"I am so sorry not to be dressed, but I had to hustle so as to get lunch ready in time. The clock struck twelve when I thought it was about ten."
"Did you have to get luncheon? Where was Katy?"
"She helped, but I wanted to have a finger in it. If you will wait a minute, I will get into a dress."
"Why, you look beautiful in that loose blue thing; besides, I have to eat and run. A faculty meeting is calling me."
The luncheon was delicious, and Edwin gave it all praise by devouring large quantities of it. Molly could not eat much as she was too hot, and hurrying is not conducive to appetite. Mildred, who was sleeping on the porch, awoke when the meal was half over and Molly could not trust Katy to take her up.
"She might hold her upside down. I will bring her to the table and she can talk to you while you are finishing!"
So Molly flew to the porch and picked up her darling. She had intended to take her to the dining room but she remembered it was time for Mildred to have her food and so the patient Edwin had to finish his meal alone.
He found his wife and baby on the upper back porch. The color had left Molly's cheeks and she was quite pale, and there was a little wan, wistful look in her countenance that Edwin did not like.
"Molly, honey, you are all tired out. You did not eat your luncheon and you got no sleep last night. What are we going to do about it?"
"Oh, I'm all right! Please don't bother about me! Did you like the apple salad? They were apples from Kentucky."
"Fine! Everything was delicious. But I don't want you to wear yourself out cooking. If Katy can't cook, we must get some one who can. If she can't cook and you won't let her nurse, why what is the use of her?"
Molly, worn out with the sleepless night and the record breaking getting of a meal out of nothing, felt as though she would disgrace herself in a minute and burst into tears. She could not discuss the matter with Edwin for fear of breaking down. Edwin kissed her good-by and tactfully withdrew.
"You goose, Molly Brown!" she scolded herself. "And what on earth are you so full of tears over? I know Edwin thinks I ought to have a nurse and I just can't trust Mildred to any one. I am going to try so hard to have everything so nice that he won't think about it any more."