“I wish that I could do something,” said Mr. Richards.
To his amazement, Queenie suddenly burst out crying.
“That’s the dreadful thing, Mr. Richards—we can’t do anything! Those strange nurses, who mean nothing to her, can do everything, and all we can do is sit back and hope. Oh, it makes me feel terrible! Suppose she dies!—I can’t help thinkin’ of all the mean things I’ve done to her, and said to her—Oh!—Oh!——” Suddenly she drooped her head upon the back of the seat and sobbed miserably.
“Don’t—please don’t take it so hard, little girl,” the young man pleaded, surprised and affected by the depth of the girl’s feeling. “I don’t think Miss Wilkinson ever thinks of anything like that.”
“Yes, yes, she must!” Queenie protested. “The first night she saw us we were so awful, made fun of her, and laughed at her—and then that hike, when we picked up those fellows—Gee! How I wish I’d never seen them! And then the time I left her in the lurch at the game on account of that worthless Sam MacDonald and forced her to play! Oh, Mr. Richards, do you s’pose that’s what made her sick? If it’s my fault—and she dies——” She ended in another volley of weeping.
Mr. Richards slowed down and laid a sympathetic hand upon her shoulder.
“Please don’t blame yourself so, Queenie,” he said softly. “Of course it wasn’t your fault. And you were young and thoughtless then—and didn’t know any better. Now you’re a young woman—and a very admirable young woman; Miss Wilkinson must be proud and happy to know how splendidly you have developed. Six months ago you didn’t have the capacity to feel in this way. And surely your captain isn’t going to die; she’s going to live, and rejoice in your friendship. Your duty is not to dwell on the past, and what you have been but to think of what you can still do to make her proud of you!”
Queenie grew calmer at these reassuring words and the sympathetic manner and sat up and dried her eyes. At that moment, Mr. Richards seemed like the most wonderful man in the world to her.
“I’m going to live in that belief,” she announced resolutely. “Now drive me home, so that I can write some notes to the scouts. All of the girls in the troop will want to hear just how Miss Wilkinson is.”
“All right, and I’ll help you if I may,” he rejoined. “I can drop your notes into the post office tonight.”