Page:Bad Girl (1929).pdf/265

 marble statues. Dot shuddered. There was an eerie haze over everything. She wished that Mrs. Vernon might awaken. She listened for a sound in the nursery, but there was none to be heard. Miss Brown was probably reading or dozing.

Dot rang the bell. The silence continued for a few seconds more; then the shuffle of Miss Brown's sneakers could be heard in the corridor. She came into the room and looked hastily at Mrs. Vernon and then at the other woman. Dot sat up in bed, and Miss Brown came to her.

"What do you want?" she whispered.

"How's my baby?"

Miss Brown's face presented an expression of utter bewilderment. In the moonlight Dot could see her mouth drop open with amazement.

"Your baby is asleep. He's all right. I never heard of such a thing!"

"Did you take his temperature?"

"He's all right, I told you."

"Did you take his temperature?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

Miss Brown smiled. "You're a very foolish girl, Mrs. Collins, exciting yourself over nothing."

"What was his temperature when you took it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't mean anything to you."

"How do you know?"

Mrs. Vernon moved in her sleep, and Miss Brown exclaimed, "See! You're waking everybody up. Go to sleep."

"I want to see my baby."

"Well, I'll certainly not bring him in to you at three o'clock in the morning."

"Why not?"

"He'll cry and wake everybody up. Besides, it's against the rules to bring them out for anything but feedings."