"Why aren't you asleep?" she asked at last.
"I don't know," said Billy. "I tried. I tried awful hard 'cos I thought he wanted me to, but it ist wouldn't come. Please tell her I tried." He appealed to Margaret.
"He did try to go to sleep," admitted Margaret.
"Maybe he can't sleep in his clothes," suggested Elnora. "Haven't you an old dressing sacque? I could roll the sleeves."
Margaret got an old sacque, and Elnora put it on Billy. Then she brought a basin of water and bathed his face and head. She gathered him up and began to rock again.
"Have you got a pa?" asked Billy.
"No," said Elnora.
"Is he dead like mine?"
"Yes,"
"Did it hurt him to die?"
"I don't know."
Billy was wide awake again. "It didn't hurt my pa," he boasted; "he ist died while he was asleep. He didn't even know it was coming."
"I am glad of that," said Elnora, pressing the little head against her breast again.
Billy escaped her hand and sat up. "I guess I won't go to sleep," he said. "It might 'come softly' and get me."
"It won't get you, Billy," said Elnora, rocking and singing between sentences. "It don't get little boys. It just takes big people who are sick."
"Was my pa sick?"
