"She would have come in, but there's no call for the whole town to nurse a sick-bed, I always think--and so she sort of hung around a minute, sympathetic and mum, and then slimpsed off with very little starch to her motions, like when you walk for sick folks. I looked out to where Robin and Insley was waiting by the big Proudfit planet that was going to take her on an orbit of its own; and all of a sudden, with them in front of me and with what was behind me, the awful _good-byness_ of things sort of shut down on me, and I wanted to do something or tell somebody something, I didn't know what, before it was too late; and I run right down to them two. "'Oh,' I says, scrabblin' some for my words, 'I want to tell you something, both of you. If it means anything to either of you to know that there's a little more to me, for having met both of you--then I want you to know it. And it's true. You both--oh, I donno,' I says, 'what it is--but you both kind of act like life was a person, and like it wasn't just your dinner to be et.... And I kind of know the person, too....' "I knew what I meant, but meant things and said things don't often match close. And yet I donno but they understood me. Anyway, they both took hold of a hand of mine, and said some little broke-off thing that I didn't rightly get. But I guess that we all knew that we all knew. And in a minute I went back in the house, feeling like I'd got the best of some time when I might of wished, like we all do, that I'd let somebody know something while then was then. "When I got inside the door, I see right off by Dr. Heron's face that there'd been some change. And sure enough there was. Chris's father had opened his eyes and had spoke. And I done what I knew Robin would have wanted; I wheeled round and went to the door and told her so. "'He's come to,' I says, 'and he's just asked for Chris.' "Sharp off, Robin turned to say something to the man waiting in the automobile. Insley tried to stop her, but she put him by. They come back into the cottage together, and the Proudfit automobile started steaming back to Proudfit House without her. "Once again Robin roused Chris, as she had roused him on the night when he slept on the church porch; she just slipped her hands round his throat and lifted his face, and this time she kissed him. "'Come with Robin,' she said. "Chris opened his eyes and for a minute his little senses come struggling through his sleep, and then with them come dread. He looked up in Robin's face, piteous. "'Did my daddy _go out_?' he asks, shrill, 'like my mama did?' "'No, no, dear,' Robin said. 'He wants you to say good-by to him first, you know. Be still and brave, for Robin.' "There wasn't no way to spare him, because the poor little figure on the bed was saying his name, restless, to restless movements. I was in there by him, fixing him a little something to take. "'Where's Chris?' the sick man begged. 'Look on the church steps--'