I shall
die."

"Nonsense," briskly. "I've brought Betty back with me, and she's going
to stay and see that you're made comfortable."

Miss Matthews' face brightened. "She's the only person in the world that
I'd have fussing over me."

"I shall stay here and boss you to my heart's content," Bettina told
her.

"Oh, dear," Miss Matthews sighed rapturously, "how good that sounds.
I--I want to be bossed. I'm so tired of telling other people what to
do--that last day at school I thought I should go to pieces."

"Well, you're not going to pieces," Anthony assured her; "you're going
to bed. And when I come back I shall expect to find you asleep."

Bettina, coaxing Miss Matthews to be comfortable, brushed her hair in
front of the revived fire.

"What pretty hair you have," she said, as she held it up so that the
light might shine upon it. "What makes you spoil it by doing it up in
that tight knot?"

"I don't know any other way," wailed Miss Matthews. "I've never had time
to be pretty."

"I'm going to braid it," said Bettina, "and by evening it will be
waved."

Miss Matthews submitted, luxuriously. "It seems so nice to have some one
fussing over me. I don't believe anybody ever brushed my hair before."

Bettina, having hunted out a box of her own belongings, was trying
different colored ribbons on the little lady's pale brown locks.

"Do you know, Letty, pink is your color? Yes, it is. Blue makes you look
ghastly. Now I'm going to tie this twice around your head so that it
will hide all the tight pigtails--I got that idea from Diana."

As she finished the somewhat elaborate process, there came steps
outside.

"It's just me," said the voice of the little captain.

Bettina peeped through the door, and announced; "Miss Matthews is sick."

"I know. I met Anthony Blake, and he told me; and what I want to know
is, can I do anything----?"

"Nothing--thanks."

"Yes, he can," said the hoarse voice of the invalid. "He can come in. If
he doesn't mind my head, I shan't mind him."

The captain, entering, found Miss Matthews in a big chair, her feet
covered by a steamer rug, her gray flannel apparel hidden by a white
wool shawl which had belonged to Betty's mother, and topping all was the
wonderful head-dress of rose-colored ribbon, beneath which Miss
Matthews' plain little peaked face looked out wist