Giving her father a hasty kiss, she whispered: 

“I wish you were able to go in my place,” then ran down the steps, and a few minutes later the high-spirited horse carried them out of sight.

They did not return for some hours, and Dexie enjoyed the little excursion exceedingly; she was grieved to find on her return that her father had spent a very sick day, and she regretted leaving him for her own pleasure.

“You needed the change, my dear,” her father assured her.  “You are losing your roses by waiting on me so constantly, and this hand is thinner than it was six months ago,” and he patted the hand that rested in his own.

Mr. Sherwood was daily growing weaker, and had to keep his bed the greater part of the time.  The old pain returned oftener, and was so very severe while it lasted that it kept them all in a constant state of alarm.  This so worked on Mrs. Sherwood’s nerves that her fancied illness threatened to develop into something not quite so imaginative, and she required almost as much care as her husband.  It became necessary for Gussie to spend a part of her time in her mother’s room, and this she disliked very much, for Mrs. Sherwood was not a patient sufferer, and Gussie chaffed and fretted against the restraint to her liberty.  Her extreme selfishness was so apparent that her mother received her half-hearted services with little thanks.

The constant care and attention which divided Dexie’s time between her father’s and her mother’s room made it very hard to keep domestic matters running smoothly, and Gussie’s obstinate refusal to take any part of the labor of the household or care of the children upon her own shoulders, gave Dexie little chance to get the rest she needed.  This was telling on her health, and she was fast losing her rounded cheeks, and her eyes began to look so large and black that it made Guy’s heart ache to look at her.  He wished to tell Mrs. Sherwood of their engagement, and even attempted to persuade Dexie into marrying him at once, so that he would have the right to protect her against some of the needless burdens that were put upon her young shoulders, but Dexie would not hear of it.

“Mother is aware that I expect to be married by and by; if she is making a mistake as to the man let it be for the present.  Were the truth known, my life would be unbearable.  It is all I can do to keep the true state of affairs from coming to papa’s ears, and he has enough to bear without family troubles being put upon him.”

“My dear little girl, do you think I am going to let you stay here and be at the beck and call of everyone?  Let me claim you at once; that will be the best way to settle the difficulty, and your father would say the same if he knew about it.”

“But he must not know it, Guy; think how unhappy it would make him.  It would never do, dear; but I have a good mind to write and ask Louie to come home.  Surely aunt would let her come for a few weeks.  I have written to her about it before, but she would not let her come unless she was positively needed, and I do think she is now.  She must be quite a young lady by this time, and would be such a help and comfort.  I believe I will write and ask her again.”