MISS PAT PLAYS NURSE
Patricia found that Rosamond was still more interwoven into her daily
life when she went into her room the next morning, and found her
breathing heavily and entirely oblivious of all about her.
"Oh, dear, she must be really ill," said Patricia, half aloud, as she
bent over the bed and looked at the flushed face anxiously. "I wonder if
I ought to call Miss Ardsley or Miss Tatten."
She tried to find out just how ill poor Rosamond was, but in spite of
her careful attempts to rouse her, Rosamond refused to come back to
wakefulness, and Patricia was forced to give up the effort.
"I wish I could go to Miss Tatten," she thought, drawing the door softly
to behind her and hurrying through the sitting-room. "She's the one in
charge, after all. And she doesn't make so much conversation about
things as Miss Ardsley does."
A picture of the fastidious, affable Directress rose clearly before her
and she saw what a contrast to little efficient "Tattie," as the girls
called the sturdy little house-keeper behind her back, Miss Ardsley would
make at a sick-bed.
"I suppose I'll have to go straight down to the office," she said aloud,
as she went out into the hall. "Oh, dear, I hope she isn't going to be
ill."
Constance Fellows was at her door, unseen by Patricia, and she caught
the distressed words. As Patricia hurriedly started for the stair she
called to her.
"Is the fair Rosamond under the weather again?" she asked lightly.
Patricia turned, indignant at her levity in the face of trouble.
"Rosamond is in a stupor and I can't wake her up. I'm going for Miss
Ardsley," she said shortly.
Then Constance dropped her bantering tone and, closing her own door,
came over to Patricia. "Let me see her before you call out the
authorities," she said earnestly. "She may not be seriously ill, and if
they once get hold of her they'll keep her in quarantine for weeks after
she's all over it."
Patricia remembered Rosamond saying something much to this effect, and
she agreed eagerly.
"I'll go in first and see if she's waked up," she said on the threshold
of Rosamond's room.
Rosamond was lying in the same position as she had been and was as
unresponsive to efforts to rouse her as before. Patricia beckoned
Constance into the room.
"I'm afraid she's very ill," she whispered, as Constance came to the
bedside, and she waited in great suspense for what should come next.
Constance felt Rosamond's head and listened to her heart in quite a
professional manner. Then she disappeared for a moment and came back
with a thermometer and an alcohol bottle.
"Get some hot water ready for me," she said in a business-like way that
won Patricia's confidence. "I think it's an attack of the grippe, but
I'm not sure yet."
When Patricia came back with the steaming pitcher, she had finished her
investigations. "It's grippe, all right," she said, contentedly. "I know
the symptoms without being told a word. I've had it every year since it
became the fashion, drat it! We'll have to get the doctor, of course,
but I think she can be made more comfortable in the meanwhile."
"Shall I tell Miss Ardsley before I phone to the doctor?" Patricia asked
anxiously.
Constance shook her head. "Tell her just as soon as you are sure he is
on the way," she advised. "The Countess is a nuisance about illness. She
is scared stiff for fear she'll catch it--whatever it may be. Of course,
she has to know--necessary evil--but don't let her in on me till I've
freshened up this poor girl."
Patricia hurried off to telephone to Rosamond's doctor, whom she was
fortunate enough to find in his office. And then she came back to the
bedroom. Rosamond had her eyes open. Her face was flushed and miserable
looking, but she was allowing Constance to arrange her pillows with
something like gratitude in her long eyes.
"I've given her an alcohol rub and kept the hot-water bottles to her all
the while," said Constance briskly. "She'll be feeling better after a
by, won't you, Rosamond?"
Rosamond dropped her eyes in a way that meant yes, and Patricia flew to
bend over her and whisper her grief at finding her so ill.
"Better not take in any more germs than you can help," said Constance in
a business-like way. "Clear out, now, young one, and get your breakfast.
The restaurant will be closed if you don't hurry."
Patricia went off, feeling that she was leaving her friend in competent
hands, and after she had finished a hasty meal she went to Miss
Ardsley's room to notify her of Rosamond's plight. There was no response
to her knock and she was forced to leave without having done her errand.
She met Miss Tatten on the way upstairs, however, and she poured out
her tale of woe, grateful for the chance of enlisting the sturdy common
sense of the house-keeper.
"Ah, indeed," was Miss Tatten's only comment. Her arched eyebrows rose
with nervous twitches and her deep contralto voice rolled sonorously.
"Have you notified Miss Ardsley? Has a physician been called?"
Patricia explained why the directress had not been told. "You'll do
beautifully in her place, won't you?" she asked with such evident desire
for an affirmative answer that Miss Tatten, being only human and liking
Patricia exceedingly, showed signs of melting from her official starched
dignity, and promised to come at once.
They went together into the sick-room and Patricia revised her former
opinion of Miss Tatten as a just yet severe automaton when she saw the
real kindliness and tender consideration she showed there.
The doctor was coming up the stairs as Patricia pinned on her hat and
hurried away for her singing lesson, and only the sternness which
Tancredi showed toward late-comers kept her from lingering to hear his
verdict.
In the courtyard she met Miss Ardsley, coming placidly from her
milliner's. "At this most unearthly hour, my dear, because the obstinate
creature refused to make my new hat for 'Varnishing Day' on Friday
unless I gave her a sitting this morning."
Patricia was not at any time much interested in Miss Ardsley's hats, but
now they grew intolerable. She waited for a period in the gentle flow of
criticism on the prevalent modes, and then she boldly broke in.
"I'm sorry I have to go," she said apologetically. "I must tell you,
though, before I fly, that Rosamond Merton is ill with the grippe and
we've sent for the doctor. He's in her room, now, so you'll have to go
right up if you want to see him there."
Miss Ardsley gasped. "Ill with grippe! How--how very annoying. Really, I
was hoping to keep Artemis Lodge free from that taint," she said with a
slightly sharp edge to her gentle tones. "Is she suffering much?" she
added more sweetly, being recalled perhaps by the incredulous expression
in Patricia's very speaking eyes.
"She's very miserable indeed," Patricia returned promptly, determined
not to spare the Directress. "She was in a stupor when I went in to her
this morning, but she's better now. Constance Fellows had been with her
and Miss Tatten has just gone up----"
"Miss Tatten?" began Miss Ardsley in a somewhat vexed tone, which
swiftly changed to a pleased one. "Ah, yes, Miss Tatten. She is most
capable and will do all that is necessary. Thank you so much, my dear,
for telling me of this sad affair. I shall notify Madame Tancredi at
once." And before Patricia could offer to carry the message, she sailed
off serenely to her own quarters, leaving Patricia wasting yet more
valuable time by standing quite still in the middle of the courtyard
staring blankly after her.
"Well!" was all she found voice for as she gathered herself together.
"Well."
Notwithstanding Miss Ardsley's intentions, Patricia told Madame Tancredi
of her favorite pupil's illness and was gratified at the warmth of her
solicitude. She carried home from her lesson a strong impression that
Rosamond must be a very remarkable person indeed to call forth such
expressions of regret from her teacher.
"I shouldn't wonder if she were going to be a great opera singer like
Madame Milano," she thought, somewhat awed by this high fate for
Rosamond, and she went to the sick room with more anxiety for the future
prima donna than she had felt even for her friend.
Constance Fellows was still in charge and tremendously relieved at her
appearance. "She's keen enough now," she replied to Patricia's eager
questions. "She won't hear to a nurse, and the doctor doesn't insist. I
fancy he knows her better than we do. I'd stay longer, but there's
something I have on hand--but I'll be back later if you want me."
Patricia thought she could manage the rest of the day very well, and as
soon as the medicines were explained and the diet understood, Constance
hurried off.
Rosamond was looking much better when Patricia went to her, and she
improved so rapidly that her objection to the nurse was justified.
Patricia found her an easy patient, though to her inexperience the hours
for medicine came swiftly and the nourishment seemed to be always
waiting to be administered. By the time night came she was completely
exhausted, but she bore up gallantly, love of her gifted friend giving
her strength and courage in the long hours before the happy moment when
she felt safe in going to bed.
She wakened a great many times in her short night, to sit up and listen
or to steal to the door of Rosamond's room and noiselessly peep in to
see how she fared; but Rosamond was sleeping heavily each time she
listened, and after the dawn came she gave herself up to the deep
fatigue which overpowered her.
The sun was shining into her room when she awoke to hear someone
knocking on the outer door. It was Constance on her way up from
breakfast, bringing some flowers from Tancredi and the mail.
Flowers from Tancredi! Patricia thought that must rouse any pupil of
her's, even from the dead!
But no, the gifted Rosamond lifted them to her face as indifferently as
if they had been common weeds and sighed as she turned her pale face
away from the insistent odor of the jasmine.
"How suggestive to send white ones," she murmured with half a smile, and
Patricia, who had been half-way to the skies at this condescension on
the part of Tancredi, became aware that she was making a mountain out of
a very mediocre mole-hill.
She took the flowers and laid them in the box while she could fill a
vase with water, and when she lifted them again she saw an envelope
cuddling under the green paper. It was addressed in Tancredi's hand, and
she looked at it reverently despite herself.
Rosamond waved her to read it and she had the fun, at any rate, of
seeing the actual words.
"I have news to cheer the invalid," wrote the good-natured Tancredi
after a few phrases of regret. "The Milano was asking about you at
luncheon today, and if you are able, I am to bring you to her next
'Hour' when she returns to New York within the fortnight."
Patricia beamed. She knew that it was her account of her friend which
had brought this honor to Rosamond and she was eager to hear her
grateful acknowledgment. She looked expectantly at Rosamond, who was on
fire at last.
She sat up in her dainty bed and she actually clapped her hands.
"Oh, how lucky I got that embroidered crepe!" she cried, out of the
fullness of her heart. "Oh, Miss Pat, my dear, I must order the stockings
dyed to match! I will surely be well--I'll _have_ to be well. Get the
paper and see when she sings again."
Not a word about the loving praise which had won her this. Not a single
syllable of gratitude for the generous love that had so forgotten self
in admiration for another. But Patricia was so happy in what she felt
she had helped bring about that she flew for the paper and found the
advertisement for the coming operas with as much speed as though she
herself were to be the guest.
After they found that it would be exactly eleven days till the next
opera Milano was appearing in, Rosamond lay back with a sigh of relief.
"I'll surely be well by that time," she said positively. "I am feeling
so much better this morning, and I always get over things very rapidly."
Patricia was bubbling with sympathetic pleasure. "I'll take the sample
of the dress and get the stockings this morning," she offered. "Is there
anything else you want me to do?"
Rosamond pondered for a moment and then replied amiably, "I can't think
of anything else just now, but I'll be glad to have you go as soon as
you can with the sample. One never knows how long those stupid stores
may take. It's awfully good of you, Miss Pat," she ended carelessly.
"Oh, I just love to do it!" cried Patricia. "I love to do anything for
you--you've been so nice to me. I'll go the very first minute after I've
straightened you up and had some breakfast. I'm so glad it isn't my
lesson morning."
Rosamond's improvement delighted her, and she danced off to attend to
her various duties with a light heart. Breakfast over, she did her
errand, and after a short walk in the Park she came back to find
Rosamond in a flush of fever.
The doctor, when he came at her anxious bidding, assured her it meant
nothing, that Miss Merton was recovering as rapidly as possible; but
Patricia was so disturbed and unhappy over her friend's condition that
she sat down and telephoned to Elinor that she could not go to the opera
with them and that she had asked Constance Fellows and Marie Graham--the
shabby entertaining friend--to go in the place of Rosamond and herself.
To Elinor's expostulations and arguments, she had one answer: "She has
been too good to me for me to leave her now," and her disappointed
sister was forced to be content with that.
When, the next morning, she found that Rosamond was fulfilling the
doctor's predictions and getting well by leaps, she was not sorry for
her self-denial.
"I'm glad I could do it for her," she said, nodding at herself in the
quaint mirror above her dresser. "I shall always do things for her,
because I just _love_ to."