The Patrol of the Sun Dance Trail [40]
now. We will not wake him. He has had none too good a night."
"No, no," cried Moira, "don't wake him. Oh, I am so glad. You see, I was afraid."
"Afraid? Why were you afraid?" inquired Mandy, looking indignantly at the doctor, who stood back, a picture of self condemnation.
"Yes, yes, Mrs. Cameron, blame me. I deserve it all. I bungled the whole thing this morning and frightened Miss Cameron nearly into a fit, for no other reason than that I am all ass. Now I shall retire. Pray deal gently with me. Good-by!" he added abruptly, lifted his hat and was gone.
"What's the matter with him?" said Mandy, looking at her sister-in- law.
"I do not know, I am sure," replied Moira indifferently. "Is there anything the matter?"
"He is not like himself a bit. But come, my dear, take off your things. As the doctor says, a sleep for a couple of hours will do you good. After that you will see Allan. You are looking very weary, dear, and no wonder, no wonder," said Mandy, "with all that journey and--and all you have gone through." She gathered the girl into her strong arms. "My, I could just pick you up like a babe!" She held her close and kissed her.
The caressing touch was too much for the girl. With a rush the tears came.
"Och, oh," she cried, lapsing into her Highland speech, "it iss ashamed of myself I am, but no one has done that to me for many a day since--since--my father--"
"There, there, you poor darling," said Mandy, comforting her as if she were a child, "you will not want for love here in this country. Cry away, it will do you good." There was a sound of feet on the stairs. "Hush, hush, Billy is coming." She swept the girl into her bedroom as Billy appeared.
"Oh, I am just silly," said Moira impatiently, as she wiped her eyes. "But you are so good, and I will never be forgetting your kindness to me this day."
"Hot water," said Billy, tapping at the door.
"Hot water! What for?" cried Mandy.
"For the young lady. The doctor said she was used to it."
"The doctor? Well, that is very thoughtful. Do you want hot water, Moira?"
"Yes, the very thing I do want to get the dust out of my eyes and the grime off my face."
"And the tea is in the ladies' parlor," added Billy.
"Tea!" cried Mandy, "the very thing!"
"The doctor said tea and toast."
"The doctor again!"
"Sure thing! Said they were all stuck on tea in the Old Country."
"Oh, he did, eh? Will you have tea, Moira?"
"No tea, thank you. I shall lie down, I think, for a little."
"All right, dear, we will see you at breakfast. Don't worry. I shall call you."
Again she kissed the girl and left her to sleep. She found Billy standing in the ladies' parlor with a perplexed and disappointed look on his face.
"The Doc said she'd sure want some tea," he said.
"And you made the tea yourself?" inquired Mandy.
"Sure thing! The Doc--"
"Well, Billy, I'd just love a cup of tea if you don't mind wasting it on me."
"Sure thing, ma'm! The Doc won't mind, bein' as she turned it down."
"Where is Dr. Martin gone, Billy? He needs a cup of tea; he's been up all night. He must be feeling tough."
"Judgin' by his langwidge I should surmise yes," said Billy judicially.
"Would you get him, Billy, and bring him here?"
"Get him? S'pose I could. But as to bringin' him here, I'd prefer wild cats myself. The last I seen of him he was hikin' for the Rockies with a blue haze round his hair."
"But what in the world is wrong with him, Billy?" said Mandy anxiously. "I've never seen him this way."
"No, nor me," said Billy. "The Doc's a pretty level headed cuss. There's somethin' workin' on him, if you ask me."
"Billy, you get him and tell him we want to see him at breakfast, will you?"
Billy shook his head.
"Tell him, Billy, I want him to see my husband then."
"Sure thing! That'll catch him, I guess. He's dead stuck on his work."
And it did catch him, for, after breakfast was over, clean-shaven, calm and controlled, and in his very best professional style, Dr. Martin
"No, no," cried Moira, "don't wake him. Oh, I am so glad. You see, I was afraid."
"Afraid? Why were you afraid?" inquired Mandy, looking indignantly at the doctor, who stood back, a picture of self condemnation.
"Yes, yes, Mrs. Cameron, blame me. I deserve it all. I bungled the whole thing this morning and frightened Miss Cameron nearly into a fit, for no other reason than that I am all ass. Now I shall retire. Pray deal gently with me. Good-by!" he added abruptly, lifted his hat and was gone.
"What's the matter with him?" said Mandy, looking at her sister-in- law.
"I do not know, I am sure," replied Moira indifferently. "Is there anything the matter?"
"He is not like himself a bit. But come, my dear, take off your things. As the doctor says, a sleep for a couple of hours will do you good. After that you will see Allan. You are looking very weary, dear, and no wonder, no wonder," said Mandy, "with all that journey and--and all you have gone through." She gathered the girl into her strong arms. "My, I could just pick you up like a babe!" She held her close and kissed her.
The caressing touch was too much for the girl. With a rush the tears came.
"Och, oh," she cried, lapsing into her Highland speech, "it iss ashamed of myself I am, but no one has done that to me for many a day since--since--my father--"
"There, there, you poor darling," said Mandy, comforting her as if she were a child, "you will not want for love here in this country. Cry away, it will do you good." There was a sound of feet on the stairs. "Hush, hush, Billy is coming." She swept the girl into her bedroom as Billy appeared.
"Oh, I am just silly," said Moira impatiently, as she wiped her eyes. "But you are so good, and I will never be forgetting your kindness to me this day."
"Hot water," said Billy, tapping at the door.
"Hot water! What for?" cried Mandy.
"For the young lady. The doctor said she was used to it."
"The doctor? Well, that is very thoughtful. Do you want hot water, Moira?"
"Yes, the very thing I do want to get the dust out of my eyes and the grime off my face."
"And the tea is in the ladies' parlor," added Billy.
"Tea!" cried Mandy, "the very thing!"
"The doctor said tea and toast."
"The doctor again!"
"Sure thing! Said they were all stuck on tea in the Old Country."
"Oh, he did, eh? Will you have tea, Moira?"
"No tea, thank you. I shall lie down, I think, for a little."
"All right, dear, we will see you at breakfast. Don't worry. I shall call you."
Again she kissed the girl and left her to sleep. She found Billy standing in the ladies' parlor with a perplexed and disappointed look on his face.
"The Doc said she'd sure want some tea," he said.
"And you made the tea yourself?" inquired Mandy.
"Sure thing! The Doc--"
"Well, Billy, I'd just love a cup of tea if you don't mind wasting it on me."
"Sure thing, ma'm! The Doc won't mind, bein' as she turned it down."
"Where is Dr. Martin gone, Billy? He needs a cup of tea; he's been up all night. He must be feeling tough."
"Judgin' by his langwidge I should surmise yes," said Billy judicially.
"Would you get him, Billy, and bring him here?"
"Get him? S'pose I could. But as to bringin' him here, I'd prefer wild cats myself. The last I seen of him he was hikin' for the Rockies with a blue haze round his hair."
"But what in the world is wrong with him, Billy?" said Mandy anxiously. "I've never seen him this way."
"No, nor me," said Billy. "The Doc's a pretty level headed cuss. There's somethin' workin' on him, if you ask me."
"Billy, you get him and tell him we want to see him at breakfast, will you?"
Billy shook his head.
"Tell him, Billy, I want him to see my husband then."
"Sure thing! That'll catch him, I guess. He's dead stuck on his work."
And it did catch him, for, after breakfast was over, clean-shaven, calm and controlled, and in his very best professional style, Dr. Martin