On the whole, the world was good, she found. And, of all the good things
in it, the best was service. True, there were hot days and restless
nights, weary feet, and now and then a heartache. There was Miss Harrison,
too. But to offset these there was the sound of Dr. Max's step in the
corridor, and his smiling nod from the door; there was a "God bless you"
now and then for the comfort she gave; there were wonderful nights on the
roof under the stars, until K.'s little watch warned her to bed.
While Sidney watched the stars from her hospital roof, while all around her
the slum children, on other roofs, fought for the very breath of life,
others who knew and loved her watched the stars, too. K. was having his
own troubles in those days. Late at night, when Anna and Harriet had
retired, he sat on the balcony and thought of many things. Anna Page was
not well. He had noticed that her lips were rather blue, and had called in
Dr. Ed. It was valvular heart disease. Anna was not to be told, or Sidney.
It was Harriet's ruling.
"Sidney can't help any," said Harriet, "and for Heaven's sake let her have
her chance. Anna may live for years. You know her as well as I do. If
you tell her anything at all, she'll have Sidney here, waiting on her hand
and foot."
And Le Moyne, fearful of urging too much because his own heart was crying
out to have the girl back, assented.
Then, K. was anxious about Joe. The boy did not seem to get over the thing
the way he should. Now and then Le Moyne, resuming his old habit of
wearying himself into sleep, would walk out into the country. On one such
night he had overtaken Joe, tramping along with his head down.
Joe had not wanted his company, had plainly sulked. But Le Moyne had
persisted.
"I'll not talk," he said; "but, since we're going the same way, we might as
well walk together."
But after a time Joe had talked, after all. It was not much at first--a
feverish complaint about the heat, and that if there was trouble in Mexico
he thought he'd go.
"Wait until fall, if you're thinking of it," K. advised. "This is tepid
compared with what you'll get down there."
"I've got to get away from here."
K. nodded understandingly. Since the scene at the White Springs Hotel,
both knew that no explanation was necessary.