"I"m afraid I shall make a mistake," replied Polly.
"You won"t," he a.s.sured her. "Just imagine you are his little niece, doing everything to please him--that is all."
Miss Batterson smiled down on Polly, as she entered the sick-room, and spoke in a low voice to the physician.
Colonel Gresham had been muttering indistinctly, and now broke into his persistent call:--
"Eva! Eva! Where"s Eva?"
Dr. Dudley gave Polly a gentle push towards the bed.
"Here I am, Uncle David!" she answered, standing where the light slanted across her yellow curls.
The sick man started up, and then dropped back on his pillow.
"Oh, you"ve come!" he cried, with a breath of relief, "Why did you stay away--so--long?"
"I did n"t know you wanted me till now, Uncle David," replied the soft voice.
"Come nearer, child! Let me feel you little hand! I dreamed--I dreamed--you were gone--forever!"
"He lay quiet for a moment, her cool fingers in his hot, trembling palm. Then he startled her bu the sudden cry:--
"That water! It"s dripping, dripping right on my head! Eva, put up your hand, and catch it!"
Standing beside his pillow, Polly held her hand high.
"I"ll catch it all, Uncle David," she a.s.sured him. "You shan"t feel another drop!"
"That"s a good girl! You always are a good girl, Eva! Seems as --if--"
The voice trailed off into confused mutterings, and with trembling fingers he began picking at the sheet and working it into tiny rolls.
Very gently Polly took one of the restless hands in both her own, and smoothed it tenderly.
This had a quieting effect, and he lay still for so long that Dr.
Dudley drew Polly softly away, letting her rest on his knee, her head against his shoulder.
But in a moment the old call burst out:--
"Eva! Eva! Where are you, Eva?"
Her prompt a.s.surance, "I"m right here, Uncle David!" hushed him at once. Presently, however, he began again.
"Eva! Eva! You love your old uncle, don"t you, Eva? Just a-- little--bit?"
"More than a little bit! I love you dearly, Uncle David!"
"Don"t go away any more! Promise, Eva! Promise me!"
"I"ll stay just as long as you want me Uncle David. Can"t you go to sleep? Remember, I"ll be right here all the time!"
Rea.s.sured by this, he closed his eyes, and was quiet for a while; yet only to rouse again and repeat the same old cry.
The thunder was now only an occasional rumble in the distance, and the lightning had faded to a glimmer; but the rain still kept on, and as the nurse raised another window the ceaseless patter of the drops seemed to disturb the sick man, for he began his complaint of the dripping water upon his head.
Polly pacified him, as before, and once more he drowsed.
The little girl slept, to, in the Doctor"s arms, until, towards morning the Colonel was resting so calmly that they returned to the hospital.
Miss Lucy clasped Polly with almost a sob.
"If you ever go away again in such a storm," she declared, "I shall go, too! I saw the lightning come down--and--" her voice broke.
"And we were not harmed in the least," finished the Doctor cheerily. "But next time I promise to act upon your higher wisdom, and not venture among such thunderbolts. Now, hustle into bed, both of you, and don"t dare to wake up till breakfast time!"
The convalescent ward slept late; the nurse and Polly strictly obeyed orders. n.o.body cared, however, and unusual gayety prevailed at the tardy breakfast, to match the bright September morning and the good news of Colonel Gresham. For word had come up from Dr. Dudley that the Colonel was going to get well.
Of course the children eagerly heard the story of Polly"s midnight trip in the physician"s arms through the fearful storm. It had to be told over and over again, and the more daring ones wished they had been awake to see it all.
The details of what had taken place in the sick-room Polly wisely withheld; but the girls and boys were undoubtedly more interested in the account of the lightning"s striking the familiar big oak tree than they would have been in the more important part of that night"s strange story.
It was not many weeks afterward that Dr. Dudley brought Polly a message.
"The Colonel says he feels slighted because you don"t come to see him, and I promised to send you over."
"OH, I shall have to go!" cried Polly. "I"ll run right off and change my dress."
Colonel Gresham was in a great chair by the window, and begged his small guest pardon for not rising to greet her.
"I"m not quite firm on my legs yet," he laughed, "and I must n"t topple over, as Miss Batterson has left me for a whole hour."
"Oh, then I"ll stay and wait on you!" beamed Polly. "And if you get tired hearing me talk, you can go to sleep."
But the Colonel seemed very wide awake, and after a gay chat he began:--
"Dr. Dudley has been telling me about bringing you over here in that thunderstorm, and how you quieted me when n.o.body else could."
"Yes," replied Polly innocently, "You thought I was your little niece, Eva, and--"
"What?" broke in her listener, amazement in his tone.
"Oh, I s"posed he "d told you!" cried Polly, in dismay. "I ought not to have--"
"Yes, you ought!" he interrupted. "What did I say?"
Polly hesitated. She was not at all sure that Dr. Dudley would wish her to disclose the wanderings of the Colonel"s mind, since he had not done so himself. But there seemed no other way, so she replied simply:--