He was much interested, and promised to find out for her what time Mrs. Abbott could arrive, and he said Elfie was suffering from the combined effects of fright and the continuous administration of some anodyne. She was very feverish and must be kept quiet. He ordered some medicine, and promised to come in again in two hours.
She was less feverish when he made his second call, and her sleep seemed more natural. He told Marion it was very important that when she should recognize any one her eyes should only rest upon familiar faces. So Marion never for a moment left her chair by the bed or let go her clasp of the little hand. Good Mrs. Jones came and went, spending all the time she could with them, and bringing over on one of her visits a tempting package of oranges and bananas.
There was a gentle knock at the door at nine o’clock, and Marion, softly rising and unlocking it, was folded in Mrs. Abbott’s arms.
Candace was with her. As she said herself, rheumatism couldn’t keep her back from her darling baby. She went directly to the bedside, and tears poured down her dark face as she looked at the pale little face she loved more than life. She lifted her gently to her shoulders. and, sitting in the rocker, began to rock and sing as if Elfie was a baby:
“Ullallah, ullallah, baby dear; ullallah, ullallah, mammy’s near!”
Over and over she sang the simple lullaby which was a song that she had hushed the child to sleep with every night of her babyhood, and at the old, familiar sound, Elfie’s eyelids fluttered, then opened and looked into the honest, loving black face above them, murmuring:
“Mammy, own mammy!”
Then with one or two long shuddering sighs she nestled down upon the cushiony shoulders.
Doctor Mitchell, who was waiting for her down-stairs, followed Mrs. Abbott to the room. He nodded his satisfaction as Elfie recognized her nurse, and, beckoning the others out of the room, advised leaving her with Candace.
“For the present she is safe,” he said, “but it may be long before her nerves recover from the great strain of the last few days.”