I say this morning, because it is already nearly two o’clock. My eyes
are sticky with sleep. I cannot write another word, except to add that
even if Geof is to be ill, we are all thankful!
Tuesday, February 17.
Geoffrey has typhoid fever. So,—mother and Aunt Adelaide were right. Oh,
why could we not have suspected before? The doctor says the disease has
been coming on for months;—which accounts for Geof’s headaches, his
sleepless nights, his general indifference and lassitude. And we know,
too, now, that he never would have tried to run away, never would have
frightened us so, had he been himself.
How hard and unsympathetic we must have seemed these last weeks; for he
was sick, poor dear, and dazed, and stupid. He could not explain, and we
would not understand.
Well, we are going to be good to him, at last, and make up,—Meta, Aunt
Adelaide, all of us. “Only,” says Ernie, with an anxious little frown
(it was she who brought the news this morning before school), “we will
have to wait a while, I guess. Meta says Miss Barron, the trained nurse,
is a regular tyrant. She won’t let any one near Geof.”
It seems that Meta wanted to go to Geoffrey and apologise as soon as she
heard that he had typhoid. The memory of their various scraps and
misunderstandings troubled her. She made quite a point of the matter,
till Miss Barron said it was out of the question. Then Meta determined
she would slip in on the sly,—for she is very wilful, once she gets an
idea into her head. So she watched her chance, stole up when no one was
on guard, got as far as the door, and peeped in.
The room was quite dark. Geoffrey’s head was swathed in towels and an
ice-bag; he kept turning it from side to side upon the pillow. His eyes
were staring open, and he was muttering to himself in an odd hoarse
voice. Suddenly he caught sight of Meta, who was advancing on tip-toe
into the room, started up on his elbow, and shouted “_Scat!!_”
She turned and ran, poor thing, right into Uncle George, who was coming
upstairs with the doctor, and he scolded her, and sent her to her room.
I am afraid Geof is going to be very ill. Dr. Porter, who called to see
Robin this afternoon, was extremely uncommunicative. “It is impossible
to predict at this stage,” was all we could get him to say.
“Fortunately, the boy has a good constitution.”
Wednesday, February 25.
Geof no better. Oh, how can we endure this suspense!
Sunday, March 1.
Geoffrey desperately ill. He is delirious the greater part of the time,
or lies in a heavy stupour.
Poor little Ernie, who goes every day for news, crept up to his door
yesterday morning, crouched outside, and listened. Geof was singing in a
queer, hoarse voice:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account