course and get her job!
And there she would pause and sit down in despair. Oh, why, why did this thing have to come to her just at this time when she was putting every bit of nerve and energy into an attempt to finish her course with honor and at least a degree of excellence?
This question was still beating itself back and forth in Lexie's heart when at last she realized that it was time for the travelers to arrive, and there was nothing she could do about it but wait.
But as time went on and nothing happened, Lexie was frantic. She decided to run down to the drugstore and telephone to that Traveler's Aid again. If she didn't get her now she would be gone, relieved by the night operator, and they might not be able to tell her anything. So closing the door and slipping the key under the old cocoa mat where they used to hide it when they were children, she hurried down the street and telephoned.
It was some time before she succeeded in getting the Traveler's Aid and discovered that the shift had already changed and another woman was on duty. The other woman, however, could give her a little information from their record. Yes, the train had been met, the family was on board, and their representative had put them in a very good taxi. The lady had insisted on a comfortable one. It cost a little more, but she said she didn't care, and they were started off soon after arriving. "The nurse who was with them," added the woman, "seemed unwilling to remain with the case. She said she felt she had made a mistake coming, was homesick, and wanted to return west on the next train. We finally persuaded her to stay with the lady until she reached her destination, but she said she wanted you notified to get another nurse at once, as she was returning to the city with the taxi. She never expected to have to look after three children as well as a helpless patient. If we had known how to reach you we would have phoned, but they said you had no telephone. We thought you ought to know. Somebody will have to look after the lady. She seemed quite helpless."
Lexie's heart sank as she thanked the woman and hung up the receiver. So! The atmosphere was growing blacker and blacker. Now what was she to do? Would she have to look after Elaine herself? She groaned in spirit and hurried back to the house, but as she opened the white gate she sighted a taxi coming down the road. They had come, and the fight was on! It was going to be bad, but she had to go through it somehow.
And then the taxi stopped before the door, and three children descended in a body and stared at her and the house.
"Is that the house?" asked a supercilious girl of seven, with a sneer on her lips and a frown on her brow. "Good night! That's not a house, that's a dump! What did you bring us here for, Elaine? We can't live in a tiny little place like that!"
Then a boy of five blared out hatefully: "It's not a house, it's a dump! I ain't a-gonta live in a dump like that! Jeepers! You can't do that to me!"
And a little girl of three began to cry and bawl out, "I wantta go home! I won't stay here! You're mean to bring us here!"
"Shut up!" said the woman Lexie supposed was the nurse. "Don't you know your mother's sick?"
"I don't care ‘f she is," roared the boy. "She hadn't ought to uv brought us here, an' I ain't a-gonta stay, so there!"
Two of the neighbors who lived in houses across the street came curiously out to their doors and looked at the arrivals in amazement. Then seeing Lexie coming out to the gate hurriedly, they decided that these must be her new tenants and beat a hasty retreat indoors again, probably with sinking hearts at the prospect of such loudmouthed children for neighbors.
But Lexie went quickly to the side of the taxi where her sister still lay back among pillows, wanly, and tried to manage a welcoming smile for her.
"My dear!" she said, hoping her voice sounded cordial, at least to the nurse. "I was so sorry that I couldn't manage to meet you in the city—"
"Yes?" said Elaine in her coldest, haughtiest tone. "I was, too. Such a jaunt as I've had coming out! I should think you might at least have managed to send some neighbor. Mr. Brotherton I'm sure would have been glad to come after me if you had asked him, but I know you never did like him. I couldn't understand why—" complained the sweet, drawling voice.
"Sorry, Elaine, but Mr. Brotherton has moved away. Gone to Washington, doing something in a war job."
"The very idea!" said Elaine, as if this was somehow her sister's fault. "Well, then, why didn't you ask Mr. Wilson, or Mr. Jackson? Their cars are old and shabby I suppose, but they would have done in a pinch."
"Mr. Wilson's car has been sold," said Lexie coldly. "They couldn't afford to run it any longer in the present state of gas and tires, and Mr. Jackson works in a defense plant in the city and takes a lot of other workers with him to the plant in his car every morning. He doesn't return till 6 o'clock. And there isn't any other available car in the neighborhood. I'm sorry you had an uncomfortable ride, but now, I guess we should make some arrangements before you get out. You know, your telegram just caught me as I was about to leave for college, and I have the house all ready for renting, in case a tenant comes while I am gone. Things aren't very livable here, and I thought you might not care to stay. A great deal of the furniture is stored in the attic. I didn't know if you would want to go to a hotel in the city till you could make further arrangements."
Lexie was talking fast, trying to get her ideas across before Elaine could interrupt. There was a shadow in her troubled eyes as she studied Elaine's face. Elaine did look white and drawn. There were dark circles under her eyes, too, and the old petulant pout to her lips grew into a decided sneer as she looked her sister down.
"But you can't do that!" she said in her high, angry voice. "Rent the house! Want an idea! It's my home as well as yours, isn't it? You didn't ask my permission to rent it. Of course you couldn't get enough rent for this little dump away out here in the country anyway, to make it pay. Not enough for me to consent. After it was divided between us it would be nothing. And it will shelter us anyway. No, certainly not! I won't consent to renting! I'm going to stay right here and look into my father's affairs. I'm quite sure there was some money left to me, if your mother didn't use it up sending you in luxury to an expensive college! It's high time I looked after things!"
Lexie's lips set firmly in a thin line, and two spots of angry color flew into her pale cheeks. But she couldn't stand here and fight, with this strange nurse and the taxi driver looking on. Besides the neighbors were coming back to their front doors to see what it was all about. Lexie took a deep breath and summoned her courage.
"Very well," she said quietly. "Suppose we get you into the house then. I fixed a bed for you to lie down on in your old room. Can we get you upstairs?"
"No," said Elaine crossly, "I'm not able to walk upstairs. Not unless the driver would carry me up."
"No ma'am," spoke up the driver sharply. "I'm not allowed to stop long enough to do anything like that. Not unless you wantta pay me five dollars extra."
"Oh dear! The idea! Well, what's the matter with the downstairs sitting room, Lexie? That was always a pleasant room anyway, and handier for carrying my meals, too."
"Oh," gasped Lexie. "Why, there isn't anything in it. No bed. No furniture at all! It would take some time to get a bed downstairs and set it up. I don't believe I would be able to do that by myself either."
"No furniture! How ridiculous! What have you done with the furniture? I hope you didn't have the temerity to sell any of it. I intend to pick out what I want of it first before that happens. You know it was all my father's anyway."
"Oh no," said Lexie. "Some of it was Mother's. She used to tell me about the old rocking chair and bureau that were her grandmother's,
