Dr. Stanley has an object
lesson.
She found Katherine already awake.
“What do you think of tramps who take possession
of your room and drive you out of your comfortable
bed?” playfully demanded the girl, and nodding
brightly at her.
“I like it—that is, when I have the
privilege of choosing the tramp,” her teacher
laughingly responded, as she sat up and glanced at
the clock; “besides, this couch is every bit
as comfortable as the bed. Did you rest well,
Kathie?”
“Beautifully. The last I knew, until about
ten minutes ago, you were reading the twenty-third
psalm.”
Miss Reynolds arose and began to dress. Once
or twice she found her eyes straying to Katherine’s
bandaged hand, and longed to inquire regarding its
condition. But she wisely resisted the temptation
and maintained a discreet silence.
“You will not try to go down to breakfast, Kathie,”
she remarked, as she completed her toilet, and the
bell began to ring just at that moment.
“No, I think I will keep out of sight to-day.
I do not wish to answer questions. Besides, I
haven’t anything here suitable to put on.”
and she bestowed a rueful look upon her pretty evening
dress, all crumpled and burned, that lay over the
back of a chair.
“True; but I will go for one of your dresses
when I come up from breakfast,” said her friend;
“meantime, if you care to get up, you can slip
on this negligee of mine,” and she threw a dainty
wrapper over the foot of the bed as she spoke.
As soon as Miss Reynolds left the room, Katherine
arose and dressed, then sat down to read. She
was glad to be alone, for, though she was entirely
free from pain, she felt she still had work to do
for herself.
For nearly an hour she read and worked diligently,
and then her teacher returned, bearing a tempting
breakfast, which she soon dispatched with the appetite
of a healthy, hungry girl.
“I met Prof. Seabrook and his wife on my
way up,” Miss Reynolds observed, as she began
putting away the things she had worn the previous
evening, “and both inquired most kindly for you.
The professor said you are excused from the class
lecture this morning, if you wish, and Mrs. Seabrook
will come to see you later. They both expressed
themselves as deeply grateful for what you did last
night.”
“I scarcely know what I did,” Katherine
returned, flushing. “Dr. Stanley came so
quickly to the rescue that it was all over before
I could think clearly. It seems like a dream.”
“Yes, he told me all about it last night, Kathie,
and said but for your rare presence of mind there
might have been a bad fire. He was pretty well
cut up, however, when he found that you had hidden
yourself away and he had lost a patient,” Miss
Reynolds replied with a laugh of amusement, which
was merrily echoed by her guest.
