that she was the elder of the daughters--motioned me to go into the
north chamber. I found them all there. The mother, Mrs. H. Boardman
Jameson, as I afterward knew her name to be, was lying on the bed,
her head propped high with pillows; the younger daughter was fanning
her, and she was panting softly as if she were almost exhausted. The
grandmother sat beside the north window, with a paper-covered book on
her knees. She was eating something from a little white box on the
window-sill. The boy was at another window, also with a book in which
he did not seem to be interested. He looked up at me, as I entered,
with a most peculiar expression of mingled innocence and shyness
which was almost terror. I could not see why the boy should possibly
be afraid of me, but I learned afterward that it was either his
natural attitude or natural expression. He was either afraid of every
mortal thing or else appeared to be. The singular elevated arch of
his eyebrows over his wide-open blue eyes, and his mouth, which was
always parted a little, no doubt served to give this impression. He
was a pretty boy, with a fair pink-and-white complexion, and long
hair curled like a girl's, which looked odd to me, for he was quite
large.

Mrs. Jameson beckoned me up to the bed with one languid finger, as if
she could not possibly do more. I began to think that perhaps she had
some trouble with her heart like myself, and the fire had overcome
her, and I felt very sympathetic.

"I am sorry you have had such an unpleasant experience," I began,
but she cut me short.

"My good woman," said she in little more than a whisper, "do you
know of any house in a sanitary location where we can obtain board