"There is nothing to do but
to sit somewhere about the room, within range of your father's sight,"
she said, as I hesitated a little,--not that I minded, but you see I was
rather nervous for fear I might be asked to do things that I didn't know
how to. "I won't be long, and I don't think he will need anything until
I return."
[Illustration: "MISS APPLETON ... ASKED IF I WOULD SIT WITH PAPA FOR A
SHORT TIME."]
Nannie was lying down with a headache, and nurse, Miss Marston, and the
others were away upstairs; Phil had not yet come home; so I said, "Very
well," and walked in.
Papa was lying in bed, and he did look awful!--white and thin! He put
out his hand as I went up to the bed, and said with a little smile,
"Why, it is Jack! how do you do, my dear?" then he drew me down and
kissed me. I would _love_ to have told him how very, _very_ glad I was
that he was better, but I choked up so I couldn't get out a word. I just
stood there hanging on to his hand, until he drew it away and said,
"Take a seat until the nurse returns."
Miss Appleton had told me to sit where papa could see me, so I took a
chair that somebody had left standing near the foot of the bed, and in
full view of him.
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