Page:Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil.djvu/144



turned to stare at Bob. He looked at her helplessly.

"My mother!" he whispered. "She's calling my mother!"

Betty was the first to recover. She went quietly over to the bed.

"There, dear, lie down," she said soothingly. "Everything is all right. It's the fever," she explained in an aside to Bob. "The doctor said she used to be out of her head when she had even a slight cold."

"Faith!" cried Miss Hope again, resisting Betty's attempts to press her back against the pillow. "I wrote and wrote," the hoarse voice babbled on. "You and David are so cruel—you will never send us word. David!" she sat up straighter and pointed an accusing finger at Bob standing in the doorway. "David! Faith and David—"

"You're making her worse," said Betty. "Go away, please, Bob. See, she'll lie down now." Rh