“There, Miss Evelyn, that is done,” Mrs. Ward announced twenty minutes later. “Is there anything else you would like?”
Evelyn looked about the room. “If you will open all my windows and raise the shades, I shall be greatly obliged,” she said. “The room is horribly hot.”
Mrs. Ward hesitated perceptibly. “I’m afraid you are a bit feverish,” she exclaimed. “Do you think it’s wise to open all the windows, Miss Evelyn? This room really isn’t any too warm.”
“I can’t sleep in it as it is,” exclaimed Evelyn. “I must have air; my head is swimming. Don’t worry about my catching cold, Mrs. Ward; I always sleep with the wind blowing on me.”
“Very well, Miss Evelyn.” The housekeeper went to first one window and then the other and pulled up the Holland shades, then flung the windows wide open. On her way to the door she stopped by the bed and looked thoughtfully down at Evelyn, then without speaking glided from the room to return a moment later with a silver whistle.
“If the room gets too cold, Miss Evelyn, and you don’t want to get up, just blow on this and I’ll come downstairs and help you,” she said, laying the whistle in Evelyn’s hand.
Genuinely touched, Evelyn raised herself on her elbow. “That’s very thoughtful and kind of you,” she exclaimed. “Thank you so much.”
“Don’t mention it, Miss Evelyn, good-night,” and Mrs. Ward hurried away.
Sleep was far from Evelyn’s eyes and for long hours she tossed and turned on her pillow; the cool night air gradually lowered the temperature of the room and she felt relief. She had a touch of fever, she admitted to herself, touching her hot forehead, and half determined to get up and rummage around in her mother’s medicine cabinet for a bottle of “sweet spirits of niter,” but the thought of waking her mother deterred her.
As the night passed Evelyn slept by fits and starts. She was lying drowsily awake listening to a distant clock chiming three when she grew conscious of a light streaming directly in her eyes. Her lids flew open and she blinked for a few seconds before realization came to her. Jerking herself up on her elbow she gazed at a thin wave of light shining steadily through one of the windows full on her pillow. Too weary to do more than stare, she finally pulled her pillow around and settled herself in another position. She was just dozing off when the light again aroused her. Three times she changed her position and each time the light shone directly in her eyes. There was something uncanny in its power and its silent search only for her eyes. Evelyn felt a chill creep down her spine; then, conquering her nervousness, she reached over to a chair near the bed where lay her wrapper and proceeded to put it on. There was nothing for her to do but get up and pull down her window shades.