“Hello, Miss Deborah,” he said.  His voice had a cheery quality.

“Hello, Johnny.  How are you?”

“Fine, thank you.”

“That’s good.  I’ve brought my father with me.”

“Howdado, sir, glad to meet you.”

“It’s some time since you’ve been to see me, John,” Deborah continued.

“I know it is,” he answered.  And then with a quick jerk of his head, “He’s been pretty bad,” he said.  Roger looked at the man on the bed.  With his thin waxen features drawn, the man was gasping for each breath.

“What’s the matter?” Roger whispered.

“Lungs,” said the young woman harshly.  “You needn’t bother to speak so low.  He can’t hear you anyhow.  He’s dying.  He’s been dying weeks.”

“Why didn’t you let me know of this?” Deborah asked gently.

“Because I knew what you’d want to do—­take him off to a hospital!  And I ain’t going to have it!  I promised him he could die at home!”

“I’m sorry,” Deborah answered.  There was a moment’s silence, and the baby whimpered in its sleep.  One child had gone to his father’s bed and was frowning at his agony as though it were a tiresome sight.

“Are any of them coughing?” Deborah inquired.

“No,” said the woman sharply.

“Yes, they are, two of ’em,” John cheerfully corrected her.

“You shut up!” she said to him, and she turned back to Deborah.  “It’s my home, I guess, and my family, too.  So what do you think that you can do?” Deborah looked at her steadily.

“Yes, it’s your family,” she agreed.  “And it’s none of my business, I know—­except that John is one of my boys—­and if things are to go on like this I can’t let him board here any more.  If he had let me know before I’d have taken him from you sooner.  You’ll miss the four dollars a week he pays.”

The woman swallowed fiercely.  The flush on her face had deepened.  She scowled to keep back the tears.

“We can all die for all I care!  I’ve about got to the end of my rope!”

“I see you have.”  Deborah’s voice was low.  “You’ve made a hard plucky fight, Mrs. Berry.  Are there any empty rooms left in this building?”

“Yes, two upstairs.  What do you want to know for?”

“I’m going to rent them for you.  I’ll arrange it to-night with the janitor, on condition that you promise to move your children to-morrow upstairs and keep them there until this is over.  Will you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s sensible.  And I’ll have one of the visiting nurses here within an hour.”

“Thanks.”

“And later on we’ll have a talk.”

“All right—­”

“Good-night, Mrs. Berry.”

“Good-night, Miss Gale, I’m much obliged....  Say, wait a minute!  Will you?” The wife had followed them out on the landing and she was clutching Deborah’s arm.  “Why can’t the nurse give him something,” she whispered, “to put him to sleep for good and all?  It ain’t right to let a man suffer like that!  I can’t stand it!  I’m—­I’m—­” she broke off with a sob.  Deborah put one arm around her and held her steadily for a moment.