“In questions of life and death, we cannot consider money. I understand that you intend to be a school teacher. Very well, then, when you have your post you can pay back the money I intend to advance you. No!” He raised his hand for silence. “I won’t hear any objections. I owe this to you. I have few pleasures in life. I am a lonely man, a widower, and where I can spread happiness, I will. Let me, I implore you, let me send your mother to the Adirondacks in memory of my wife.”

He did not look at me as he spoke but gazed about the room and finally, his eye lighting on Dr. Brunson’s brandy, he seized his hat and cried, “I must get on at once. Now, Miss Marburg, I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer. I’m going to drive your mother down myself. Doesn’t that reassure you? I’ve got to run on to New York anyhow in a week or so and it will fit in perfectly. Good-by for the present. I’ll look in tomorrow.”

My mother was delighted with the flowers and buried her face in them. She was still flushed with her thoughts of the mountains and she talked ecstatically. “My stars, darling, imagine it! It was fate that made me start doing the fir trees. Oh, how happy I am! I’ve been so unhappy! You don’t know how unhappy a person can be, baby girl.”

“Mamma, don’t go away,” I said sadly. “I would be so lonesome without you.”

“There! She’s cross that I’m happy! She doesn’t care if her mother dies. Oh, Sonia, I never thought you’d turn against me, I never did!” Tears started to her eyes and she drew up a pathetic cough. “All right, I won’t go. I’ll just die here. I suppose it was a whole cup of blood that came up this afternoon, but it don’t matter.” She caught her breath. “Give me the syrup . . . No, no, don’t give it to me. I’ll just go on and die now.”

“Don’t talk like that, Mamma,” I said. “Wouldn’t you like a cup of tea?” But she refused. I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her fancy-work toward me. “Oh, what a lovely humming-bird! You’re so clever, Mamma.”

Pleased, instantly reconciled to me, she caught my hand and kissed it quickly. “Do you like it, darling? What do you say I do some of them around the hem of your voile dress?”

“Well, I don’t know . . .”

“No, I don’t either. It might make the other little girls jealous. It might hurt their feelings. Oh, you’re good, dearie, always thinking of others. You’re my baby girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Mamma. Shall I turn out the lamp now or do you want to work a little longer?”

“I’ll work a bit. I’ll tell you what, when I get my ivory hoops, I’ll make you a blouse with tulips on it!”