“No—quite frankly, I haven’t the heart.”
“She is so brave,” Gale agreed simply. “It is horrible to think——”
“I had to tell you,” the Doctor said. “Between us perhaps we can think of something to do.”
Gale passed a dazed hand across her eyes. “I can’t think of anything right now.”
“It has been a shock. We will talk about it again tomorrow.”
Gale rose and went to the door. “Do you think we should tell Phyllis yet?”
Doctor Norcot smiled slowly. “Suppose we wait a little while. There is no use to frighten her. When we tell her we might be able to promise her recovery later.”
Gale was in a daze as she walked across the campus. Phyllis, the girl who had always been so active, so gay in the face of tremendous odds, was faced now with a sterner bit of life than had yet confronted her. It would take every bit of courage Phyllis possessed to face the news when the Doctor told her.
Gale had no rosy hopes that Miss Fields would help. Phyllis’ aunt was not the sort to be generous and kind especially when it hurt herself. If she did not consent to put up the money for the operation Phyllis would suffer. The injustice of it hurt Gale. She was Phyllis’ friend, Phyllis had saved her and the Dean at this expense! She must do something! But what? She didn’t have the money—none of the girls had. They were helpless, as helpless as Phyllis herself, to do anything.
Gale, instead of going immediately to the sorority house, went down to the village. The long walk was what she needed. The bracing air invested her with a little optimism. After all, Miss Fields couldn’t be as harsh as all that! She wouldn’t want Phyllis to suffer if she could help. At the railway station Gale sent a telegram to Marchton asking Miss Fields to come to Briarhurst as soon as possible and signed her own name.