dear enemy-第42章

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en！　　Percy　Witherspoon　was　within　call；　and　not　away　off　in　the　Indian　camp。

I　roused　him；　and　together　we　conveyed　Thomas　to　our　guest　room；　the　only　decently　isolated　spot　in　the　building。　　Then　I　telephoned　for　the　doctor；　who；　I　am　afraid；　had　already　had　a　long　day。　　He　came；　and　we　put　in　a　pretty　terrible　night。　　It　developed　afterward　that　the　boy　had　brought　along　with　his　luggage　a　bottle　of　liniment　belonging　to　his　employer。　　It　was　made　half　of　alcohol　and　half　of　witch　hazel；　and　Thomas　had　refreshed　his　journey　with　this！

He　was　in　such　shape　that　positively　I　didn't　think　we'd　pull　him　throughand　I　hoped　we　wouldn't。　　If　I　were　a　physician；　I'd　let　such　cases　gently　slip　away　for　the　good　of　society；　but　you　should　have　seen　Sandy　work！　　That　terrible　lifesaving　instinct　of　his　was　aroused；　and　he　fought　with　every　inch　of　energy　he　possessed。

I　made　black　coffee；　and　helped　all　I　could；　but　the　details　were　pretty　messy；　and　I　left　the　two　men　to　deal　with　him　alone　and　went　back　to　my　room。　　But　I　didn't　attempt　to　go　to　bed；　I　was　afraid　they　might　be　wanting　me　again。　　Toward　four　o'clock　Sandy　came　to　my　library　with　word　that　the　boy　was　asleep　and　that　Percy　had　moved　up　a　cot　and　would　sleep　in　his　room　the　rest　of　the　night。　　Poor　Sandy　looked　sort　of　ashen　and　haggard　and　done　with　life。　　As　I　looked　at　him；　I　thought　about　how　desperately　he　worked　to　save　others；　and　never　saved　himself；　and　about　that　dismal　home　of　his；　with　never　a　touch　of　cheer；　and　the　horrible　tragedy　in　the　background　of　his　life。　　All　the　rancor　I've　been　saving　up　seemed　to　vanish；　and　a　wave　of　sympathy　swept　over　me。　　I　stretched　my　hand　out　to　him；　he　stretched　his　out　to　me。　　And　suddenlyI　don't　knowsomething　electric　happened。　　In　another　moment　we　were　in　each　other's　arms。　　He　loosened　my　hands；　and　put　me　down　in　the　big　armchair。

〃My　God！　Sallie；　do　you　think　I'm　made　of　iron？〃　he　said　and　walked　out。　　I　went　to　sleep　in　the　chair；　and　when　I　woke　the　sun　was　shining　in　my　eyes　and　Jane　was　standing　over　me　in　amazed　consternation。

This　morning　at　eleven　he　came　back；　looked　me　coldly　in　the　eye　without　so　much　as　the　flicker　of　an　eyelash；　and　told　me　that　Thomas　was　to　have　hot　milk　every　two　hours　and　that　the　spots　in　Maggie　Peters's　throat　must　be　watched。

Here　we　are　back　on　our　old　standing；　and　positively　I　don't　know　but　what　I　dreamed　that　one　minute　in　the　night！

But　it　would　be　a　piquant　situation；　wouldn't　it；　if　Sandy　and　I　should　discover　that　we　were　falling　in　love　with　each　other；　he　with　a　perfectly　good　wife　in　the　insane　asylum　and　I　with　an　outraged　fiance　in　Washington？　　I　don't　know　but　what　the　wisest　thing　for　me　to　do　is　to　resign　at　once　and　take　myself　home；　where　I　can　placidly　settle　down　to　a　few　months　of　embroidering　〃S　McB〃　on　table…cloths；　like　any　other　respectable　engaged　girl。

I　repeat　very　firmly　that　this　letter　isn't　for　Jervis's　consumption。　　Tear　it　into　little　pieces　and　scatter　them　in　the　Caribbean。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　S。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　January　3。　Dear　Gordon：

You　are　right　to　be　annoyed。　　I　know　I'm　not　a　satisfactory　love　letter　writer。　　I　have　only　to　glance　at　the　published　correspondence　of　Elizabeth　Barrett　and　Robert　Browning　to　realize　that　the　warmth　of　my　style　is　not　up　to　standard。　　But　you　know　alreadyyou　have　known　a　long　timethat　I　am　not　a　very　emotional　person。　　I　suppose　I　might　write　a　lot　of　such　things　as：　　〃Every　waking　moment　you　are　in　my　thoughts。〃　　〃My　dear　boy；　I　only　live　when　you　are　near。〃　　But　it　wouldn't　be　absolutely　true。　　You　don't　fill　all　my　thoughts；　107　orphans　do　that。　　And　I　really　am　quite　comfortably　alive　whether　you　are　here　or　not。　　I　have　to　be　natural。　　You　surely　don't　want　me　to　pretend　more　desolation　than　I　feel。　　But　I　do　love　to　see　you；　you　know　that　perfectly；and　I　am　disappointed　when　you　can't　come。　　I　fully　appreciate　all　your　charming　qualities；　but；　my　dear　boy；　I　CAN'T　be　sentimental　on　paper。　　I　am　always　thinking　about　the　hotel　chambermaid　who　reads　the　letters　you　casually　leave　on　your　bureau。　　You　needn't　expostulate　that　you　carry　them　next　your　heart；　for　I　know　perfectly　well　that　you　don't。

Forgive　me　for　that　last　letter　if　it　hurt　your　feelings。　　Since　I　came　to　this　asylum　I　am　extremely　touchy　on　the　subject　of　drink。　　You　would　be；　too；　if　you　had　seen　what　I　have　seen。　　Several　of　my　chicks　are　the　sad　result　of　alcoholic　parents；　and　they　are　never　going　to　have　a　fair　chance　all　their　lives。　　You　can't　look　about　a　place　like　this　without　〃aye　keeping　up　a　terrible　thinking。〃

You　are　right；　I　am　afraid；　about　its　being　a　woman's　trick　to　make　a　great　show　of　forgiving　a　man；　and　then　never　letting　him　hear　the　end　of　it。　　Well；　Gordon；　I　positively　don't　know　what　the　word　〃forgiving〃　means。　　It　can't　include　〃forgetting；〃　for　that　is　a　physiological　process；　and　does　not　result　from　an　act　of　the　will。　　We　all　have　a　collection　of　memories　that　we　would　happily　lose；　but　somehow　those　are　just　the　ones　that　insist　upon　sticking。　　If　〃forgiving〃　means　promising　never　to　speak　of　a　thing　again；　I　can　doubtless　manage　that。　　But　it　isn't　always　the　wisest　way　to　shut　an　unpleasant　memory　inside　you。　　It　grows　and　grows；　and　runs　all　through　you　like　a　poison。

Oh　dear！　　I　really　didn't　mean　to　be　saying　all　this。　　I　try　to　be　the　cheerful；　carefree　（and　somewhat　light…headed）　Sallie　you　like　best；　but　I've　come　in　touch　with　a　great　deal　of　REALNESS　during　this　last　year；　and　I'm　afraid　I've　grown　into　a　very　different　person　from　the　girl　you　fell　in　love　with。　　I'm　no　longer　a　gay　young　thing　playing　with　life。　　I　know　it　pretty　thoroughly　now；　and　that　means　that　I　can't　be　always　laughing。

I　know　this　is　another　beastly　uncheerful　letter；as　bad　as　the　last；　and　maybe　worse；but　if　you　knew　what　we've　just　been　through！　　A　boysixteenof　unspeakable　heredity　has　nearly　poisoned　himself　with　a　disgusting　mixture　of　alcohol　and　witch　hazel。　　We　have　been　working　three　days　over　him；　and　are　just　sure　now　that　he　is　going　to　recuperate　sufficiently　to　do　it　again！　　〃It's　a　gude　warld；　but　they're　ill　that's　in　't。〃

Please　excuse　that　Scotchit　slipped　out。　　Please　excuse　everything。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SALLIE。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　January　11。　Dear　Judy：

I　hope　my　two　cablegrams　didn't　give　you　too　terrible　a　shock。　　I　would　have　waited　to　let　the　first　news　come　by　letter；　with　a　chance　for　details；　but　I　was　so　afraid　you　might　hear　it　in　some　indirect　way。　　The　whole　thing　is　dreadful　enough；　but　no　lives　were　lost；　and　only　one　serious　accident。　　We　can't　help　shuddering　at　the　thought　of　how　much　worse　it　might　have　been；　with　over　a　hundred　sleeping　children　in　this　firetrap　of　a　building。　　That　new　fire　escape　was　absolutely　useless。　　The　wind　was　blowing　toward　it；　and　the　flames　simply　enveloped　it。　We　saved　them　all　by　the　center　stairsbut　I'll　begin　at　the　beginning；　and　tell　the　whole　story。

It　had　rained　all　day　Friday；　thanks　to　a　merciful　Providence；　and　the　roofs　were　thoroughly　soaked。　　Toward　night　it　began　to　freeze；　and　the　rain　turned　to　sleet。　　By　ten　o'clock；　when　I　went　to　bed　the　wind　was　blowing　a　terrible　gale　from　the　northwest；　and　everything　loose　about　the　building　was　banging　and　rattling。　　About　two　o'clock　I　suddenly　started　wide　awake；　with　a　bright　light　in　my　eyes。　　I　jumped　out　of　bed　and　ran　to　the　window。　　The　carriage　house　was　a　mass　of　flames；　and　a　shower　of　sparks　was　sweeping　over　our　eastern　wing。　　I　ran　to　the　bathroom　and　leaned　out　of　the　window。　　I　could　see　that　the　roof　over　the　nursery　was　already　blazing　in　half　a　dozen　places。

Well；　my　dear；　my　heart　just　simply　didn't　beat　for　as　much　as　a　minute。　　I　thought　of　those　seventeen　babies　up　under　that　roof；　and　I　couldn't　swallow。　　I　finally　managed　to　get　my　shaking　knees　to　work　again；　and　I　dashed　back　to　the　hall；　grabbing　my　automobile　coat　as　I　ran。

I　drummed　on　Betsy's　and　Miss　Matthews'　and　Miss　Snaith's　doors；　just　as　Mr。　Witherspoon；　who　had　also　been　wakened　by　the　light；　came　tumbling　upstai