Patricia Part 13

"Totty!" Patricia cried.

It was more than an hour later when the doctor and Miss Kirby drove slowly up the snow-covered drive. "I am afraid Patricia has had rather a lonely Christmas eve," Miss Kirby said.

"It looks as if she had gone to bed," her brother answered; "the door would have been open by this time, if she were on hand."

Miss Kirby went directly upstairs to take off her things; in the upper hall she caught the flicker of firelight through her own and Patricia's half-opened doors; and although ordinarily she did not care for a fire in her room at night, the knowledge that there was one awaiting her now brought a sense of comfort. Probably Patricia had thought she would be cold and tired--Patricia was really very considerate at times.

Three minutes later Miss Kirby was standing in the middle of her room, staring with wide, amazed eyes at her very much occupied bed.

Two children and a _dog_!

Involuntary, she lowered the light, so as not to awaken the sleepers.

Two children and a _dog_! Could it be the effect of over-wrought nerves? Then she recognized Custard.

Custard was blinking sleepily up at her, but he did not move. He may have realized the desirability of not disturbing his companions, or he may have concluded that possession was nine-tenths of the law; with a little audacious sigh of comfort, he tucked his head down and dropped off to sleep again.

Miss Kirby turned towards Patricia's room. A moment after, the doctor heard her calling to him softly from the landing.

"Anything wrong?" he asked.

"Come and see!" Miss Kirby was almost hysterical.

"Patricia isn't--?"

"Come and see!" Miss Kirby led the way to her room, pointing dramatically to the bed.

The doctor surveyed the trio within it. "Upon my--" his lips twitched.

"No one from around here! Evidently, Patricia has--"

"Suppose you look in Patricia's room," Miss Kirby suggested.

Going to the door, the doctor gave one brief, comprehensive glance; then he turned: "And how many in my room?"

Miss Kirby gasped. "I'll go see."

"None," she reported, "and none in the spare-room. Patrick, these must be children from--the hotel. Oh dear, was there ever such a girl!"

The doctor looked about him, more slowly this time, seeing Lydia in the bed, Norma on the lounge; seeing the little, flushed contented faces; seeing the stockings hanging ready for the morning from the mantelpiece; seeing, and here his glance rested longest, Patricia in a low chair before the fire, Totty in her arms, both fast asleep; noting the tired droop of the dark head against the baby's yellow one.

He might have known Patricia would never be content to sit idle, when just at hand was so much of pain and suffering to be relieved.

"Isn't it exactly like Patricia?" Miss Kirby sighed, wearily.

"Yes," the doctor's voice was very gentle, "I think it is--exactly like Patricia." Crossing the room, he carefully loosened Patricia's grasp, taking Totty from her.

Patricia stirred and opened her eyes. "Daddy! Oh, I am glad you're back!

But, please, please, be very careful not to wake Totty; I'm so afraid she'll get to crying again."

The doctor laid Totty beside Norma. "Suppose you come downstairs, Pat, and explain this invasion of the premises to your aunt and me," he said, holding out his hand to her.

Sitting on the arm of her father's chair, Patricia told her story.

"Have--you been in your room, Aunt Julia?" she asked.

"I have, Patricia."

"I am sorry about Custard, Aunt Julia; but Archibald wouldn't be comforted without him; he wanted his--mother."

Miss Kirby thought of the long dining-room down at the hotel, turned into a hospital ward; where on this Christmas eve more than one mother was lying very near the borders of the undiscovered country.

"And I had to take your room, Aunt Julia," Patricia went on, "so as to have two communicating ones. I hope you don't mind much?"

And Miss Kirby had not the heart to admit how much, in her present weariness of mind and body, she did care.

The doctor patted Patricia's cheek. "I thought Mrs. Brown was keeping those children wonderfully out of the way. I wish their poor mothers could have known how well they were being cared for."

Patricia drew a quick breath of pleasure. "And we'll keep them over Christmas, Daddy?"

"That depends--upon various things. By the way, where do you sleep to-night, Pat?"

"Oh, I'll go into the spare-room, with Aunt Julia," Patricia responded, cheerfully.

Miss Kirby stifled a sigh; and hoped that Patricia's activities would not recommence too early the next morning.

It was not Patricia who woke Miss Kirby the next morning.

Custard, waking early, and finding himself in such unaccustomed surroundings, decided to look for his young mistress. Having been permitted on one bed seemed to Custard sufficient warrant for getting on another. Miss Kirby woke with a start to find a little wriggling object standing between herself and Patricia, while a small moist tongue did active and alternate service on both their faces.

Her shriek of dismay awoke Patricia.

"Aunt Julia!" Patricia was shaking with laughter, "I'll tell Daddy--how you woke me up, playing with Custard!"

"He's the most--" Miss Kirby dived beneath the bed-clothes. "Take him away, Patricia!"

From across the hall came the shrill blast of a trumpet. Custard, his forefeet firmly planted on Miss Kirby's chest, his head c.o.c.ked enquiringly, promptly barked a defiant response.

The next moment the spare-room seemed full of children, all, like Custard, in search of Patricia, and making, at sight of her, as swift an onslaught in her direction as the extreme length of their nightgowns would permit.

So, after all, Christmas morning began merrily for them, at least.

The doctor, coming home later from an early visit to the hotel, stopped outside Patricia's open door. "Merry Christmas, Pat! Got your hands full?"

Patricia was kneeling on the floor, b.u.t.toning Tommy's shoes. "Merry Christmas, Daddy," she answered, gaily; "I certainly have."

Norma came slowly up to the doctor; she remembered him from last night; for in all the hurry and confusion of the moment he had found time for a few comforting words to the frightened, bewildered children. "Have--have you made Mama better?" she asked, wistfully.

The doctor sat down, taking her on his knee. "What is your mother's name, dear?"