Later, when she had scornfully lashed herself into calmness, she came
out into the kitchen and looked at the clock.

"An' I've been in there five minutes, I'll bet ye, over that fool cry
in'," she stormed hotly to herself. "Great one, I am, to take care of
that boy, if I can't control myself better than this!"

At the end of what she deemed to be twenty minutes, and after a
fruitless "puttering" about the kitchen, Susan marched determinedly
upstairs to Keith's room. At the door she did hesitate a breathless
minute, then, resolutely, she pushed it open.

The boy, fully dressed, stood by the bed. His face was alight, almost
eager.

"I did it--I did it, Susan! And if it hasn't been more than twenty
minutes, I did it sooner than you!"

Susan tried to speak; but the tears were again chasing each other down
her cheeks, and her face was working with emotion.

"Susan!" The boy put out his hand gropingly, turning his head with the
pitiful uncertainty of the blind. "Susan, you are there, aren't you?"

Susan caught her breath chokingly, and strode into the room with a
brisk clatter.

"Here? Sure I'm here--but so dumb with amazement an' admiration that I
couldn't open my head--to see you standin' there all dressed like
that! What did I tell you? I knew you could do it. Now, come, let's go