“Why, there’s Sadie Phillips at the window!” said Jimmy. “What makes her face so red?”
Then all in a moment Edith stopped short in the street, and recalled her mother’s warning. She had done the wickedest, dreadfullest thing in the world to take Lucy near that cottage! And alas, alas! Sadie Phillips was coughing; that was what made her face look so red. The window was closed, it is true; but Edith heard the frightful sound, and it fell on her heart like a knell.
“What made me come here? What shall I do?” she wailed, seizing her little sister in her arms, and running furiously down the street.
Wee Lucy screamed, the dog barked, and Jimmy cried out, “What is it? What is it?” not knowing what to make of this strange behavior.
“Oh, I’ve esposed Lucy! I’ve esposed Lucy!” cried wretched Edith, the tears raining down her cheeks.
Lucy struggled out of her arms, laughing. She did not know what “esposed” meant; neither did Jimmy; and it may be that Edith did not clearly know herself.
“O Lucy darling, don’t laugh; it’s dreadful; it’s awful! What does make you act so, Jimmy? We must run, run, run! Lucy’s going to have whooping-cough, sure as you live.”
Upon that the small sister very naturally felt a tickling in the windpipe, and rasped her throat, trying to see if a cough would come. Nothing could so have increased Edith’s fright.