"Where is it?" she asked, with a thickening throat, and then
suspiciously and fearfully. "Ruth, WHERE WAS IT?" And even while
she asked, she said to herself, with a wild hurry and flutter of
mind and heart, "It's our house--that's what Sam stopped to tell
Ruth--it's Holly Court--but I don't care--I don't care, as long as
Agnes was there, to get the children out--"
It was all instantaneous, the steward's stammering explanation,
Ruth Biggerstaff's terrified eyes, the little whimper of fear and
sympathy from the other women. Nancy felt that there was more--
more--
"What'd Sam tell you, Ruth? For God's sake--"
"Now, Nancy--now, Nancy--" said the Mrs. Biggerstaff, panting like
a frightened child, "Sam said you weren't to be frightened--we
don't know a thing--listen, dear, we'll telephone! That's what
we'll do--it was silly of me, but I thought perhaps we could keep
you from being scared--from just this--"
"But--but what did you hear, Ruth? Who sent in the alarm?" Nancy
asked, with dry lips. She was at the club, and Holly Court seemed
a thousand impassable miles away. To get home--to get home--
"Your Pauline telephoned! Nancy, wait! And she distinctly said--
Sam told this of his own accord--" Mrs.
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