He stood for a moment, frowning at her thoughtfully.  Then he left the room, signing for the doctor to follow.  “I’ll send Prudence down,” he said.  “She’ll manage some way.”

“I must stay here until I see her eat it,” said the doctor.  “If she won’t do it, she must be kept under morphine for a few days.  But it’s better not.  Try Prudence, by all means.”

So Prudence, white-faced, eyes black-circled, came down from the room where she had served her sister many weary hours.  The doctor was standing in the center of the room.  Fairy was hovering anxiously near Lark, rigid at the window.

“Larkie,” whispered Prudence, and with a bitter cry the young girl leaped into her sister’s arms.

Prudence caressed and soothed her tenderly.  “Poor little Larkie,” she murmured, “poor little twinnie!—­But Carol is resting pretty well now, Lark.  She’s coming through all right.  She was conscious several times to-day.  The first time she just looked up at me and smiled and whispered, ‘Hard luck, Prue.’  Then a little later she said, ’Tell Larkie I’m doing fine, and don’t let her worry.’  Pretty soon she spoke again, ‘You make Lark be sensible, Prue, or she’ll be sick, too.’  Once again she started to say something about you, but she was too sick to finish.  ‘Larkie is such a—­,’ but that was as far as she could go.  She was thinking of you all the time, Lark.  She is so afraid you’ll worry and make yourself sick, too.  She would be heartbroken if she was able to see you, and you were too sick to come to her.  You must keep up your strength for Carol’s sake.  If she is conscious to-morrow, we’re going to bring you up a while to see her.  She can hardly stand being away from you, I know.  But you must get out-of-doors, and bring some color to your cheeks, first.  It would make her miserable to see you like this.”

Lark was still sobbing, but more gently now, and she still clung to her sister.

“To-morrow, Prudence?  Honestly, may I go up to-morrow?  You’re not just fooling me, are you?  You wouldn’t do that!”

“Of course I wouldn’t.  Yes, you really may, if you’ll be good and make yourself look better.  It would be very bad for Carrie to see you so white and wan.  She would worry.  Have you been eating?  You must eat lots, and then take a good run out-of-doors toward bedtime, so you will sleep well.  It will be a good tonic for Carol to see you bright and fresh and rosy.”

“Oh, I can’t bear to be fresh and rosy when Carrie is sick!”

“It hurts,—­but you are willing to be hurt for Carol’s sake!  You will do it on her account.  It will do her so much good.  Now sit down and eat your soup, and I’ll stay here a while and tell you all about her.  I gave her the pansies you bought her,—­it was so sweet of you, too, Larkie.  It must have taken every cent of your money, didn’t it?  I suppose you ordered them over the telephone, since you wouldn’t leave the house.  When I told