All their kind, penitent thoughts of her; their resolutions to
please--their plans for obeying her wishes and saving her trouble, were
too late! For the first time, the three girls, sobbing in each other's
arms, realized what a good friend Aunt Izzie had been to them. Her
worrying ways were all forgotten now. They could only remember the many
kind things she had done for them since they were little children. How
they wished that they had never teased her, never said sharp words about
her to each other! But it was no use to wish.

"What shall we do without Aunt Izzie?" thought Katy, as she cried
herself to sleep that night. And the question came into her mind again
and again, after the funeral was over and the little ones had come back
from Mrs. Hall's, and things began to go on in their usual manner.

For several days she saw almost nothing of her father. Clover reported
that he looked very tired and scarcely said a word.

"Did Papa eat any dinner?" asked Katy, one afternoon.

"Not much. He said he wasn't hungry. And Mrs. Jackson's boy came for him
before we were through."

"Oh dear!" sighed Katy, "I do hope _he_ isn't going to be sick. How it
rains! Clovy, I wish you'd run down and get out his slippers and put
them by the fire to warm. Oh, and ask Debby to make some cream-toast for
tea! Papa likes cream-toast."

After tea, Dr. Carr came up stairs to sit a while in Katy's room. He
often did so, but this was the first time since Aunt Izzie's death.