stricken. "Fairy!" she cried. "Go at once. It may be catching. Take
the others with you. And keep the door shut."

But Lark flung herself on her knees beside her twin, and burst into
choking sobs. "I won't go," she cried. "I won't leave Carrie. I will
not, Prudence!"

"Oh, it is too hot," moaned Carol. "Oh, give me a drink! Give me some
snow, Prudence. Oh, it hurts!" And she pressed her burning hands
against her chest.

"Lark," said her father, stepping quickly to her side, "go out to the
kitchen at once. Do you want to make Carrie worse?" And Lark, cowed
and quivering, rushed into the kitchen and closed the door.

"I'll carry her up-stairs to bed, Prue," said her father, striving to
render his voice natural for the sake of the suffering oldest daughter,
whose tense white face was frightening.

Together they carried the child up the stairs. "Put her in our bed,"
said Prudence. "I'll--I'll--if it's diphtheria, daddy, she and I will
stay upstairs here, and the rest of you must stay down. You can bring
our food up to the head of the stairs, and I'll come out and get it.
They can't take Carol away from the parsonage."

"We will get a nurse, Prudence. We couldn't let you run a risk like
that. It would not be right. If I could take care of her properly
myself, I----"

"You couldn't, father, and it would be wicked for you to take such