Elizabeth had sprung lightly to the ground and was now at the threshold:
"Oh, is she sick? I"m so sorry? Couldn"t I do something for her? She was good to me once several years ago!"
The old man peered at her blinkingly, noting her slender beauty, the exquisite eager face, the dress that showed her of another world--and shook his head:
"I guess you made a mistake, lady. I don"t remember ever seeing you before--"
"But I remember you," she said eagerly stepping into the room, "Won"t you please let me go to her?"
"Why, sh.o.r.e, lady, go right in ef you want to. She"s layin" there in the bed. She ain"t likely to get out of it again" I"m feared. The doctor says nothin" but a "noperation will ever get her up, and we can"t pay fer "noperations. It"s a long ways to the hospital in Chicago where he wants her sent, and M"ria and I, we ain"t allowin" to part. It can"t be many years--"
But Elizabeth was not waiting to hear. She had slipped into the old bedroom that she remembered now so well and was kneeling beside the bed talking to the white faced woman on the thin pillow:
"Don"t you remember me," she asked, "I"m the girl you tried to get to stay with you once. The girl that came here with a man she had met in the wilderness. You told me things that I didn"t know, and you were kind and wanted me to stay here with you? Don"t you remember me? I"m Elizabeth!"
The woman reached out a bony hand and touched the fair young face that she could see but dimly in the flare of the candle that the old man now brought into the room:
"Why, yes, I remember," the woman said, her voice sounded alive yet in spite of her illness, "Yes, I remember you. You were a dear little girl, and I was so worried about you. I would have kept you for my own--but you wouldn"t stay. And he was a nice looking young man, but I was afraid for you--You can"t always tell about them--You _mostly_ can"t--!"
"But he was all right Mother!" Elizabeth"s voice rang joyously through the cabin, "He took care of me and got me safely started toward my people, and now he"s my husband. I want you to see him. George come here!"
The old woman half raised herself from the pillow and looked toward the young man in the doorway:
"You don"t say! He"s your _husband_! Well, now isn"t that grand! Well, I certainly am glad! I was that worried--!"
They sat around the bed talking, Elizabeth telling briefly of her own experiences and her wedding trip which they were taking back over the old trail, and the old man and woman speaking of their trouble, the woman"s breakdown and how the doctor at Malta said there was a chance she could get well if she went to a great doctor in Chicago, but how they had no money unless they sold the ranch and that n.o.body wanted to buy it.
"Oh, but we have money," laughed Elizabeth joyously, "and it is our turn now to help you. You helped us when we were in trouble. How soon can you start? I"m going to play you are my own father and mother. We can send them both, can"t we George?"
It was a long time before they settled themselves to sleep that night because there was so much planning to be done, and then Elizabeth and her husband had to get out their stores and cook a good supper for the two old people who had been living mostly on corn meal mush, for several weeks.
And after the others were all asleep the old woman lay praying and thanking G.o.d for the two angels who had dropped down to help them in their distress.
The next morning George Benedict with one of the men who looked after their camping outfit went to Malta and got in touch with the Chicago doctor and hospital, and before he came back to the ranch that night everything was arranged for the immediate start of the two old people He had even planned for an automobile and the Malta doctor to be in attendance in a couple of days to get the invalid to the station.
Meantime Elizabeth had been going over the old woman"s wardrobe which was scanty and coa.r.s.e, and selecting garments from her own baggage that would do for the journey.
The old woman looked glorified as she touched the delicate white garments with their embroidery and ribbons:
"Oh, dear child! Why, I couldn"t wear a thing like that on my old worn-out body. Those look like angels" clothes." She put a work-worn finger on the delicate tracery of embroidery and smoothed a pink satin ribbon bow.
But Elizabeth overruled her. It was nothing but a plain little garment she had bought for the trip. If the friend thought it was pretty she was glad, but nothing was too pretty for the woman who had taken her in in her distress and tried to help her and keep her safe.
The invalid was thin with her illness, and it was found that she could easily wear the girl"s simple dress of dark blue with a white collar, and little dark hat, and Elizabeth donned a khaki skirt and brown cap and sweater herself and gladly arrayed her old friend in her own bridal travelling gown for her journey. She had not brought a lot of things for her journey because she did not want to be bothered, but she could easily get more when she got to a large city, and what was money for but to cloth the naked and feed the hungry? She rejoiced in her ability to help this woman of the wilderness.
On the third day, garbed in Elizabeth"s clothes, her husband fitted out for the east in some of George Benedict"s extra things, they started. They carried a bag containing some necessary changes, and some wonderful toilet accessories with silver monograms, enough to puzzle the most sn.o.bbish nurse, also there was a luscious silk kimona of Elizabeth"s in the bag.
The two old people were settled in the Benedict private car, and in due time hitched on to the Chicago express and hurried on their way. Before the younger pair went back to their pilgrimage they sent a series of telegrams arranging for every detail of the journey for the old couple, so that they would be met with cars and nurses and looked after most carefully.
And the thanksgiving and praise of the old people seemed to follow them like music as they rode happily on their way.
They paused at the little old school house where they had attended the Christian Endeavor meeting, and Elizabeth looked half fearfully up the road where her evil pursuers had ridden by, and rode closer to her husband"s side. So they pa.s.sed on the way as nearly as Elizabeth could remember every step back as she had come, telling her husband all the details of the journey.
That night they camped in the little shelter where Benedict had come upon the girl that first time they met, and under the clear stars that seemed so near they knelt together and thanked G.o.d for His leading.
They went to the lonely cabin on the mountain, shut up and going to ruin now, and Benedict gazing at the surroundings and then looking at the delicate face of his lovely wife was reminded of a white flower he had once seen growing out of the blackness down in a coal mine, pure and clean without a smirch of soil.
They visited the seven graves in the wilderness, and standing reverently beside the sand-blown mounds she told him much of her early life that she had not told him before, and introduced him to her family, telling a bit about each that would make him see the loveable side of them. And then they planned for seven simple white stones to be set up, bearing words from the book they both loved. Over the care worn mother was to be written "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
It was on that trip that they planned what came to pa.s.s in due time. The little cabin was made over into a simple, pretty home, with vines planted about the garden, and a garage with a st.u.r.dy little car; and not far away a church nestled into the side of the hill, built out of the stones that were native, with many sunny windows and a belfry in which bells rang out to the whole region round.
At first it had seemed impractical to put a church out there away from the town, but Elizabeth said that it was centrally located, and high up where it could be seen from the settlements in the valleys, and was moreover on a main trail that was much travelled. She longed to have some such spot in the wilderness that could be a refuge for any who longed for better things.
When they went back they sent out two consecrated missionaries to occupy the new house and use the st.u.r.dy little car. They were to ring the bells, preach the gospel and play the organ and piano in the little church.
Over the pulpit there was a beautiful window bearing a picture of Christ, the Good Shepherd, and in clear letters above were the words: "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy G.o.d led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep his commandments, or no."
And underneath the picture were the words:
""In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me." In memory of His hidings,
"George and Elizabeth Benedict."
But in the beautiful home in Philadelphia, in an inner intimate room these words are exquisitely graven on the wall, "Let not your heart be troubled."
Books By
GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL
April Gold
Happiness Hill
The Beloved Stranger
The Honor Girl
Bright Arrows
Kerry
Christmas Bride
Marigold
Crimson Roses