Isabel and I
are going to take you away from it all."
"Oh no!" she said quickly. "No--no--no!" She lifted her head from his
shoulder and turned her poor, stained face upwards. "I couldn't do that!"
she said. "I couldn't! I couldn't!"
"Wait!" he said gently. "Let me do what I can to help you now--before we
talk of that! Will you sit here quietly for a little, while I go and get
you some milk from that farm down the road?"
"I don't want it," she said.
"But I want you to have it," he made grave reply. "You will stay here?
Promise me!"
"Very well," she assented miserably.
He got up. "I shan't be gone long. Sit quite still till I come back!"
He touched her dark head comfortingly and turned away.
When he had gone a little distance he looked back, and saw that she was
crouched upon the ground again and crying with bitter, straining sobs
that convulsed her as though they would rend her from head to foot. With
tightened lips he hastened on his way.
She had suffered a cruel punishment it was evident, and she was utterly
worn out in body and spirit. But was it only the ordeal of yesterday and
the physical penalty that she had been made to pay that had broken her
thus?
He could not tell, but his heart bled for her misery and desolation.
"Who is the other fellow?" he asked himself. "I wonder if Billy knows."
He found Billy awaiting him in the road, anxious and somewhat
reproachful.
Pages:
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486