r dear, come in." She knew by his
eyes that he suspected something of what she had to tell.

"Caught me at the Longyears'," he tried to say in a natural voice, but
he could hardly force the words beyond his lips.

"It's Rosie, Thor," she said, instantly. "She's _all_ right."

He dropped into a chair, supporting himself on the round table strewn
with illustrated papers and magazines for the entertainment of waiting
patients. His lips moved, but no sound passed them. Long, dark shadows
streaked the pallor of his face.

She sat down beside him, covering his hands with her own. "She's all
right, Thor dear ... now ... and I don't think she'll be any the worse
for it in the end.... She may be the better.... We can't tell yet....
But--but you haven't heard it in the village, have you?"

He shook his head, perhaps because he was dazed, perhaps because he
didn't trust himself to speak.

"That's good." She spoke breathlessly. "I was so afraid you might ... I
wanted to tell you myself ... so that you wouldn't--you wouldn't get a
shock.... There's no reason for a shock--not now, Thor.... It's
only--it's only ... just what I was afraid of--what I spoke of at
lunch.... She--she--she did it."

He found strength to speak. "She did--what?"

Lois continued the same breathless way. "She threw herself into the
pond.... But she's all right.... Jim Breen and Robbie Willert were out
in a boat--fishing.... They saw her.... They got to her just as she went
down the second time.... Jim Breen dived after her and brought her
up.... She wasn't unconscious very long ... and fortunately Dr. Hill was
close by--at old Mrs. Jukes's in Schoolhouse Lane.... So she's home now
and all right, or nearly.... I arrived just as they were bringing her
ashore.... She was breathing then.... I went on before them to the
house.... I told Mrs. Fay ... and Mr. Fay.... I saw them put her to
bed.... She's all right.... And then I came here--to tell you, Thor--"

He struggled to his feet, throwing his head back and clenching his
fists. "I swear to God that if I ever see Claude again I'll--I'll kill
him!"

Without rising she caught one of his hands and pulled him downward. "Sit
down, Thor," she said, in a tone of command. "You mustn't take it like
that. You mustn't make things worse than they are. They're bad enough as
it is. They're so bad--or at least so hard for--for some of us--that we
must do everything we can to make it possible to bear them."

He sat do