David related incidents of his mother’s life with her uncle when she was a small girl, one leading to another, until, suddenly, Dr. Dudley opened the door.

“What!” he exclaimed.  “My girlies not abed yet!  Why, it is nearly nine o’clock!  Miss Lucy will think I have kidnapped you.”

They hurried away, with laughing good-nights, after being assured by the Doctor that probably Colonel Gresham would “come out all right.”

David slept downstairs now, in a tiny room adjoining the physician’s, and his last thought that night was of the strangeness of it all—­Uncle David’s hurrying to catch Dr. Dudley for him, and his being the first to notify the Doctor of his uncle’s illness, while they had not even a bowing acquaintance with each other!

For a few days there was no alarming change in colonel Gresham’s condition.  Then he grew worse.  He became delirious, and remained so, recognizing no one.  The anxiety felt in Dr. Dudley’s office extended upstairs to the little people of the convalescent ward, for since the Colonel’s birthday gift they had taken great interest in the master of the famous trotter.  Every morning they were eager for the latest news from the second house away where their friend lay so ill.

The twentieth of September was hot and oppressive.  Early in the evening thunder clouds heaped the western sky, and occasional flashes of lightning portended a shower.

After the children were established for the night, Miss Lucy sat long by the open window watching the electrical display.  The clouds rose slowly, lingering beyond the western hills with no wind to aid their progress.  Finally she partly undressed, and throwing on a kimono settled herself comfortably upon her cot, to await the uncertain storm, ready to shut the windows in case of driving rain.  By and by fitful breezes fluttered through the room, the low rumbling of thunder was heard, and presently a soft patter of drops on the leaves.  The lightning grew brilliant.  The nurse dreamed and waked by turns.  At length she was aroused by steps along the corridor.  They sounded like Dr. Dudley’s.  S She was at the door as the physician’s knuckle touched it.  In response to his voice she stepped outside, that they might not disturb the sleepers.

“I want to take Polly over to Colonel Gresham’s,” the Doctor explained.  “He keeps on calling for ‘Eva,’ and nothing will quite him.  He is on the verge of collapse.”

“Did n’t Mrs. Collins come?”

“Yes; but he did n’t know her.  It broke her all up.  I think now that he has gone back to the time when she was a little girl, and possibly has confounded her with Polly.  At any rate, I’m going to try the experiment of taking Polly over.  It can do no harm, and may do some good.”

The hall suddenly burst into light, and there was a simultaneous roar of thunder.

“We’re going to have a shower,” observed the Doctor.