"What about medicine and food?"
"The doctor gives him his medicine free, every drop of it, an' they let me have a can of milk every day from Cedar Hill. I used to live there as a girl, you know, my father was overseer in old Mr. Brooke's time—before he married Miss Emily's mother——"
Ordway cut short her reminiscences.
"Well, you must sleep to-night," he said authoritatively, "I'll come back in an hour and sit up with Kit. Where is your room?"
She pointed to a rickety flight of stairs which led to the attic above.
"Kit slept up there until he was taken ill," she answered. "He's been a hard son to me, sir, as his father was a hard husband because of drink, but to save the life of me I can't forgit how good he used to be when he warn't more'n a week old. Never fretted or got into tempers like other babies——"
Again Ordway broke in drily upon her wandering recollections.
"Now I'll go for an hour," he said abruptly, "and by the way, have you had supper or shall I bring you some groceries when I come?"
"There was a little milk left in the pitcher and I had a piece of cornbread, but—oh, Mr. Smith," her small black eyes snapped fiercely into his, "there are times when my mouth waters for a cup of coffee jest as po' Kit's does for whiskey."
"Then put the kettle on," returned Ordway, smiling, as he left the room.