"She"s all right, I tell you. He ain"t hurt much, either; just stunned a little, that"s all."
"Maud! child!" cried the mother, as Maud appeared, followed by a bevy of girls.
"_I"m_ all right, mother," she said, running into the trembling arms outstretched toward her; "but, oh, poor Albert!"
After the wounded man disappeared into the house the crowd dispersed.
Brann went off by the way of the alley; he was not prepared to meet the questions of his accusers.
"Now, what in ---- you been up to?" was the greeting of his brother, as he re-entered the shop.
"Nothing."
"Welting a man on the head with a whip-stock ain"t anything, hey?"
"I didn"t touch him. We was racing, and he run into the culvert."
"Hank says he saw you strike him."
"He lies! I was strikin" the horse to make him break!"
"Oh, yeh was!" sneered the older man. "Well, I hope you understand that this"ll ruin you in this town. If you didn"t strike him, they"ll say you run him into the culvert, "n" every man, woman, "n" child"ll be down on you, and _me_ f"r bein" related to you. They all know how you feel toward him for cuttin" you out with Maud Welsh."
"Oh, don"t bear down on him too hard, Joe. He didn"t mean t" do any harm," said Troutt, who had followed Ed down to the store. "I guess the young feller "ll come out all right. Just go kind o" easy till we see how he turns out. If he dies, why, it"ll haf t" be looked into."
Ed turned pale and swallowed hastily. "If he should die I"ll be a murderer," he thought. He acknowledged that hate was in his heart, and he shivered as he remembered the man"s white face with the bright red stream flowing down behind his ear and over his cheek. It almost seemed to him that he _had_ struck him, so close had the accident followed upon the fall of his whip.
III
Albert sank into a feverish sleep that night, with a vague perception of four figures in the room--Maud, her mother, Hartley, and the young doctor. When he awoke fully in the morning his head felt prodigiously hot and heavy.
It was early dawn, and the lamp was burning brightly. Outside, a man"s feet could be heard on the squealing snow--a sound which told how still and cold it was. A team pa.s.sed with a jingle of bells.
Albert raised his head and looked about. Hartley was lying on the sofa, rolled up in his overcoat and some extra quilts. He had lain down at last, worn with watching. Albert felt a little weak, and fell back on his pillow, thinking about the strange night he had pa.s.sed--a night more filled with strange happenings than the afternoon.
As the light grew in the room his mind cleared, and lifting his muscular arm he opened and shut his hand, saying aloud, in his old boyish manner:
"I guess I"m all here."
"What"s that?" called Hartley, rolling out of bed. "Did you ask for anything?"
"Give me some water, Jim; my mouth is dry as a powder-mill."
"How yeh feelin", anyway, pardner?" said Hartley, as he brought the water.
"First-rate, Jim; I guess I"ll be all right."
"Well, I guess you"d better keep quiet."
He threw on his coat next, and went out into the kitchen, returning soon with some hot water, with which he began to bathe his partner"s face and hands as tenderly as a woman.
"There; now I guess you"re in shape f"r grub--feel any like grub?--Come in," he called, in answer to a knock on the door.
Mrs. Welsh entered.
"How is he?" she whispered, anxiously.
"Oh, I"m all right," replied Albert.
"I"m glad to find you so much better," she said, going to his bedside.
"I"ve hardly slep", I was so much worried about you. Your breakfast is ready, Mr. Hartley. I"ve got something special for Albert."
A few minutes later Maud entered with a platter, followed closely by her mother.
The girl came forward timidly, but when Albert turned his eyes on her and called, cheerily, "Good morning!" she flamed out in rosy color and recoiled. She had expected to see him pale, dull-eyed, and with a weak voice, but there was little to indicate invalidism in his firm greeting.
She gave place to Mrs. Welsh, who prepared his breakfast. She was smitten dumb by his tone, and hardly dared look at him as he sat propped up in bed.
However, though he was feeling absurdly well, there was a good deal of bravado in his tone and manner, for he ate but little, and soon sank back on the bed.
"I feel better when my head is low," he explained, in a faint voice.
"Can"t I do something?" asked the girl, her courage reviving as she perceived how ill and faint he really was.
"I guess you better write to his folks," said Mrs. Welsh.
"No, don"t do that," he protested, opening his eyes; "it will only worry them, and do me no good. I"ll be all right in a few days. You needn"t waste your time on me; Hartley will wait on me."
"Don"t mind him," said Mrs. Welsh. "I"m his mother now, and he"s goin"
to do just as I tell him to--aren"t you, Albert?"
He dropped his eyelids in a.s.sent, and went off into a doze. It was all very pleasant to be thus waited upon. Hartley was devotion itself, and the doctor removed his bandages with the care and deliberation of a man with a moderate practice; besides, he considered Albert a personal friend.
Hartley, after the doctor had gone, said with some hesitation:
"Well, now, pard, I _ought_ to go out and see a couple o" fellows I promised t" meet this morning."
"All right, Jim; all right. You go right ahead on business; I"m goin" t"
sleep, anyway, and I"ll be all right in a day or two."
"Well, I will; but I"ll run in every hour "r two and see if you don"t want something. You"re in good hands, anyway, when I"m gone."
"Won"t you read to me?" pleaded Albert, one afternoon, when Maud came in with her mother to brush up the room. "It"s getting rather slow business layin" here like this."
"Shall I, mother?"