[Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott]@TWC D-Link bookRose in Bloom CHAPTER 15 ALAS FOR CHARLIE! 12/17
You are to come by and by." Then Aunt Plenty forgot her lumbago and arose; Aunt Myra, who had come to have a social croak, took off her black bonnet as if it would not be needed at present, and the girl made ready to go and say "Welcome back," not the hard "Good-bye." It seemed very long to wait, for no summons came till afternoon, then her uncle arrived, and at the first sight of his face Rose began to tremble. "I came for my little girl myself, because we must go back at once," he said as she hurried toward him hat in hand. "I'm ready, sir." But her hands shook as she tried to tie the ribbons, and her eyes never left the face that was full of tender pity for her. He took her quickly into the carriage and, as they rolled away, said with the quiet directness which soothes such agitation better than any sympathetic demonstration: "Charlie is worse.
I feared it when the pain went so suddenly this morning, but the chief injuries are internal and one can never tell what the chances are.
He insists that he is better, but he will soon begin to fail, I fear, become unconscious, and slip away without more suffering.
This is the time for you to see him, for he has set his heart on it, and nothing can hurt him now.
My child, it is very hard, but we must help each other bear it." Rose tried to say, "Yes, Uncle" bravely, but the words would not come, and she could only slip her hand into his with a look of mute submission.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|