"I didn't know I'd done it." Craning his neck to its fullest
extending. Jimmy peered down at the bleeding foot, then looked up at
me. "I'm awful sorry it got on the rug. I'll wipe it up in a
minute." Imperishable merriment struggled with abashed regret, and,
holding out the offending foot, he laughed wistfully. "It ain't got
no feeling in it, though it's coming. I guess it's kinder froze.
They're regular flip-flops, them shoes are."

Under his breath I heard a smothered exclamation from Selwyn. He was
standing in front of the boy, hands in his pockets, and staring at
him. He knew, of course, there were countless ill-fed, ill-clothed,
unprotected children in every city of every land, but personally he
had come in contact with but few of them, and the bit of flesh and
blood before him stabbed with sharp realization. Helplessly he
turned to me. "The boy's half frozen. Where did he come from? What
does he want you to do?"

Jimmy looked up at me. "Mother told me to hurry. The doctor's done
gone and Mrs. Cotter says she's bound to see you before she dies.
She's got something to tell you. She says please, 'm, come quick."

Hesitating, I looked at the boy, who had come closer to the fire.
"Did the doctor say she was dying? I saw her yesterday and she
seemed better. Miss White was to see her to-day."

"Miss White is there now." Jimmy lifted his right foot and held it
from the ground. The warmth of the room was bringing pain to the
benumbed member into which something had been stuck. "She told me to
tell you please, 'm, to come if you could. Mrs. Cotter says she
can't die until she sees you, and she's so tired trying to hold out.