Kitty, met him at the door to whisper, “His throat. Oh, Dad, I’m so afraid of diphtheria!”
Before going near the boy Mr. Carter went to the bathroom to wash up. After a careful inspection of the throat he drew Kitty aside.
“Do you think it is?” she asked.
“Can’t tell. I’m going to take him straight up to the hospital. We’ll soon know there. You get out the car while I bundle him up.”
“I’ll drive you over,” offered Brad. “I have Bud Wilson’s car out there.”
Kitty wrapped Billy in a warm blanket so that only his nose was exposed. They closed all the car windows, and Kitty sat in the back while her father held the child on the front seat beside Brad.
She wondered contritely why this had to happen when she had left her brother practically all day. Maybe if she had been home she would have noticed that he was ill earlier.
Mr. Carter was allowed to stay in the room with Billy while Dr. Fletcher examined him. In the meantime Brad paced the hall with Kitty.
“I’ll never forgive myself for leaving him so much today, if there’s anything I could have done to prevent this,” Kitty said accusingly.
“That’s silly, Kit! No sense in blaming yourself. You know how kids are. They almost always come down sudden like that.”