bite inside you since you left this morning Now get yourself into the sitting-room. There's a good fire on; take your shoes off and put your feet to the blaze. I'll be with you in a minute. "
Like someone who had lost the power of speech Martha -went slowly from the kitchen and across the hall, and she had just entered the
sitting-room when she heard a door close overhead and footsteps coming running down the stairs. And she knew they weren't Nancy's, for they didn't pound.
She was sitting before the fire when Mildred came rushing into the
room. Mildred gave her no greeting but cried at her, "She hasn't come back yet; four hours she's been out. As soon as she finished her turn with Aunt Sophie she went out. It's four hours or more. Instead of
always going for me you want to go for her when ..." Her voice trailed away as she looked down into Martha's upturned face and, her tone
softer now and holding some concern, she ended, "What is it? Are you ill, Martha Mary?"
T .
mve . rycol . ld. "
"Oh, I'll get you a hot drink."
T)il. Dilly is seeing to it. " 'you look--' Mildred didn't say how she thought her sister looked but, now kneeling by her side, she took her hand and said, " Oh'you are cold, frozen. What is it? Was it a dreadful journey? "
"Not.... not very pleasant."
"Did ... did you see Great-Uncle James?"
Martha closed her eyes.
"No, no, I didn't see him."
"Then he's not going to help us?"
"No; we need expect no help from... Gr... eat Uncle James. Now let me be quiet for a while until ... until I get warm." She held out her hands to the blaze; then after a moment turned and looked at Mildred who was sitting back on her heels staring at her, for once seemingly forgetting her own needs, and she said, 'you say Nancy has been out a long while? "
"Yes." Mildred's voice was quiet now.
"I was getting
worried. That's why I. well, it's over four hours and it'll soon be
dark. I was worried. "
"Yes, yes. As soon as I get warm we'll... we'll go out and ,. and look for her."
"You'll do no such thing, not while I'm here." It was Dilly entering the room and behind her Peg, her arms stretched wide, carrying a tray on which there was a pot of tea, milk and sugar, a plate of cut cold meat and another of new bread and butter.
The tray having been put down on the side table, Dilly poured out a cup of tea and handed it to Martha, saying, "Drink that up. No talking now, just drink it up."
When Martha sipped at the tea she wrinkled her face and, looking up at Dilly, said, "It's--' she paused 'it's got a strange taste."
"I...
I know it has a strange taste, there's a drop of whisky at the bottom.
Now we won't have any talk. It's either getting' you unthawed, an'
quickly, or you'll be in bed for the next week or so. Now drink it up.
"
Martha sipped at the whiskyed tea and by the time she had finished it she felt somewhat better, at least physically. She looked from Dilly to Peg, and then to Mildred, as she said quietly, "Don't worry; I'm I'm all right, I feel much better now. It turned so very cold. I I think we're going to have more snow." As she finished speaking there was the sound of running footsteps across the hall and the door burst open and Nancy bounded in, her cheeks rosy, her face bright She made straight for Martha, saying, "Oh, you're back then! How did the visit go?"
She paused now, taking in the scene; then looking from one to the
other, she asked, "What's the matter?"
"Everything!" Mildred was barking at her.
"Martha Mary came back almost dead with the cold and you've been gone over four hours and it coming on dark and we were worried, and you
don't care. All you think of is riding, riding, and yourself."
"I don't! I don't! It's you who always think of yourself, or
your cats. I had to walk Belle back; she got a stone in her foot.
"
"There. There." Mildred was wagging her head at her, "More trouble.
You rode him too hard; you're mad when you're on a . "
"Be quiet! Be quiet both of you!... Where
Like someone who had lost the power of speech Martha -went slowly from the kitchen and across the hall, and she had just entered the
sitting-room when she heard a door close overhead and footsteps coming running down the stairs. And she knew they weren't Nancy's, for they didn't pound.
She was sitting before the fire when Mildred came rushing into the
room. Mildred gave her no greeting but cried at her, "She hasn't come back yet; four hours she's been out. As soon as she finished her turn with Aunt Sophie she went out. It's four hours or more. Instead of
always going for me you want to go for her when ..." Her voice trailed away as she looked down into Martha's upturned face and, her tone
softer now and holding some concern, she ended, "What is it? Are you ill, Martha Mary?"
T .
mve . rycol . ld. "
"Oh, I'll get you a hot drink."
T)il. Dilly is seeing to it. " 'you look--' Mildred didn't say how she thought her sister looked but, now kneeling by her side, she took her hand and said, " Oh'you are cold, frozen. What is it? Was it a dreadful journey? "
"Not.... not very pleasant."
"Did ... did you see Great-Uncle James?"
Martha closed her eyes.
"No, no, I didn't see him."
"Then he's not going to help us?"
"No; we need expect no help from... Gr... eat Uncle James. Now let me be quiet for a while until ... until I get warm." She held out her hands to the blaze; then after a moment turned and looked at Mildred who was sitting back on her heels staring at her, for once seemingly forgetting her own needs, and she said, 'you say Nancy has been out a long while? "
"Yes." Mildred's voice was quiet now.
"I was getting
worried. That's why I. well, it's over four hours and it'll soon be
dark. I was worried. "
"Yes, yes. As soon as I get warm we'll... we'll go out and ,. and look for her."
"You'll do no such thing, not while I'm here." It was Dilly entering the room and behind her Peg, her arms stretched wide, carrying a tray on which there was a pot of tea, milk and sugar, a plate of cut cold meat and another of new bread and butter.
The tray having been put down on the side table, Dilly poured out a cup of tea and handed it to Martha, saying, "Drink that up. No talking now, just drink it up."
When Martha sipped at the tea she wrinkled her face and, looking up at Dilly, said, "It's--' she paused 'it's got a strange taste."
"I...
I know it has a strange taste, there's a drop of whisky at the bottom.
Now we won't have any talk. It's either getting' you unthawed, an'
quickly, or you'll be in bed for the next week or so. Now drink it up.
"
Martha sipped at the whiskyed tea and by the time she had finished it she felt somewhat better, at least physically. She looked from Dilly to Peg, and then to Mildred, as she said quietly, "Don't worry; I'm I'm all right, I feel much better now. It turned so very cold. I I think we're going to have more snow." As she finished speaking there was the sound of running footsteps across the hall and the door burst open and Nancy bounded in, her cheeks rosy, her face bright She made straight for Martha, saying, "Oh, you're back then! How did the visit go?"
She paused now, taking in the scene; then looking from one to the
other, she asked, "What's the matter?"
"Everything!" Mildred was barking at her.
"Martha Mary came back almost dead with the cold and you've been gone over four hours and it coming on dark and we were worried, and you
don't care. All you think of is riding, riding, and yourself."
"I don't! I don't! It's you who always think of yourself, or
your cats. I had to walk Belle back; she got a stone in her foot.
"
"There. There." Mildred was wagging her head at her, "More trouble.
You rode him too hard; you're mad when you're on a . "
"Be quiet! Be quiet both of you!... Where
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