Nan was doing her best to comfort her while Lucy was bawling like a baby on Helen's shoulder, truce between the two declared for the time being.
"I feel just like the British would if the Rock of Gibraltar had turned into brown sugar and melted into the sea," declared Helen, when the storm had blown itself out and a calmness of despair had settled down on all of them.
"That's just it," agreed Nan. "Father has always been just like Gibraltar to us. His picture would have done just as well for the Prudential Life Insurance ad as Gibraltar did."
"If you could just have heard him talk as he did to me. Oh, girls, I feel as though I had killed him!" and Helen gave a dry sob that made Lucy put an arm around her. "I have sworn a solemn swear to myself: I am not going to wear a single silk stocking nor yet a pair of them until Father comes home, and not then unless he is well. I have some old cotton ones that I got for the Camp-Fire Girls' hike, the only ones I ever had since I can remember, and I am going to wear those until I can get some more. I hate 'em, too! They make my toes feel like old rusty potatoes in a bag."
This made the girls laugh. A laugh made them feel better. Maybe behind the clouds the sun was, after all, still shining and they would not have to wear rubbers and raincoats forever.
"You remind me of the old man we saw up at Wytheville who had such very long whiskers, having sworn never to cut them off or trim them until the Democrats elected a President," drawled Nan. "Those whiskers did some growing between Cleveland's and Wilson's Administrations. You remember when Wilson was elected and he shaved them off, his wife made a big sofa cushion out of them; and the old man had become so used to the great weight on his chin, that now he was freed from it, his chin just naturally flew up in the air and made him look like his check rein was too tight."
"Yes, I remember," declared Lucy; "and his wife said she was going to strap the cushion back on where his whiskers used to be if he didn't stop holding his head so haughty." Another laugh and the sun came out in their hearts.
Dr. Wright had assured them that their father would be well. He had had many patients who had been in much worse condition who were now perfectly well. Mr. Carter's case had been taken hold of in time and the doctor was trusting to his splendid constitution and the quiet of the ocean to work wonders in him. In the meantime, it was necessary for the girls to begin to think about what they were to do.