The woman pointed to a purse on the dresser. Kate opened it, took
out a small bottle, and read the directions. In a second, she was
holding a glass to the woman's lips; soon she was better. She
looked at Kate eagerly.
"Oh, please don't leave me," she gasped.
"Of course not!" said Kate instantly. "I'll stay as long as you
want me."
She bent over the bed and gently drew the gloves from the frail
hands. She untied and slipped off the bonnet. She hunted keys in
the purse, opened a travelling bag, and found what she required.
Then slowly and carefully, she undressed the woman, helped her
into a night robe, and stooping she lifted her into a chair until
she opened the bed. After giving her time to rest, Kate pulled
down the white wavy hair and brushed it for the night. As she
worked, she said a word of encouragement now and again; when she
had done all she could see to do, she asked if there was more.
The woman suddenly clung to her hand and began to sob wildly.
Kate knelt beside the bed, stroked the white hair, patted the
shoulder she could reach, and talked very much as she would have
to a little girl.
"Please don't cry," she begged. "It must be your heart; you'll
surely make it worse."
"I'm trying," said the woman, "but I've been scared sick. I most
certainly would have died if you hadn't come to me and found the
medicine. Oh, that dreadful Susette! How could she?"
The clothing Kate had removed from the woman had been of finest
cloth and silk. Her hands wore wonderful rings. A heavy purse
was in her bag. Everything she had was the finest that money
could buy, while she seemed as if a rough wind never had touched
her. She appeared so frail that Kate feared to let her sleep
without knowing where to locate her friends.
"She should be punished for leaving you alone among strangers,"
said Kate indignantly.
"If I only could learn to mind John," sighed the little woman.
"He never liked Susette. But she was the very best maid I ever
had. She was like a loving daughter, until all at once, on the
train, among strangers, she flared out at me, and simply raved.
Oh, it was dreadful!"
"And knowing you were subject to these attacks, she did the thing
that would precipitate one, and then left you alone among
strangers. How wicked! How cruel!" said Kate in tense
indignation.
"John didn't want me to come. But I used to be a teacher, and I
came here when this place was mostly woods, with my dear husband.
Then after he died, through the long years of poverty and
struggle, I would read of the place and the wonderful meetings,
but I could never afford to come. Then when John began to work
and made good so fast I was dizzy half the time with his
successes, I didn't think about the place. But lately, since I've
had everything else I could think of, something possessed me to
come back here, and take a suite among the women and men who are
teaching our young people so wonderfully; and to sail on the lake,
and hear the lectures, and dream my youth over again. I think
that was it most of all, to dream my youth over again, to try to
relive the past."