Midnight
Fred , tenderly attempting to reassure his daughters , buttoned his small son into woollen sleeping-wear , brought the inevitable drink , heard the garbled prayers , glancing now and then toward the door , as if fearing a summons , and looking , Harriet thought , stooped and gray and suddenly old . She took Linda 's place for an hour , but before it was up the mother came back , and they kept their vigil together . Fred answered the strange , untimely ringing of the door-bell , brought in packages , conferred in the halls with the doctors . Midnight came , two o'clock , four o'clock . Suddenly there was panic . Harriet , by chance in the hall , saw Linda and Fred and the doctors together , heard Linda 's quick , anguished `` Yes ! '' and Fred 's hoarse `` Anything ! ''