“You shan’t die now, gran’ther. I’ll nurse you back to health!” Eva sobbed, winding her fond arms about him to keep at bay the grim destroyer that never drew back from such weak defense.
“Eva, would you mind taking Firefly and cantering over to Lawyer Gilmer’s for me? Tell him to come with you right away. I want to change my will before to-morrow.”
“Oh, gran’ther, I wouldn’t leave you alone; no, no! Wait till they come back, and I’ll send the chore boy for the lawyer. Now, perhaps, I have talked to you too much. I’ll dim the light and sit by you while you sleep, as I used to, dear; don’t you remember?”
She kissed him and he closed his eyes gently and fell into a waking doze.
With her little hand locked in his chilly fingers, Eva leaned her golden head against his pillow, napping gently, too, trying to gain strength for the ordeal of her cousins’ return.
She had an idea that they would not welcome her with open arms, like her grandfather. Instead, they were sure to be very angry.
But she was determined not to be angry with them—to be on good terms, if possible, with all, for the sake of poor gran’ther’s happiness.
She thanked God dumbly that she had been taken back into the old home with love and rejoicing. She begged him to spare gran’ther many years to enjoy his new-found prosperity.
Then she dozed gently and started broad awake presently because the old man was wandering in his mind and talking deliriously.
He had been thus several nights, but no one knew it. His nurses were very careless. As he said, so bitterly, they did not care how soon he died.