Why didn’t they wait?”

“They couldn’t wait, Ruth. The woman is dying and every minute counted. And besides, Lance said the car wouldn’t do any good. The snow was too deep, unless it was broken by the plow, or shovels. You mustn’t blame yourself, Ruth. You did just what Lance asked you to do, and besides it had to stay in the garage till it was finished. It couldn’t be used till it was fixed. Now lean back and rest, do, and I’ll get you a cup of something hot. Would you rather have tea or coffee? You look tired to death! I know you have had a terribly hard day. If I had had anyway of getting down there I would have come to help you. But forget it now, and just rest.”

“Oh, I don’t want anything to eat, Daryl, really I don’t. Please tell me more about this. Who is the woman Lance has gone to help, and what is the matter with her? Did he know he had to go when he talked to me on the telephone?”

“No, he didn’t. It was just after he hung up that the man came along.”

“Man, what man?”

“A stranger! His car stalled right in front of the house. He stripped the gears or something. I didn’t pay any attention to what they said about it, and he was on his way to take some medicine to the Farley house, said he’d staked his life on getting there by six o’clock and he had to take it even if he had to walk. He wanted to get his car fixed, or hire a car, and when Lance told him he couldn’t get there in a car tonight in this storm, he just shut his lips and said he had to go anyway, even if he died in the attempt. Of course when Lance heard it was to save a life he said, ‘Oh, that’s different. Then I’ll go with you.’ So Father got them some ropes and lanterns and things, and Mother made coffee, and got flannel things for them, and they went right off. It was rather awful, seeing them go into the storm, and the darkness beginning to come down!”

“It is awful!” said Ruth, shuddering. “If you haven’t been out in it you can’t possibly know! I don’t see how they can live long in it. Don’t you think we ought to go after them? I wouldn’t mind driving. I can’t bear to think of him out there freezing to death perhaps!”

“No!” said Daryl, taking a deep breath. “They won’t freeze to death. They are so bundled up they couldn’t for a long time. No, and you would only get stuck in a drift yourself and have to be dug out, or walk back. By this time they’ve likely reached the foot of the mountain trail, and you couldn’t climb the trail in a car. Besides, Lance would be furious. No, we’ve just got to wait and bear this till—till—they come back. Mother’s in there praying.