closed the door; and with a mingling of relief and of sharp hostility
she felt at once how she was shut out. Who was she but a stranger now?
She thought of Amy, and with a quick cry Ethel began to walk up and down
in a scared hunted fashion. She stopped with a sudden resolute
clenching of her teeth, and said, "Now I've got to do something! If I
don't, I'll go right out of my mind!" But what? She stared about her,
then went to the windows and threw back the curtains. It was well along
toward noon. Daylight flooded into the room, with one yellow path of
light which came down from the distant sun.

"I'll go out and get her some flowers."

When she came back a half hour later, Ethel still had that resolute
look. The door of Joe's room was still closed and she saw Nourse's hat
in the hall. She turned and went to the telephone, stopped and frowned.

"Yes, that's the next thing."

She called up Amy's friend Fanny Carr. But at the sound of the woman's
voice which came back over the wire, Ethel gave a start of dismay. For
it had a jarring quality, and although it was prompt in its exclamations
of shocked surprise and sympathy and proffers of help--the words, "You
poor child, I'll come over at once!"--made Ethel inwardly beseech her,
"Oh, no, no! Please stay away!" Aloud she said, "Thank you," put up the
receiver and stood staring at the wall. Was this Amy's best friend?

"I want some one I know!" She thought of Susette. She went at once to
the nursery, kissed the wee girl and sat down on the floor. And as they
built a house of blocks, Ethel could feel herself softening, the
strained tight sensation going. Suddenly in her hot dry eyes she felt