No answer. The doctor said he would be back after dinner and bring a
nurse. She would ask him if Doris could be moved and then take her home.
It was growing darker in the room. Someone was knocking. She opened the
door. It was another man. He came in and then paused.
"Is Doris ill?" he asked.
Mrs. Basine nodded.
"I am her mother," she said.
Levine looked at her and introduced himself.
"You know Mr. Lindstrum," she added. Levine stared at the poet in the
shadows and said, "Yes, I know him."
"How do you do," said Lindstrum slowly.
Doris reached her hand up as Levine approached the bed. He took it and
she whispered, "Don't go away." She tried to rise.
"You mustn't dear," her mother cautioned.
"Oh yes," Doris voice appeared to be growing stronger. "I want to sit
up. Help me, Max." He arranged the pillows. The ice-pack fell from her
head. She smiled.
"You haven't eaten anything, mother," she added. "Please, there's a
restaurant around the corner."
Mrs. Basine stood up. It might be better to go away for a while. Despite
her daughter's momentary recovery her fears had increased. She felt
something curious about Doris. But perhaps it was just the fever. She
left the room with a final glance at the flushed face. Doris had always
been strange, but there was something disturbing about her now. Her
daughter's eyes watching her opening the door, chilled her heart
suddenly. She held herself from rushing to her side and taking her in
her arms. She didn't know why, but she was certain there was something
strange about Doris. She walked into the hall. Yes, she was certain
something terrible was going to happen.
When the door closed Doris sat against the pillows, her white face
turned toward Lindstrum in the shadows.
"Did you hear we were going to war, Lief?" she asked. Behind his pipe in
the shadows the grey faced figure of Lindstrum nodded.
"George is a Senator," she added. "He's going to declare war, Lief. You
remember my brother George."
"Doris, you mustn't," Levine whispered. "Lie back, please."
She covered her face and her body shuddered.
"The filthy ones are going to war. Come closer, Lief. I want to see
you."
Lindstrum approached the bed. Doris turned to Levine.
"The pack is going to war. Did you see their eyes shining in the street,
and their mouths gloating? A new terror, eh?"
She threw her hands into her hair and her eyes centered suddenly on
Lindstrum. He was standing over her. Doris began to laugh and to climb
out of bed. She stood up barefooted in her night gown, her black hair
down and pointed out of the window.
"Don't." Levine took her hand. "You'll catch cold."
Her eyes were lustrous. Lindstrum caught her in his arms. She had leaned
toward him as if she were falling. Her body was vividly hot. He held her
and she began to laugh.
"Better lie down," he whispered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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