Part 20 (1/2)
”Well, I be. Hit's been a right smart o' while since I been able to do a lick o' work. We sure do have a heap to thank you fer. Be Decatur Irwin as glad to lose his foot as I be to git my laig back?” she queried whimsically; ”I reckon not.”
”I reckon not, too, but with him it was a case of losing his life or his foot, while with you it was only a question of walking about, or being bedridden for the next twenty years.”
”They be ignorant, them Irwins, an' she's more'n that, fer she's a fool.
She come round yest'day wantin' to borry a hoe to fix up her gyarden patch, an' she 'lowed ef you'n Ca.s.s had only lef' him be, he'd 'a' come through all right, fer hit war a-gettin' better the day you-uns took hit off. I told her yas, he'd 'a' come cl'ar through to the nex' world, like Farwell done. When the misery left him, he up an' died, an' Lord knows whar he went.”
”I'll get him an artificial foot as soon as he is able to wear one.
He'll get on very well with a peg under his knee until then. What's Hoyle doing with the mule?”
”He's rid'n' him fer Ca.s.s. She's tryin' to get the ground ready fer a c.r.a.p. Hit's all we can do. Our women nevah war used to do such work neither, but she would try.”
”What's that? Is she ploughing?” he asked sharply, and strode away.
”I reckon she don't want ye there, Doctah,” the widow called after him, but he walked on.
The land lay in a warm hollow completely surrounded by hills. It had been many years cleared, and the mellow soil was free from stumps and roots. When Thryng arrived, three furrows had been run rather crookedly the length of the patch, and Ca.s.sandra stood surveying them ruefully, flushed and troubled, holding to the handles of the small plough and struggling to set it straight for the next furrow.
The noise of the fall behind them covered his approach, and ere she was aware he was at her side. Placing his two hands over hers which clung stubbornly to the handles of the plough, he possessed himself of them.
Laughingly he turned her about after the short tussle, and looked down into her warm, flushed face. Still holding her hands, he pulled her away from the plough to the gra.s.sy edge of the field, leaving Hoyle waiting astride the mule.
”Whoa, mule. Stand still thar,” he shrilled, as the beast sought to cross the bit of ploughed ground to reach the gra.s.s beyond.
”Let him eat a minute, Hoyle,” said David. ”Let him eat until I come.
Now, Miss Ca.s.sandra, what does this mean? Do you think you can plough all that land? Is that it?”
”I must.”
”You must not.”
”There is no one else now. I must.” He could feel her hands quiver in his, as he forcibly held them, and knew from her panting breath how her heart was beating. She held her head high, nevertheless, and looked bravely back into his eyes.
”You must let me--” he paused. Intuitively he knew he must not say as yet what he would. ”Let me direct you a little. You have been most kind to me--and--it is my place; I am a doctor, you know.”
”If I were sick or hurt, I would give heed to you, I would do anything you say; but I'm not, and this is laid on me to do. Leave go my hands, Doctor Thryng.”
”If you'll sit down here a moment and talk this thing out with me, I will. Now tell me first of all, why is this laid on you?”
”Frale is gone and it must be done, or we will have no crop, and then we must sell the animals, and then go down and live like poor white trash.” Her low, pa.s.sive monotone sounded like a moan of sorrow.
”You must hire some one to do this heavy work.”
”Every one is working his own patch now, and--no, I have no money to hire with. I reckon I've thought it all over every way, Doctor.” She looked sadly down at her hands and then up at the mountain top. ”I know you think this is no work for a girl to do, and you are right. Our women never have done such. Only in the war times my Grandmother Caswell did it, and I can now. A girl can do what she must. I have no way to turn but to live as my people have lived before me. I thought once I might do different, go to school and keep separate--but--” She spread out her hands with a hopeless gesture, and rose to resume her work.
”Give me a moment longer. I'm not through yet. That's right, now listen.
I see the truth of what you say, and I came down this morning to make a proposition to your mother--not for your sake only--don't be afraid, for my own as well; but I didn't make it because I hadn't time. She told me what you were doing, and I hurried off to stop you. Don't speak yet, let me finish. I feel I have the right, because I know--I know I was sent here just now for a purpose--guided to come here.” He paused to allow his words to have their full weight. Whether she would perceive his meaning remained to be seen.