I have n't been turned out , ' grinned Mary , as she stepped in and shut the door . ' I came up to Carter Flagg 's two days ago and I 've been stormed-stayed there ever since . But old Abbie Flagg got on my nerves at last , and tonight I just made up my mind to come up here . I thought I could wade this far , but I can tell you it was as much as a bargain . Once I thought I was stuck for keeps . Ai n't it an awful night ? ' `` I came to myself and knew I must hurry upstairs . I explained as quickly as I could to Mary , and left her trying to brush the snow off . Upstairs I found that Jims was over that paroxysm , but almost as soon as I got back to the room he was in the grip of another . I could n't do anything but moan and cry -- oh , how ashamed I am when I think of it ; and yet what could I do -- we had tried everything we knew -- and then all at once I heard Mary Vance saying loudly behind me , ` Why , that child is dying ! ' `` I whirled around . Did n't I know he was dying -- my little Jims ! I could have thrown Mary Vance out of the door or the window -- anywhere -- at that moment . There she stood , cool and composed , looking down at my baby , with those , weird white eyes of hers , as she might look at a choking kitten . I had always disliked Mary Vance -- and just then I hated her . '' ` We have tried everything , ' said poor Susan dully . ` It is not ordinary croup . ' '' ` No , it 's the dipthery croup , ' said Mary briskly , snatching up an apron . ` And there 's mighty little time to lose -- but I know what to do . When I lived over-harbour with Mrs. Wiley , years ago , Will Crawford 's kid died of dipthery croup , in spite of two doctors .
And when old Aunt Christina MacAllister heard of it -- she was the one brought me round when I nearly died XXXXX pneumonia you know -- she was a wonder -- no doctor was a patch on her -- they do n't hatch her breed of cats nowadays , let me tell you -- she said she could have saved him with her grandmother 's remedy if she 'd been there .
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