is."

"You can't get her. She's out the prayer-meeting by now and gone to
see somebody who sent for her. I don't know who it is, and I ain't
by myself. Miss Sallie Jenks is sitting with me while grannie's
out." Bettina's tones were energetic. She turned to me. "You
needn't stay back on my account, Miss Danny. Aren't you going?"

"Yes--I'm going." I walked toward my bedroom. At its door I
stopped. "I'm sorry, Selwyn, but I'll have to go. The woman is
dying."

Selwyn's teeth came together sharply and in his eyes were disapproval
and protest. For a half-minute he did not speak, then he faced me.

"If you insist, there's nothing to be said except that I am going
with you. Where's your telephone? I'll get a cab."

"Oh no! You must not go." Back to the door, I leaned against it.
"You've never seen things of this kind. They're--they're--"

"No pleasanter for you than for me." His voice was decisive; but his
eyes were no longer on mine. They were on Jimmy Gibbons's shoes with
the big and ragged hole in one of them through which the bare skin of
his foot showed red and raw. He drew in his breath; turned to me.
"Put on warm things. It's pretty cold to-night."