"I'll tell you about that."
"But you stayed with him—" There was a little break in Mrs. Porter's low, even voice. "You helped him."
"You bet I stayed with him, just as much of the time as my boss and the nurse would stand for. I was there every night."
"Oh, Mr. Whitcomb," exclaimed Mrs. Porter gratefully, "you don't know what that means to me. Bertram wasn't entirely deserted."
"No. Harriet was up in Wisconsin or she would have wanted to help, too. Henry kept King's illness from her; because even if she had been at home she couldn't really have done anything, you know."
CHAPTER XXI
REVELATION
Linda, looking at Mrs. Porter, saw in the light of their many talks that her friend was striving for the composure with which it was her wont to meet adverse circumstances.
Fred Whitcomb, too, recognizing that the older woman was the more interested of his listeners, began to address his narration chiefly to her.