Outside he said to the nurse, "What can I do?"
She told him everything of which she could think that would be of
benefit.
"Now tell me all ye know of what happened," commanded Dannie.
"After you left," said the nurse, "she was in labor, and she
could not waken her husband, and she grew frightened and
screamed. There were men passing out on the road. They heard her,
and came to see what was the matter."
"Strangers?" shuddered Dannie, with dry lips.
"No, neighbors. One man went for the nearest woman, and the other
drove to town for a doctor. They had help here almost as soon as
you could. But, of course, the shock was a very dreadful thing,
and the heat of the past few weeks has been enervating."
"Ane thing more," questioned Dannie. "Why do her children dee?"
"I don't know about the others," answered the nurse. "This one
simply couldn't be made to breathe. It was a strange thing. It
was a fine big baby, a boy, and it seemed perfect, but we
couldn't save it. I never worked harder. They told me she had
lost two others, and we tried everything of which we could think.
It just seemed as if it had grown a lump of flesh, with no vital
spark in it."
Dannie turned, went out of the door, and back along the lane to
the river where he had left Jimmy.
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