CHAPTER XVIII
THE EMERGENCY CASE
When, after what seemed hours of waiting, Marty finally returned without the doctor or the promise of one, the little band fell again to wailing and weeping that their mother would surely die before their father would come home. The sick woman had not revived sufficiently to reassure them, and even Gloria, who insisted that she would be all right as soon as the doctor would arrive, now felt helpless indeed.
“But the girl will come,” panted Marty. “I got some one on the phone who said she’d be out right away.”
“Wasn’t she home?” asked Gloria eagerly.
“Not then, but comin’,” insisted the boy hopefully. Again he was so like Tommy.
During all this time Gloria became more and more anxious about her Aunt Hattie. She had not dared ask Marty to phone her, lest his message frighten the nervous woman, but recalling how ill she had looked that morning she realized that perhaps she had not wanted her to go out, else why had she asked would she be away long? Gloria felt trapped and helpless in the emergency.
“Where’s the nearest phone?” she asked, anxiety now getting the better of her.
“There ain’t any,” declared Ellen.
“There must be one somewhere. Isn’t there one in any of the big barns?” persisted Gloria.