"Nothing the matter with you! Why, you"re burned, and cut, and thumped, and bruised. It"s a wonder the Lord let you off alive for being such an idiot. It seems to me you"d have had better sense than to go in a burning stable just to pull out one good-for-nothing horse which don"t earn its hay!"
"Circ.u.mstances were such that I had no other choice," answered Glenning, a bit distantly.
"Circ.u.mstances!" sniffed Doctor Kale. "Yes, I heard about the circ.u.mstances, and when you"ve lived as long as I have, you won"t b.u.t.t your head into a little h.e.l.l every time a pretty girl winks!"
The blood rushed to John"s face, and even Dillard"s warning did not serve to check his tongue.
"She didn"t wink!" he retorted, rather hotly. "But she asked for help, and I gave it to her, as any man would!"
The caller cast a sidelong glance at the figure by the table, then stumped over to the bed and sat down upon it.
"Tom Dillard told me that you were the new doctor the _Herald_ said was coming here to locate, and that your name was Glenning."
"Yes, John Glenning is my name, and my profession is the same as yours."
"Well, it"s a d.a.m.n bad one!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Doctor Kale. "That is, the profession ain"t so bad, but it"s a worrisome and unappreciative life.
It"s a hard way to earn a living, young man, and if you hadn"t started in it I"d advise you to try something else, even if it was beating rock on the county road. People expect you to be always ready, day or night, to jump up and run to them, even if you are sick yourself. Then you are the last man they want to pay when it comes time to settle, and they always think you"re trying to rob them. I"ve worn my life away trying to serve them, and they call me a skinflint and a miser because I own one or two n.i.g.g.e.r shacks and try to save what little I make! You"ve come to a mighty poor place to make your fortune, and it"s a mighty hard life you"re beginning."
"I"ve practiced some already, and did not find the work hard, or uncongenial. And I also found people very obliging. But I love the work, doctor, and I suspect that counts for a great deal!"
"Love it!" snorted Doctor Kale; "I never did love it! It"s slavery--a dog"s life! Here, last night, I was coming in from the country tired to death and headed for bed, when that fool Dillard held me up and hauled me up here to work on you! Don"t you see? Work, work, work!"
"But that"s what we"re put here for. Employment is our salvation.
Suppose everybody stopped work. What would happen to the world?... But you did a good job with me, and you must permit me to compliment your skill."
Unknowingly Glenning had found the vulnerable spot in the old fellow"s armour. His eyes took on a kinder gleam, but the look he bent on the young man was not unmixed with suspicion.
"Think I helped you, eh? Maybe I did. I"ve fooled around diseased and mistreated bodies the most of a lifetime, and I ought to know something, if I don"t. Where"re you from? The _Herald_ said, but I can"t remember."
"Jericho. It"s rather in the northeastern part of the State. Not large; something like this place in population."
"D"you take this for a hamlet, young man?" fired up Doctor Kale. "Fifth cla.s.s city, sir, and we"re growin" by the minute."
"No offense, I"m sure," smiled Glenning. "You must remember I haven"t seen your tow--city, by daylight."
"You"ve seen the prettiest thing in it by firelight, though."
A swift change had come over the combative features of Doctor Kale, and his wrinkled face bore a reminiscent look. There was a distant expression in his eyes; he seemed to be gazing into the past.
Glenning pushed the tray and its contents away and leaned his head on his hand.
"The prettiest woman in the county, and I might say in Kentucky," mused the man on the bed.
He got up and walked limping to his patient, and as he began an examination of hidden bandages and general physical condition his flow of talk continued in a wonderfully changed and melodious voice.
"I"ve known the family always. These hands were the first hands which touched that little girl when she came into the world, and I"ve watched her in sickness and in health up till now. Julia"s as sweet as G.o.d could make her, and that"s about as sweet as a woman can get. The old Major"s game, and stiff, and proud as the devil, and poor as Lazarus, but he"s a gentleman; a gentleman, sir, who"d p.a.w.n his last coat to pay a debt and go through the winter in his shirt sleeves. I could never get closer than arm"s length to the Major, but Julia--" His voice stopped, and Glenning, stealing a glance at his face, saw that his lips were tight and he was slowly shaking his head. "She"s a wonderful girl," he resumed, presently, while his hands glided deftly about here and there.
"She came to me once when n.o.body else would have done in her place, when my greatest sorrow was on me, and I won"t forget it--_I won"t forget it_--I"ll tell it to G.o.d Almighty when we stand before Him together!"
Glenning had no words in which to answer this unusual discourse. He remained silent, and presently the doctor stepped aside.
"I swear you seem fit as a fiddle!" he avowed, in his old peremptory tones. "You must be a tough nut. How do you feel? Any internal pains?"
His patient drew a long breath, and a grimace which he could not check in time shot over his face.
"Don"t lie to me, you young rascal! Where does it hurt?"
"Inside; here."
The speaker placed his hand on his right lung.
"It ought to hurt there, for you"ve a bruise as big as a soup plate.
Nothing dangerous, but you must be careful. Stay in this room for two days, anyway, and lie down most of the time. Do you promise?"
"I suppose I"ll have to," replied Glenning, somewhat ruefully.
Doctor Kale thumped over to his hat and medicine case. Jamming the hat on his head till it almost rested on his ears, he grabbed his case, then swung around and gazed keenly at the new doctor.
"Are you married?" he demanded, abruptly, and in a manner which in anyone else would have been highly impertinent.
"No," was the answer, given quite gravely.
A meaningless snort greeted this inoffensive monosyllable. Then Doctor Kale began to parade the room, thumping and storming.
"Why in h.e.l.l ain"t you? A doctor ought to be married--adds to his respectability. And here you come sneakin" into Macon not married!"
He stopped about three feet in front of the figure in the chair.
"I may be a rascal, as some people say, but I"m no fool. You"re not married, and you went into a fiery furnace to save Julia Dudley"s horse.
Now I"ve got this to say. The man who gets her has me to reckon with as well as the old Major. d.a.m.ned if he don"t have to _prove_ himself, and be as clean as a white-washed wall! Good morning, sir!"
He stamped to the door, went out, slammed it furiously behind him, and was gone.
CHAPTER IV
The predominant feeling in Glenning"s breast when Doctor Kale left him was one of resentment. The old fellow had presumed far beyond his rights, had gone into the future in an entirely unwarrantable way, and had given advice for which there was no thanks in the young man"s heart.
His resentment was heightened by the fact that Julia Dudley"s face had been haunting him all morning. Certainly he did not love her. He had never exchanged a word with her; he had only seen her once, a vision of white beauty with brown, braided hair, standing like a Niobe in that night of stress and peril. He had never been of a susceptible temperament. He had work to do in the world, and love must wait. That had been his motto of renunciation, for he had a deep, strong, tender heart, charged with that priceless heritage G.o.d gives to each of his children. But when the girl with the braided hair had stepped forward in the presence of half the town and had singled him out for her cavalier in the adventure of that hour, he had felt a strange and unaccountable thrill pa.s.s through him. Her presence had been with him in the burning, blinding heat of his subsequent struggle, and the knowledge that she was waiting without for him to appear again a victor had nerved his arm and his smoke-numbed brain to success. He did not try to hide these facts from himself, but it was galling to think that a meddlesome old busy-body had also found them out, and had flung them in his face, coupled with a warning.
He shook himself together and took another view. He must not be supersensitive. The old man had been good to him. He had ministered to him and nursed him when he, himself, was worn and tired. And Dillard had said he was peculiar. But Glenning had seen the deeper, truer side to Doctor Kale for a few moments, and he knew that whatever nature he presented exteriorly, down in his heart he was a man. That personal experience of which he spoke evasively probably referred to the death of his wife. Anyhow it was something very vital; something of serious import, and John saw now that it had been shrewdly given him to a.s.sist him in formulating a proper att.i.tude towards Miss Dudley. Old Doctor Kale loved her. Of course it was a paternal, protecting love, but it was deep as the nethermost sea, and as true as heaven. And old Doctor Kale knew that as sure as gra.s.s grew, and water ran down hill, a man and a maid will love.
Slowly through these engrossing reflections a sound crept to Glenning"s brain. He had been conscious of it for several moments in an indifferent way, but all at once it a.s.sumed the tones of a conversation. He inclined his head in the direction from whence the sound came, and caught a name which made him start. He got up, alert, calm, quiet, and moved swiftly towards the cheap oak dresser. He now observed for the first time that this sat in front of a door connecting with another room, and it was from that room the voices came. There was no transom, but by moving the dresser slightly he would have access to the keyhole. This would have to be accomplished without noise. He listened. The voices had sunk to a murmur. There was no choice, and instantly his long, sinewy fingers gripped the top of the dresser on either side. Oh, how it hurt when he put forth his strength! But he lifted it, swerved it a few inches, and set it down without a sound. The exertion had racked his body with acutest pain, but he smiled grimly as he thought of what his recent caller would have said and done could he have seen him, then squatted before the keyhole and softly put his ear to the tiny aperture. In an instant his face grew grave.
"Tonight, Travers; it must be tonight," a husky, coa.r.s.e voice was whispering; "it"s got to be done!"
"And you want _me_ to do it?" came the answering whisper, in a nervous, excited manner.