"One hundred and five," declared the girl. "I wish you could go away for a week. I am sure you would pick up and get the peaches back in your cheeks."
"We will go away in vacation time," replied Dorothy. "This month will not be long going around."
"Now I must run back home. I have not had a chance to tell mother a bit of news. You know it was the luckiest thing, ma wanted me to go to Rochester, and when the fuss came all I had to do was clear out. Ma had been waiting for me to get a new dress and she was so tickled when I said I would go in my old one. You see, Dorothy, Aunt Mary gives us lots of things, and no one had been out this spring. Nannie, that"s my cousin, is just a little larger than I am, and oh, you should see the scrumbunctious dress I am going to wear to the picnic! It is perfectly--glorious!" and Tavia wheeled around on her toe, threatening her boasted one hundred and five pounds avoirdupois with disaster.
With a promise to be back again in the evening Tavia left Dorothy and hurried across the fields to her home.
"Things seem to be straightening out," thought Dorothy. "Every thing is all right at school, Tavia is back, now if Sarah would only tell--I have a good mind to run over to see her."
It was a warm afternoon and Dorothy had no need to bother with wraps.
Aunt Libby was at the side porch so that in pa.s.sing Dorothy called to her she would be back in a short time, then she crossed through the orchard, going under the very tree in the shade of which Sarah had been found suffering. Dorothy stopped and looked up into the branches. They were very low, some of them, so low that in fruit time girls could pick the apples without climbing for them.
The blossoms were almost gone. Small sprays lay faded on the gra.s.s where careless hands had scattered them.
Somehow, it seemed to Dorothy that the tree knew all about the accident; if trees could only talk, she thought. Then, picking up a spray of the freshest blossoms, she hurried on.
To Dorothy"s surprise Mrs. Ford was very cordial in her welcome.
Dorothy had feared the mother of the injured girl might not be so pleased to see her.
"Walk right in," said Mrs. Ford, opening the door. "I am sure it will do Sarah good to talk with you. She is so lonesome and talks in her sleep about the girls," and she led the way to her daughter"s room.
The girl was now sitting up; her injured foot rested on a cushioned chair, while her face still showed signs of suffering.
"Sarah, dear," began Dorothy with an affectionate embrace, "I am so glad to see you up."
"Are you?" asked the other mechanically.
"Yes, indeed," ignoring her cold manner, "we have been so worried about you."
"We? Who?" and Sarah toyed nervously with the coverlet that was thrown over her knees.
"Why all of us; the girls at school. We hope you will soon be able to come back."
"I will never go back. I have had all I want of Dalton School," and Sarah tossed her head defiantly.
"Here is a spray of apple blossoms. I brought them from the orchard.
They are so sweet," said Dorothy, "I thought they might make you think you were out of doors, when you shut your eyes and smell of them."
She offered the spray to Sarah, but the girl made no sign of accepting it. Dorothy was disappointed. She did not mind the sick girl being fretful, but she had not expected her to be rude.
A rather awkward silence followed. Dorothy had determined if possible, to reach the heart of this queer girl, but her best efforts seemed unsuccessful.
"Well, I had better go," said Dorothy at length, still holding the blossoms in her hand, and standing beside Sarah"s chair.
She turned to leave.
"Good-bye," she said. "I hope you will be better soon."
But Sarah caught her dress. "Oh, Dorothy, do not leave me," she wailed.
"I am so miserable, so unhappy! Throw the apple blossoms out of the window and come back to me. I need someone! Oh, I feel as if I shall die, all alone here!"
Sobs choked her words, and she seemed struggling for breath.
"Shall I call your mother?" Dorothy asked anxiously.
"No! no!" cried the sick girl. "I only want you. Dorothy Dale help me--you must help me or I shall die," and again Sarah broke into hysterical sobbing.
"What is it, Sarah dear?" pleaded Dorothy. "Tell me how I can help you," and she bent down closer to the weeping girl.
"Oh, I do not know. I have--Oh, Dorothy have you ever tried to injure another?"
"Why, no, dear, and I am sure you have not, either."
"Oh, but I have indeed! I can not bear the pain any longer. I must tell someone--you. You will know how to help me."
A very sad face looked up into Dorothy"s. The brown eyes that had always been thought so proud and haughty were now "begging" for help, for pity, and for counsel.
"Tell me about it," said Dorothy, taking a trembling white hand in her own, which was scarcely more steady.
"Did--they--arrest Tavia?" asked Sarah, the words seeming to choke her in their utterance.
"Why, no. Of course they did not," Dorothy replied. "I just left Tavia a half hour ago, and she was as light hearted and happy as ever I have seen her. That little trouble at school did not last long."
"Oh, I am so glad!" exclaimed Sarah. "The thought of it has just--haunted me!"
"About the accident?" asked Dorothy, trying to help Sarah unburden her mind.
"Yes. I really did not mean to do so wrong. But when I found you were all gone, and I tried to jump--"
"Yes, of course it was very wrong of Tavia to send you up so high just as the bell was going to ring," and Dorothy pressed the other"s hand encouragingly.
"Then when I saw my white dress, all black from the ashes, I ran away!"
"Now do not excite yourself, dear," cautioned Dorothy, for she saw how Sarah"s face had flushed, and did not like to hear her raise her voice so.
"No, it will not hurt me. The pain of it has been killing me ever since, but now it will go--with my confession!"
"Hush!" whispered Dorothy, "your mother is in the hall."
"Poor mother!" answered Sarah. "She has tried every way to help me, but I could not tell her. It seemed so terrible!"
"But how did you hurt your ankle?" asked Dorothy bluntly.
"I fell out--of--the--tree! I did not mean to do it. I was up there hiding from those who pa.s.sed in the lane, and all at once the awful thought came to me that I could slip and blame it on Tavia. But I did not mean to do it that way. Oh, Dorothy, how dreadfully I have been punished!" and the sick girl fell to weeping again.
"Never mind dear. We all do wrong sometimes--"
"No, Dorothy Dale, you never do. I have been jealous of your love for Tavia. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you--that day helping a poor drunken man to his feet. I said then I would make you love me, but see how I have failed. You will hate me now."