The last leaf

At the top of a house Sue and Johnsy had their studio. In November, Johnsy became very ill, and was lying on her bed and looking through the window at the wall of the next house.

"Her only chance," the doctor said, "is for her to want to live."

After the doctor had gone, Sue came into Johnsy's room. Johnsy was looking out of the window and counting.

"Six," said Johnsy. "There goes another one. There are only five left now."

"Five what, dear?"

"Leaves. On the ivy vine. I want to see the last one fall. Then I'll die."

"Johnsy, dear," said Sue, "try to sleep. I must go and ask Behrman to be my model."

Old Behrman was a painter. He was past 60 and earned a little money by being a model. Sue found Behrman and told him what Johnsy had said. Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs. They looked out of the window at the ivy vine. A cold rain was falling.

The next morning, there stood one ivy leaf.

"It's the last one," said Johnsy. "It'll fall today, and I'll die."

At night, the wind began to blow. The next morning, the leaf was still there.

"Something has made that last leaf stay there. It's wrong to want to die," said Johnsy to Sue. "Please bring me a little soup now."

A few days later, the doctor said to Sue, "She's out of danger."

That afternoon, Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay.

"Mr Behrman died today," she said. "He was wet and icy cold from being out all night. Do you know why the leaf never moved? Behrman painted it on the wall the night that the last leaf fell."

Grammar

A Using prepositions after adjectives

B Using prepositions after nouns

C Using prepositions after verbs