"Now," he continued, "I'm not unprofessional enough to knock anybody, but I gather that there's been a procession of undertakers down here making that poor chap upstairs think there's no chance. I'm not saying that there is, but there's no reason why we shouldn't trot along until we have to stop. It isn't necessary to amputate just yet, and until it is necessary, there's nothing to hinder us from working like the devil to save him from it, is there?"
"Surely not."
"All right. Are you in on it?"
"I'm 'in,'" replied Rose, slowly, "on anything and everything that human power can do, day or night, until we come to the last ditch."
"Good for you. I'll appoint you first lieutenant. I guess that nurse is all right, though she doesn't seem to be unduly optimistic."
"She's had nothing to make her so. Everything has been discouraging so far."
"Plenty of discouragement in the world," he observed, "handed out free of charge, without paying people to bring it into the house when you're peevish."
"Very true," she answered, then her eyes filled. "Oh," she breathed, with white lips, "if you can—if you only can—"
"We'll have a try for it," he said, then continued, kindly: "no salt water upstairs, you know."
"I know," she sighed, wiping her eyes.