Suddenly a deep sigh from the bed fell upon the reader's ear. She
started and turned toward her charge.
"'Love'--'still waters,'" murmured Katherine, then turned like a
tired child on her pillow and was again locked in slumber.
Softly, Miss Reynolds laid aside her festal attire, made a nest
for herself on her roomy couch and, to the faintly flowing rhythm
of "The Beautiful Blue Danube," soon lost herself in dreamland,
never waking until the brilliant sun of a glorious June morning
flooded her room and warned her that a new day had begun.
CHAPTER XVII.
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."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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