The bag at Granny's feet, the stimulating posset drunk, Charlotte
felt easier about her charge and went next at the task of making her
comfortable for the remainder of the night. She ran down again and made
up the fire in the fireplace, convinced that she must get the old lady
downstairs, now that with each blast the terrible wind was filling one
room with the storm and battling at the little old door to make an
entrance into the other. Then she put on a coat, and went up to wrestle
with Granny's bed, while the wind swept round her, and the snow flew
across the room and stung her cheeks. It was a hard task, getting the bed
apart and down the stairs, but she accomplished it, and set it up in the
living-room, far from the windows and with one side to the fire. Then she
brought down springs and mattress, warmed the latter thoroughly at the
blaze, and put it in place.
"Now, dear," she said presently, bending over the cot, "I'm going to take
you down by the fire. It's too cold for you up here, and you'll be
perfectly comfortable there."
Granny, wrapped in many blankets, was not quite so light a load as usual,
but Charlotte staggered down with her, and soon had her at ease in her
bed, freshly made up and warm with surrounding blankets. The room itself
could not be so quickly warmed, but Granny knew no discomfort nor
realized that her niece, with all her exertions, was still shaking now
and then with chill and excitement.
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