out her uneasiness.
“ They brought me here because they had made all sorts of inquiries and people said this was the finest old people ’ s home in the South, and they thought I ’ d be happy here, ” Mrs. Barton went on after a moment. “ They said I ’ d find people of my generation that I could be friends with. They can ’ t really afford to keep me here, I know. Oh, Jill claims Elliott ’ s making money hand over fist and Juddy ’ s doing real well, too; but it ’ s not right for them to have to pay out so much money for me to stay here. I ’ d be much happier at home, with a companion. Maybe I could rent a room—or fix up an apartment—and then I ’ d have my garden. ”
Hilary listened, her heart twisting.
Mrs. Barton drew a long, hard breath and looked across the small table at Hilary.
“ I don ’ t want to be a nuisance, Miss Westbrook, ” she pleaded. “ But I ’ m so homesick I could just about die! ”
Hilary glanced about the room, wishing she knew the women in it better, so that she could select someone who would be congenial as a friend for Mrs. Barton. And then she saw Mr. Hodding just entering the room, which was well - filled now.
“ Excuse me, ” she said hurriedly to Mrs. Barton and went quickly to Mr. Hodding, who greeted her with a pleased smile. “ Mr. Hodding, will you do me a favor? ”
Mr. Hodding beamed at her.
“ Why, my dear, it would be a privilege, ” he assured her warmly.
Hilary slipped her hand through his arm and murmured swiftly, “ We have a new guest who just arrived last night, and she ’ s terribly homesick and lonely. Please come and have lunch at her table and cheer her up. ”
“ I ’ m flattered, ” said Mr. Hodding wryly, “ that you think I can. Cheer her up, I mean. ”
They were at the table now, and there was no time for Hilary to answer.
“ Mrs. Barton, ” she addressed the old woman, who lifted shy, frightened eyes to Mr. Hodding ’ s pleasant old face, “ may I present Mr. Hodding? He ’ s been here several months, and I ’ m sure he can tell you a lot of nice things. We do want our guests to be happy. ”
“ Mrs. Barton, it ’ s a great pleasure, ” said Mr. Hodding, reading with swift understanding the fear and panic in the woman ’ s tear-dimmed eyes, and holding out his hand into which hers slipped shyly, hesitantly. “ Have you finished your lunch? May I join you? ”
Mrs. Barton looked up at Hilary, who smiled reassuringly. “ I have to run along, so you take my chair, Mr. Hodding, ” she said pleasantly. “ I ’ m helping Dr. Marsden in the clinic. Be sure you tell her all about the entertainment program and show her the library and—oh, everything you think will make her feel at home, won ’ t you, Mr. Hodding? ”
“ I shall be very happy to, ” said Mr. Hodding, smiling.
Mrs. Barton flashed him a shy glance, and then looked up at Hilary and managed a faint smile. And to Hilary ’ s delighted surprise, there was an ever so faint hint of almost forgotten coquetry in Mrs. Barton ’ s eyes as she transferred her smile to Mr. Hodding.
Chapter Nine
He came in a little before two, looking tired and cold and harassed. But when his eyes fell on the appetizing tray Hilary had brought in for him, he looked at her with warm appreciation.
“ It hadn ’ t occurred to me that I was hungry, ” he admitted, smiling. “ But now I find that I ’ m ravenous. ”
“ I thought you would be, ” Hilary assured him lightly. “ Please eat it while the soup is hot. And you can give me notes on your house calls, and I ’ ll put them on the chart after we ’ ve finished clinic hours. ”
He nodded, and began giving her the details, which she jotted down swiftly and competently. And when the tray was empty and the notes were in order, he heaved a deep sigh as he lit a cigarette and poured the last cup of coffee from the small thermos.
“ Thad Carter should be in a hospital where he can be properly cared for.
“ They brought me here because they had made all sorts of inquiries and people said this was the finest old people ’ s home in the South, and they thought I ’ d be happy here, ” Mrs. Barton went on after a moment. “ They said I ’ d find people of my generation that I could be friends with. They can ’ t really afford to keep me here, I know. Oh, Jill claims Elliott ’ s making money hand over fist and Juddy ’ s doing real well, too; but it ’ s not right for them to have to pay out so much money for me to stay here. I ’ d be much happier at home, with a companion. Maybe I could rent a room—or fix up an apartment—and then I ’ d have my garden. ”
Hilary listened, her heart twisting.
Mrs. Barton drew a long, hard breath and looked across the small table at Hilary.
“ I don ’ t want to be a nuisance, Miss Westbrook, ” she pleaded. “ But I ’ m so homesick I could just about die! ”
Hilary glanced about the room, wishing she knew the women in it better, so that she could select someone who would be congenial as a friend for Mrs. Barton. And then she saw Mr. Hodding just entering the room, which was well - filled now.
“ Excuse me, ” she said hurriedly to Mrs. Barton and went quickly to Mr. Hodding, who greeted her with a pleased smile. “ Mr. Hodding, will you do me a favor? ”
Mr. Hodding beamed at her.
“ Why, my dear, it would be a privilege, ” he assured her warmly.
Hilary slipped her hand through his arm and murmured swiftly, “ We have a new guest who just arrived last night, and she ’ s terribly homesick and lonely. Please come and have lunch at her table and cheer her up. ”
“ I ’ m flattered, ” said Mr. Hodding wryly, “ that you think I can. Cheer her up, I mean. ”
They were at the table now, and there was no time for Hilary to answer.
“ Mrs. Barton, ” she addressed the old woman, who lifted shy, frightened eyes to Mr. Hodding ’ s pleasant old face, “ may I present Mr. Hodding? He ’ s been here several months, and I ’ m sure he can tell you a lot of nice things. We do want our guests to be happy. ”
“ Mrs. Barton, it ’ s a great pleasure, ” said Mr. Hodding, reading with swift understanding the fear and panic in the woman ’ s tear-dimmed eyes, and holding out his hand into which hers slipped shyly, hesitantly. “ Have you finished your lunch? May I join you? ”
Mrs. Barton looked up at Hilary, who smiled reassuringly. “ I have to run along, so you take my chair, Mr. Hodding, ” she said pleasantly. “ I ’ m helping Dr. Marsden in the clinic. Be sure you tell her all about the entertainment program and show her the library and—oh, everything you think will make her feel at home, won ’ t you, Mr. Hodding? ”
“ I shall be very happy to, ” said Mr. Hodding, smiling.
Mrs. Barton flashed him a shy glance, and then looked up at Hilary and managed a faint smile. And to Hilary ’ s delighted surprise, there was an ever so faint hint of almost forgotten coquetry in Mrs. Barton ’ s eyes as she transferred her smile to Mr. Hodding.
Chapter Nine
He came in a little before two, looking tired and cold and harassed. But when his eyes fell on the appetizing tray Hilary had brought in for him, he looked at her with warm appreciation.
“ It hadn ’ t occurred to me that I was hungry, ” he admitted, smiling. “ But now I find that I ’ m ravenous. ”
“ I thought you would be, ” Hilary assured him lightly. “ Please eat it while the soup is hot. And you can give me notes on your house calls, and I ’ ll put them on the chart after we ’ ve finished clinic hours. ”
He nodded, and began giving her the details, which she jotted down swiftly and competently. And when the tray was empty and the notes were in order, he heaved a deep sigh as he lit a cigarette and poured the last cup of coffee from the small thermos.
“ Thad Carter should be in a hospital where he can be properly cared for.
Similar Books
