"Yes," returned Bee simply.
"Child, you must not stay there alone. Let me watch with you."
"Father, please go away," pleaded Bee. "I don"t mind being alone; at least not now," she added honestly. "It would break my heart if you should have the small pox."
"Think of yourself, my daughter. You may have it, too."
"It is too late to think of that, father. There is no need for you to run such a risk. I don"t want you to do it."
"Beatrice, this is nonsense!" exclaimed her father sharply. "I won"t have you there alone, open the door instantly!"
"Dear, dear father, please go away. Do not ask me to let you in, for I will not," said the girl pleadingly, steeling her heart against the solicitude in his voice which, despite his gruffness, was plainly evident.
"h.e.l.lo!" called the bluff, cheery accents of a man from somewhere without. "What are you doing here, sir? Don"t you know that there is small pox in this cabin?"
Chapter XXIV
"You are a n.o.ble Little Girl"
"We live in deeds, not years, in thoughts, not breaths; In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives Who thinks most, feels the n.o.blest, acts the best."
--_Philip James Bailey._
"I am aware of the fact," was Doctor Raymond"s reply. "How did you hear of it, Doctor Black?"
"Why, Raymond, is that you? What in the world brought you here? I tacked up a sign today to keep idiots out. It did not have the desired effect, it seems."
Beatrice felt her face flush at the words, but there was a laugh in her father"s voice as he responded:
"I have a daughter in there, doctor, who may take exception to that remark."
"Your daughter? What is she doing there? Didn"t you know any better than to let her go to such a place? I have been busy all day vaccinating people, and taking means to prevent the disease from spreading. It is just such things that undo a physician"s precautions. Why did you permit it?"
"I was not consulted in the matter," was the response. "My daughter came down with food for Rachel, and finding her alone remained to be of service."
"Good gracious, what could she do? Tillie left as soon as she found what was the matter. n.o.body knows where the old woman contracted the disease.
I brought Hannah here with me to nurse her. She has had it and therefore is not afraid of it. I must say, though, that I hadn"t bargained for this complication. Has Beatrice had it?"
"I think not, doctor."
"Then she must be gotten out of there. Come, Hannah! We will go in now."
"I fear that you will find some difficulty in doing so, doctor. Beatrice has locked the door to keep me out."
"Thunderation!" exclaimed the doctor. "I can"t be delayed by any such nonsense. Open this door," he commanded pounding upon it with his fists.
The door rattled violently under his vigorous shaking. Bee knew that she must open it, but she resolved to win the doctor to her side if possible.
"Doctor Black," she called.
"Well? Are you going to keep me out here all night, young lady?" he demanded bluntly. "I"ve had a busy day, and I want to get home. Quit your fooling, and unlock this door."
"Yes, doctor; but do you think it wise for father to come in? Promise to keep him out and I"ll open it. Otherwise,--" The pause was so significant that the physician chuckled.
"He shan"t come in, child. If he does I"ll vaccinate him in four places," he declared energetically. "You hear, Raymond?"
"I hear, doctor, and accept the condition. If I did not that "otherwise"
means that Beatrice will fight it out on the stand she has taken if it takes all night."
"Your father will stay out, Miss Beatrice. Now open the door."
Beatrice gladly obeyed. The physician entered briskly, followed by a tall colored woman.
"Well, Miss Bee," he said genially with a searching glance at her pale face, "you"ve had rather a siege of it, haven"t you? How long have you been here?"
"All this afternoon," answered Bee, conscious all at once of being very tired. She sat down suddenly, and asked weakly: "What are you going to do?"
"To vaccinate you, my young lady," was the response. "Hoity Toity!" as the girl turned pale. "What"s this? Why, you"re not afraid, are you?
Tut, tut! Don"t you know that it takes more courage to stay for hours with a woman with the small pox that to endure a little scratch?"
"I am not afraid," faltered Bee who was trembling excessively.
"I see." The physician patted her hand rea.s.suringly. "Why did you stay here, child? There was nothing you could do for Rachel."
"Nothing but to give her a drink. She was so thirsty."
"You don"t mean that you raised her head and gave her water, do you?"
exclaimed he in surprise.
"Why, of course. How else could she drink?" asked Bee. "She couldn"t raise it herself."
"Weren"t you a bit afraid?" Doctor Black had rolled up her sleeve, and was selecting a vaccine point carefully.
"At first I was; then I was sorry for her. I might look just as bad if I should have it, you know."
"You are not going to have it, my dear," he said brusquely. "Now give me that arm. All ready. Just a scratch, and it is over. Well, bless my soul! Raymond!"
For Beatrice had quietly fainted away. When consciousness returned to her the sweet freshness of the summer night was about her; the soft darkness enveloped her like a mantle, and she was being borne along carefully in someone"s arms. For a time she lay, content to be still in the encircling arms, but as she became more herself wonder crept into her heart, and she put up her hand and touched the face above her.
"Father?" she whispered.
"Yes, my daughter."