“He is not hurt seriously at all,” the physician replied.  “The bullet went through the fleshy part of his left arm.  It was a clean wound, and he will be around again in no time.”

He walked to Dicky’s bed, bent over him, listened to his breathing, straightened, and came back to me.

“He is doing splendidly,” he said, “but you are not.  You are on the point of collapse from what you have undergone tonight.  You must lie down at once.  If there is no one else to take care of you, I must do it.”

I felt as if I could not bear to answer him, even to raise my eyes to meet his.  I do not know how long the intense silence would have continued.  Just as I felt that I could not bear the situation any longer, Lillian Underwood came into the room, bringing with her, as she always does, an atmosphere of cheerful sanity.

“What is the matter?” she asked.  Her tone was low and guarded, but in it there was a note of alarm, and the same anxiety shown from her eyes as she came swiftly toward me.

“Mrs. Graham is in danger of a nervous collapse if she does not have rest and quiet soon,” Dr. Pettit returned gravely.  “Will you see that she is put to bed at once?  Mr. Graham will do very well for a while alone, although when you have made Mrs. Graham comfortable, I wish you would come back and sit with him.”

Lillian put her strong arms around me and led me through the door into the outer hall.

“But who is with Miss Draper?” I protested faintly, as we started down the stairs toward the first floor.

“Her sister and one of the best trained nurses in the city,” Lillian responded.  “Besides, Dr. Pettit will go immediately back to her room.”

“But Dicky, there is no one with Dicky,” I said, struggling feebly in an attempt to go back up the stairs again.

“Don’t be childish, Madge.”  The words, the tone, were impatient, the first I had ever heard from Lillian toward me.  But I mentally acknowledged their justice and braced myself to be more sensible, as she guided me to her room, and helped me into bed.

I found her sitting by my bedside when I opened my eyes.  Through the lowered curtains I caught a ray of sunlight, and knew that it was broad day.

“Dicky?” I asked wildly, staring up from my pillows.

Lillian put me back again with a firm hand.

“Lie still,” she said gently.  “Dicky is fine, and when you have eaten the breakfast Betty has prepared and which Katie is bringing you, you may go upstairs and take care of him all day.”

“But it is daylight,” I protested.  “I must have slept all night.  And you?  Have you slept at all?”

“Don’t bother about me,” she returned lightly.  “I shall have a good long nap as soon as you are ready to take care of Dicky.”

“But I meant to sleep only two or three hours.  I don’t see how I ever could have slept straight through the night.”

I really felt near to tears with chagrin that I should have left Dicky to the care of any one else while I soundly slept the night through.