Naomi Holland never complained ; when the agony was at its worst , she shut her teeth more firmly over her bloodless lip , and her great black eyes glared at the blank wall before in a way that gave her attendants what they called `` the creeps , '' but no word or moan escaped her . Between the paroxysms she kept up her keen interest in the life that went on about her . Nothing escaped her sharp , alert eyes and ears . This evening she lay spent on the crumpled pillows ; she had had a bad spell in the afternoon and it had left her very weak . In the dim light her extremely long face looked corpse-like already . Her black hair lay in a heavy braid over the pillow and down the counterpane . It was all that was left of her beauty , and she took a fierce joy in it . Those long , glistening , sinuous tresses must be combed and braided every day , no matter what came . A girl of fourteen was curled up on a chair at the head of the bed , with her head resting on the pillow . The boy at the window was her half-brother ; but , between Christopher Holland and Eunice Carr , not the slightest resemblance existed . Presently the sibilant silence was broken by a low , half-strangled sob . The sick woman , who had been watching a white evening star through the cherry boughs , turned impatiently at the sound . `` I wish you 'd get over that , Eunice , '' she said sharply . `` I do n't want any one crying over me until I 'm dead ; and then you 'll have plenty else to do , most likely . If it was n't for Christopher I would n't be anyways unwilling to die . When one has had such a life as I 've had , there is n't much in death to be afraid of . Only , a body would like to go right off , and not die by inches , like this . ` Tai n't fair ! '' She snapped out the last sentence as if addressing some unseen , tyrannical presence ; her voice , at least , had not weakened , but was as clear and incisive as ever . The boy at the window stopped whistling , and the girl silently wiped her eyes on her faded gingham apron .
Naomi drew her own hair XXXXX her lips , and kissed it .
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