“Kathie! Will you really?” asked Sophy. “And what will you buy for Mr. Madison?”
“He wouldn’t care for a gold collar,” laughed Katherine. “We shall have to do something else for him.”
“We cannot thank you enough,” said Honor again, very gravely. It scarcely seemed right to laugh when Peter had been so near death, and she felt that this debt of gratitude to Mr. Madison could never be repaid. There was a moment’s silence.
“Where do you suppose Sirius is?” said Sophy. “We haven’t seen him yet. I want to hug him for saving my only brother Peter.”
“My child, you will never see Sirius again,” said Roger. “He lost his own life when he saved Peter’s. He is dead.”
Sophy gazed at him for a moment in speechless astonishment. Then she buried her face in his arm.
“Sirius is dead!” she wailed. “Oh, what will Peter say?”
CHAPTER XIV.
SOPHY WAYLAYS ROGER MADISON.
Several days elapsed before they dared tell Peter of the fate of Sirius. The doctor’s orders that he should be kept very quiet must be obeyed, and that was the excuse which they gave him when the boy begged that Sirius might come to him.
The spring days, so beautiful in themselves, seemed to have brought much care and anxiety to the Starrs. Honor was visibly depressed, but Katherine had her music with Miss Madison to divert her, and Victoria’s feelings, whatever they may have been, she was careful to hide. The presence of Mrs. Wentworth Ward made a great change in the household, and Peter’s accident a still more serious one.