An Egg-Nog and a Telegram

We had discovered Louise at the lodge Tuesday night. It was Wednesday
I had my interview with her. Thursday and Friday were uneventful, save
as they marked improvement in our patient. Gertrude spent almost all
the time with her, and the two had grown to be great friends. But
certain things hung over me constantly; the coroner's inquest on the
death of Arnold Armstrong, to be held Saturday, and the arrival of Mrs.
Armstrong and young Doctor Walker, bringing the body of the dead
president of the Traders' Bank. We had not told Louise of either death.

Then, too, I was anxious about the children. With their mother's
inheritance swept away in the wreck of the bank, and with their love
affairs in a disastrous condition, things could scarcely be worse.
Added to that, the cook and Liddy had a flare-up over the proper way to
make beef-tea for Louise, and, of course, the cook left.

Mrs. Watson had been glad enough, I think, to turn Louise over to our
care, and Thomas went upstairs night and morning to greet his young
mistress from the doorway. Poor Thomas! He had the faculty--found
still in some old negroes, who cling to the traditions of slavery
days--of making his employer's interest his. It was always "we" with
Thomas; I miss him sorely; pipe-smoking, obsequious, not over reliable,
kindly old man!

On Thursday Mr. Harton, the Armstrongs' legal adviser, called up from
town. He had been advised, he said, that Mrs. Armstrong was coming
east with her husband's body and would arrive Monday. He came with
some hesitation, he went on, to the fact that he had been further
instructed to ask me to relinquish my lease on Sunnyside, as it was
Mrs. Armstrong's desire to come directly there.