Mate selection -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
He felt uplifted. Little Anne was close to infinity; he and Anne were
blessed in their closeness to each other. It was a profound, a restful
conviction. There would flow from it, Kit realized, intensely vital
action, but now it sufficed to rest in it, conscious feeling absorbed.
In a frame of mind in which he did not recognize himself Kit passed the
night. It was not unlike the vigil of a youth beside his arms on the
eve of knighthood.
As the east began to redden Kit dozed, his arms on the windowsill
pillowing his head. He roused and shook himself as boys and dogs shake
themselves after a nap, and went downstairs, winding his forgotten
watch as he went, setting it by the tall clock on the landing. He was
surprised to see that it was after seven.
He went out on the steps, intending to go to the Berkley house to ask
for news. He shrank from ringing the sharp telephone bell in that house
which he pictured as filled with the silence of oppressive grief.
For now, though the rising sun usually brings hope after the night’s
despair, Kit felt sure that little Anne was dead.
As he came out he saw on the bottom step of his aunt’s house a figure.
It sat huddled, arms folded, head pillowed, knees drawn up, bowed
forward in a heap that for a moment prevented recognition. Then Kit saw
that it was young Peter Berkley.
“Peter!” he cried, and went down to lay his hand on the boy’s shoulder.
Peter jumped and sat up, rubbing his eyes, bewildered.
“Must have dropped off,” he apologized. “I’m not used to being awake
all night, and this was the third one. I was awake pretty much all of
the two before this one. I thought I’d stop and see you, but I hated
to ring, didn’t hear any one stirring in the house. When I sat down I
guess I went right off.”
“Have you been here long?” asked Kit, not daring to ask the question
that was uppermost in his mind.
“Don’t know what time it is now,” said Peter. “I got here about ten
minutes to seven, I suppose. I went around to serve Mass at six. That’s
the first one. I had to go.”
“Did you?” Kit’s voice was as softly pitying as Peter’s mother’s could
have been. “Is that what you do when----”
“It’s what you want to do. You can’t thank God yourself; you’re not big
enough,” said Peter, simply. “What I came to tell you, Kit, is that
Anne’s pulled through.”
“Living? Going to live?” Kit shouted.
Peter nodded. “The crisis was last night about one. She got through
it like the little sport she is. The doctor stayed and helped all he
could, but he said it was her heart won out. He says her heart’s fine
this morning, so it’s sure she’ll get well with proper care. Think she
won’t get it? The doctor doesn’t know how true what he said was. Say,
don’t you think it was little Anne’s heart? She’s such a good kid and
tries so hard to do what she’s told.”
Kit nodded. He found it hard to speak, but he patted Peter’s shoulder
steadily, as though something would go wrong if he stopped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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