Page:Angna Enters - Among the Daughters.djvu/411

 sake, you could knock me over with a feather! Here I always think of you as strong and sensible and it turns out you're like me, silly. You pull yourself together and I'll take care of everything. If Aunt Mabel had to break her hip, there couldn't have been a better time, you have to admit that. Now you'll have to stay with me."

It was a relief to lie between the fragrant sheets in the creamy floral-chintzed bedroom and listen to Lucy's chatter, designed Vida knew to keep her from thinking.

"I'm glad Cleo has today off, she's such a talker. I gave you linen sheets instead of crepe de Chine like mine because linen feels better when you're not well. I'm going to clear away all these perfume bottles. I bought most of them because I liked their shape but this biggest one I got from that man in the government in Washington who kept inviting me to go out. I did once and he insisted on buying me a present. So I picked out this which was the biggest bottle in sight and said 'I'll take this because the smaller size costs more than half of the big one and I'm very economical.' He thought that was cute. The fool! I'll phone Longchamps to send over dinner, some chicken, and then you go to sleep and first thing tomorrow we'll go and see a doctor I know and you'll be fine in a few days."

It won't be long now, Vida thought the next morning as they rode downtown in a new open taxi and relaxed confidently in the healing spring sun.

Lucy was frowning as she came from the doctor's office toward Vida waiting in the reception room after the examination.

"He won't do it because it's too far advanced. I'll have to see what else I can find out."

They rode uptown in silence.

As they approached 42nd Street Lucy said, "I thought I canceled all my appointments for today and tomorrow but I just remembered I have one at Maison des Fleurs for a facial at twelve. I'd better stop in and cancel it."

"No, you have it and I'll wait," Vida said. "It's about twelve now and I'd as soon sit still for a while."

"Well, all right. Maybe I'll think better then, facials are relaxing; why don't you have one if a girl is free?"

"I don't want anybody to touch me!" Vida said, suddenly hysterical.

"Then you just sit and rest," Lucy said soothingly. Rh