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Miss Cynthia’s Action made a good deal of talk in Wilmot. The women, headed by Mrs. John Joe–who said behind Cynthia’s back what she did not dare say to her face–condemned her. The men laughed and said that Cynthia was a shrewd one; there was no getting round her. Miss Cynthia herself was far from easy. She could not forget Wilbur’s wistful eyes, and she had heard that Robins was a hard master.

A week after the boy had gone she saw him one day at the store. He was lifting heavy bags from a cart. The work was beyond his strength, and he was flushed and panting. Miss Cynthia’s conscience gave her a hard stab. She bought a roll of peppermints and took them over to him. He thanked her timidly and drove quickly away.

“Robins hasn’t any business putting such work on a child,” she said to herself indignantly. “I’ll speak to him about it.”

And she did–and got an answer that made her ears tingle. Mr. Robins bluntly told her he guessed he knew what was what about his hands. He weren’t no nigger driver. If she wasn’t satisfied, she might take the boy away as soon as she liked.

Miss Cynthia did not get much comfort out of life that summer. Almost everywhere she went she was sure to meet Wilbur, engaged in some hard task. She could not help seeing how miserably pale and thin he had become. The worry had its effect on her. The neighbours said that Cynthy was sharper than ever. Even her church-going was embittered. She had always enjoyed walking up the aisle with her rich silk skirt rustling over the carpet, her cashmere shawl folded correctly over her shoulders, and her lace bonnet set precisely on her thin shining crimps. But she could take no pleasure in that or in the sermon now, when Wilbur sat right across from her pew, between hard-featured Robins and his sulky-looking wife. The boy’s eyes had grown too large for his thin face.

The softening of Miss Cynthia was a very gradual process, but it reached a climax one September morning, when Mrs. John Joe came into the former’s kitchen with an important face. Miss Cynthia was preserving her plums.

“No, thank you, I’ll not sit down–I only run in–I suppose you’ve heard it. That little Merrivale boy has took awful sick with fever, they say. He’s been worked half to death this summer–everyone knows what Robins is with his help–and they say he has fretted a good deal for his father and been homesick, and he’s run down, I s’pose. Anyway, Robins took him over to the hospital at Stanford last night–good gracious, Cynthy, are you sick?”

Miss Cynthia had staggered to a seat by the table; her face was pallid.

“No, it’s only your news gave me a turn–it came so suddenly–I didn’t know.”

“I must hurry back and see to the men’s dinners. I thought I’d come and tell you, though I didn’t know as you’d care.”

This parting shot was unheeded by Miss Cynthia. She laid her face in her hands. “It’s a judgement on me,” she moaned. “He’s going to die, and I’m his murderess. This is the account I’ll have to give John Merrivale of his boy. I’ve been a wicked, selfish woman, and I’m justly punished.”

It was a humbled Miss Cynthia who met the doctor at the hospital that afternoon. He shook his head at her eager questions.

“It’s a pretty bad case. The boy seems run down every way. No, it is impossible to think of moving him again. Bringing him here last night did him a great deal of harm. Yes, you may see him, but he will not know you, I fear–he is delirious and raves of his father and California.”

Miss Cynthia followed the doctor down the long ward. When he paused by a cot, she pushed past him. Wilbur lay tossing restlessly on his pillow. He was thin to emaciation, but his cheeks were crimson and his eyes burning bright.

Miss Cynthia stooped and took the hot, dry hands in hers.

“Wilbur,” she sobbed, “don’t you know me–Aunt Cynthia?”

“You are not my Aunt Cynthia,” said Wilbur. “Daddy said Aunt Cynthia was good and kind–you are a cross, bad woman. I want Daddy. Why doesn’t he come? Why doesn’t he come to little Wilbur?”

Miss Cynthia got up and faced the doctor.

“He’s got to get better,” she said stubbornly. “Spare no expense or trouble. If he dies, I will be a murderess. He must live and give me a chance to make it up for him.”

And he did live; but for a long time it was a hard fight, and there were days when it seemed that death must win. Miss Cynthia got so thin and wan that even Mrs. John Joe pitied her.

The earth seemed to Miss Cynthia to laugh out in prodigal joyousness on the afternoon she drove home when Wilbur had been pronounced out of danger. How tranquil the hills looked, with warm October sunshine sleeping on their sides and faint blue hazes on their brows! How gallantly the maples flaunted their crimson flags! How kind and friendly was every face she met! Afterwards, Miss Cynthia said she began to live that day.

Wilbur’s recovery was slow. Every day Miss Cynthia drove over with some dainty, and her loving gentleness sat none the less gracefully on her because of its newness. Wilbur grew to look for and welcome her coming. When it was thought safe to remove him, Miss Cynthia went to the hospital with a phaeton-load of shawls and pillows.

“I have come to take you away,” she said.

Wilbur shrank back. “Not to Mr. Robins,” he said piteously. “Oh, not there, Aunt Cynthia!”