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Part 4
Part 5
Hilary sat in the elm tree overhanging the front porch waiting and watching. Her breath froze in the air and she shivered in her coat, she was afraid to be in the house. Her father had gone for the doctor, Mrs. Olsen had come over from the creek, and Hilary had been sent to the Shaw’s. She hadn’t gone. Her mother had been so pale lying in the big bed that morning, and Hilary was worried. The last time Mama had looked like that there had been many anxious conferences and a special doctor had been brought in from Portland. He had listened to her mother’s heart with a funny tube and looked very grave. Sending her off to the Shaw’s like some baby, when she could help. Mother had said just last week that Hilary’s music was soothing. Hilary wasn’t going anywhere until she knew what was going to happen to her Mother.
Hilary watched the walk in front of the house. Her father would be coming back and she knew better than to be caught here after having been sent to the Shaw’s. She was already on thin ice at home having put frogs in Ida Worthington’s dinner pail last week. She wouldn’t have gotten caught if Sally hadn’t tattled, beside Ida had been telling everyone that Hilary hadn’t been given the recitation in the Christmas program because Ida was so much better at reciting. None of the other children had been in a real play, much less Shakespeare. Ida should have known better. Sally hadn’t known about the mouse in Ida’s desk though. Hilary smiled, Ida had been sent home in hysterics. Mother hadn’t been pleased with her, but Ida had stopped crowing. It had been worth giving Jimmy Baker a week's worth of deserts and letting him walk her home from school to get that mouse in Ida’s desk. Hilary’s concerto had been well received, and Ida had gotten the hiccups during her recitation. As far as Hilary was concerned the program had been a success. Someone was coming down the walk. Hilary froze as she recognized her father and Dr. Tumley; she closed her eyes and prayed they wouldn’t look up.
Byron and Dr. Tumley came stamping up the walk.
“It shouldn’t be too serious Byron, Marion’s done this before.”
“It’s different this time Gordon, even Mrs. Olsen…” Shaking the snow from their boots they went inside without an upward glance. Hilary sighed with relief. Now that Dr. Tumley was here Hilary moved higher in the tree. If she could just get one branch higher she could see into the window. Thud! Splat! The snowball hit the tree just past Hilary’s ear.
“Hey! Celery!” A second snowball came flying through the air, this time neatly removing Hilary’s hat. “Whatcha’ doin'?”
“My name is Hilary, not Celery. You turnip for brains.”
Jimmy began packing snow again. “We’re all going coasting. You wanna’ come? I’ll take you down the big hill.”
“Not today.”
“See ya, Celery!” Jimmy grinned and fired his last snowball catching Hilary in the face. She swung down out of the tree as Jimmy took off running. She landed just as Jane Shaw came around the corner and collided with Jimmy. Jimmy fell backwards onto his sled and began to slide down the street. Stopping himself a few feet later a red faced Jimmy muttered “Sorry Miss Jane,” and lit out running for the coasting hill.
Jane laughed. The laughter slid off her face as she saw Hilary picking up her hat anxiously eye the house. “Hilary, what’s wrong?”
“Papa, had to go for the doctor, they sent me away...” tears began to run down Hilary’s face “I’m worried about mama. Ida says that she’ll …mama will….”Hilary broke into sobs as Jane pulled her close.
“Hilary, your mother will be alright. Dr. Tumley is here to help.” Jane wiped the tears off the little face. “You’re freezing child, inside with you.” Jane hustled Hilary up the steps and through the front door.
Mrs. Olsen was in the kitchen boiling water on the stove. “Hilary what are you doing here? I sent you to the Shaw’s” She scolded. Jane walked into the kitchen having paused to hang their coats in the hall. “Miss Shaw surely your mother doesn’t think…”
“It doesn’t matter what my mother thinks, I brought Hilary inside because it’s freezing and she’s frightened. Now where is Gordon?”
Mrs. Olsen’s jaw worked furiously and she could only indicate the back stairs with a wave of her hand. Hilary listened to the creak of the floorboards overhead, Ida’s words running through her mind. I remember when my cousin had a baby. Mrs. Olsen from the creek came, and Doctor Tumley got called away. Cousin Mary died and they found Mrs. Olsen’s cat in the basket with the baby. Mother says the child was never the same again…You better pray extra hard Hilary every one knows your mother isn’t well.
Mrs. Olsen reached into her bag and began to brew some tea, addressing the cat above the stove as she did so, “Sammie, I just…” Mrs. Olsen looked over her shoulder at the girl in the corner and dropped her voice to a low mutter. Some things children just didn’t need to hear. Hilary regarded the cat with a queasy feeling in her stomach. It was positively unchancy the way Sammie seemed to listen to Mrs. Olsen; his big greeny eyes stared unblinking right through her. A shout from upstairs echoed through the kitchen, Hilary jumped, dishes rattled as the cat jumped off the shelf. That was it; even if they wouldn’t tell her what was going on she could help. She would save her mother from the cat.
Hilary lifted the latch on the backdoor, Portia, the dog, was waiting just outside. The air was cold through the crack in the door as she slipped out to whistle for Portia, who came bounding up the steps. “Good dog.” Hilary whispered as she opened the door letting the dog through in to the kitchen. Portia spotted the cat as she skidded through the door, and jumped with a ferocious bark.
The yowling-barking cloud of fur rocketed through the kitchen and down the hall, narrowly missing the clock, which naturally began to strike the hour. Hilary slipped up the stairs as Mrs. Olsen chased after the animals wailing, “You beast! Leave my Sammie be!” The upper hall was empty all the doors shut until Miss Jane came out of the spare room at the end of the hall.
“Hilary, you shouldn’t be up here. What in heavens name is happening down there?” Hilary shifted from foot to foot as the familiar creak of the front door and fading noise signaled the removal of the animals. “Did you let…never mind it’s written all over your face. Hilary didn’t I tell you that I would be down to talk to you?”
“But, the cat, it could…”
“Stuff and nonsense, that cat was perfectly harmless.” The booming voice of Dr. Tumley echoed in the hall as his head emerged from the spare room. “Come see your sister, child.”
“Mama?” Hilary made as if to open the door to the bedroom at the head of the stairs.
“She’s sleeping. Don’t you go in there now.” Dr. Tumley shook his head and crossed the hall with a solemn face as Hilary halted her reach for the latch and darted in to the spare room on the other side of the hall.
“Hey, Hildy-girl come say hello to Honora Alice.” Byron beamed over the small white wrapped bundle in his arms. “Sit down Hildy, now careful” he placed the baby in her arms. His girls, together, he smiled through the threatening tears.
“Will she …ohhh, she blinked and her hands they move, and she’s better than a doll or a pet. She is prettier than Ida’s cousin ‘cause she’s ours.” Hilary regarded her sister with wonder as Byron eyed the door. Marion was taking longer to come-round after the ether than Dr. Tumley had thought.
Part 6
Part 4
Part 5
Hilary sat in the elm tree overhanging the front porch waiting and watching. Her breath froze in the air and she shivered in her coat, she was afraid to be in the house. Her father had gone for the doctor, Mrs. Olsen had come over from the creek, and Hilary had been sent to the Shaw’s. She hadn’t gone. Her mother had been so pale lying in the big bed that morning, and Hilary was worried. The last time Mama had looked like that there had been many anxious conferences and a special doctor had been brought in from Portland. He had listened to her mother’s heart with a funny tube and looked very grave. Sending her off to the Shaw’s like some baby, when she could help. Mother had said just last week that Hilary’s music was soothing. Hilary wasn’t going anywhere until she knew what was going to happen to her Mother.
Hilary watched the walk in front of the house. Her father would be coming back and she knew better than to be caught here after having been sent to the Shaw’s. She was already on thin ice at home having put frogs in Ida Worthington’s dinner pail last week. She wouldn’t have gotten caught if Sally hadn’t tattled, beside Ida had been telling everyone that Hilary hadn’t been given the recitation in the Christmas program because Ida was so much better at reciting. None of the other children had been in a real play, much less Shakespeare. Ida should have known better. Sally hadn’t known about the mouse in Ida’s desk though. Hilary smiled, Ida had been sent home in hysterics. Mother hadn’t been pleased with her, but Ida had stopped crowing. It had been worth giving Jimmy Baker a week's worth of deserts and letting him walk her home from school to get that mouse in Ida’s desk. Hilary’s concerto had been well received, and Ida had gotten the hiccups during her recitation. As far as Hilary was concerned the program had been a success. Someone was coming down the walk. Hilary froze as she recognized her father and Dr. Tumley; she closed her eyes and prayed they wouldn’t look up.
Byron and Dr. Tumley came stamping up the walk.
“It shouldn’t be too serious Byron, Marion’s done this before.”
“It’s different this time Gordon, even Mrs. Olsen…” Shaking the snow from their boots they went inside without an upward glance. Hilary sighed with relief. Now that Dr. Tumley was here Hilary moved higher in the tree. If she could just get one branch higher she could see into the window. Thud! Splat! The snowball hit the tree just past Hilary’s ear.
“Hey! Celery!” A second snowball came flying through the air, this time neatly removing Hilary’s hat. “Whatcha’ doin'?”
“My name is Hilary, not Celery. You turnip for brains.”
Jimmy began packing snow again. “We’re all going coasting. You wanna’ come? I’ll take you down the big hill.”
“Not today.”
“See ya, Celery!” Jimmy grinned and fired his last snowball catching Hilary in the face. She swung down out of the tree as Jimmy took off running. She landed just as Jane Shaw came around the corner and collided with Jimmy. Jimmy fell backwards onto his sled and began to slide down the street. Stopping himself a few feet later a red faced Jimmy muttered “Sorry Miss Jane,” and lit out running for the coasting hill.
Jane laughed. The laughter slid off her face as she saw Hilary picking up her hat anxiously eye the house. “Hilary, what’s wrong?”
“Papa, had to go for the doctor, they sent me away...” tears began to run down Hilary’s face “I’m worried about mama. Ida says that she’ll …mama will….”Hilary broke into sobs as Jane pulled her close.
“Hilary, your mother will be alright. Dr. Tumley is here to help.” Jane wiped the tears off the little face. “You’re freezing child, inside with you.” Jane hustled Hilary up the steps and through the front door.
Mrs. Olsen was in the kitchen boiling water on the stove. “Hilary what are you doing here? I sent you to the Shaw’s” She scolded. Jane walked into the kitchen having paused to hang their coats in the hall. “Miss Shaw surely your mother doesn’t think…”
“It doesn’t matter what my mother thinks, I brought Hilary inside because it’s freezing and she’s frightened. Now where is Gordon?”
Mrs. Olsen’s jaw worked furiously and she could only indicate the back stairs with a wave of her hand. Hilary listened to the creak of the floorboards overhead, Ida’s words running through her mind. I remember when my cousin had a baby. Mrs. Olsen from the creek came, and Doctor Tumley got called away. Cousin Mary died and they found Mrs. Olsen’s cat in the basket with the baby. Mother says the child was never the same again…You better pray extra hard Hilary every one knows your mother isn’t well.
Mrs. Olsen reached into her bag and began to brew some tea, addressing the cat above the stove as she did so, “Sammie, I just…” Mrs. Olsen looked over her shoulder at the girl in the corner and dropped her voice to a low mutter. Some things children just didn’t need to hear. Hilary regarded the cat with a queasy feeling in her stomach. It was positively unchancy the way Sammie seemed to listen to Mrs. Olsen; his big greeny eyes stared unblinking right through her. A shout from upstairs echoed through the kitchen, Hilary jumped, dishes rattled as the cat jumped off the shelf. That was it; even if they wouldn’t tell her what was going on she could help. She would save her mother from the cat.
Hilary lifted the latch on the backdoor, Portia, the dog, was waiting just outside. The air was cold through the crack in the door as she slipped out to whistle for Portia, who came bounding up the steps. “Good dog.” Hilary whispered as she opened the door letting the dog through in to the kitchen. Portia spotted the cat as she skidded through the door, and jumped with a ferocious bark.
The yowling-barking cloud of fur rocketed through the kitchen and down the hall, narrowly missing the clock, which naturally began to strike the hour. Hilary slipped up the stairs as Mrs. Olsen chased after the animals wailing, “You beast! Leave my Sammie be!” The upper hall was empty all the doors shut until Miss Jane came out of the spare room at the end of the hall.
“Hilary, you shouldn’t be up here. What in heavens name is happening down there?” Hilary shifted from foot to foot as the familiar creak of the front door and fading noise signaled the removal of the animals. “Did you let…never mind it’s written all over your face. Hilary didn’t I tell you that I would be down to talk to you?”
“But, the cat, it could…”
“Stuff and nonsense, that cat was perfectly harmless.” The booming voice of Dr. Tumley echoed in the hall as his head emerged from the spare room. “Come see your sister, child.”
“Mama?” Hilary made as if to open the door to the bedroom at the head of the stairs.
“She’s sleeping. Don’t you go in there now.” Dr. Tumley shook his head and crossed the hall with a solemn face as Hilary halted her reach for the latch and darted in to the spare room on the other side of the hall.
“Hey, Hildy-girl come say hello to Honora Alice.” Byron beamed over the small white wrapped bundle in his arms. “Sit down Hildy, now careful” he placed the baby in her arms. His girls, together, he smiled through the threatening tears.
“Will she …ohhh, she blinked and her hands they move, and she’s better than a doll or a pet. She is prettier than Ida’s cousin ‘cause she’s ours.” Hilary regarded her sister with wonder as Byron eyed the door. Marion was taking longer to come-round after the ether than Dr. Tumley had thought.
Part 6