Miss Armitage was thinking.
“Perhaps I might help you out,” she said kindly. “There is a young girl with us who worked in a factory until she gave out. We 69 sent her to the Rest House in the country and she did improve, but they wouldn’t take her back in the factory. She’s a nice pleasant girl about seventeen.”
“Oh, how good of you to think of it! But I can’t pay high wages, for there’ll be her board and it won’t be hard. When the babies are well they are as good as kittens though they can’t scamper around so much. And they’re so fat they won’t walk very soon. It’ll just be sitting round and amusing them and looking after their food. I couldn’t give more than three dollars a week—we are not at all rich,” with a short laugh of apology.
“I think Ellen would come for awhile.”
“And I should want Marilla as soon as she was well enough. You see she’s bound-out to me, and we all like her so much. I don’t see what could have happened to her. She has been out in the fresh air most of the time and we always tell her to go slow with the babies, not rush along in the heat. What did she say?”
“Oh, she hasn’t spoken at all. She lies just unconscious.”
“Good gracious! Oh, you don’t think she 70 will die?” and Mrs. Borden really turned pale with fright.
“A person sometimes lies that way for days when overcome with the heat. The doctor can tell better tomorrow.”
“Oh, poor little Marilla! She is so sweet-tempered. And you were so good not to send her off to a hospital. How ever should we have found her! There is so little time. When shall we hear about this other girl?”
“I will telephone as soon as I go home and tell them to send her in the morning,” and Miss Armitage rose.