Part 47 (1/2)
They lifted Louise into the wagon and laid her down upon the hay.
”Whish you--gennelmanz my hushband?” she asked thickly.
Pan had to laugh at that, but Blinky stood gazing intently down upon the pale gleam of face. Pan left him there and strode toward the house. Though the distance was short, he ran the whole gamut of emotions before he stopped at a lighted window. He heard his father's voice.
”Dad,” he called, tapping on the window. Then he saw his mother and Alice. They had started up from packing. One glance at the suffering expressed in his mother's face was enough to steady Pan. The door opened with a jerk.
”That you--Pan?” called his father, with agitation.
”n.o.body else, Dad,” replied Pan, trying to calm his voice. ”Tell Mother I'm here safe and sound.”
His mother heard and answered with a low cry of relief.
”Dad, come out.... Shut the door,” returned Pan sharply.
Once outside his father saw the great flare of light above the town.
”Look! What's that? Must be fire!” he burst out.
”Reckon it is fire,” returned Pan shortly. ”Blinky shot out the lamps in the Yellow Mine. Fire must have caught from that.”
”Yellow Mine!” echoed Smith, staring in momentary stupefaction.
Pan laid a heavy hand on him. It was involuntary, an expression of a sudden pa.s.sion rising in Pan. He had a question to put that almost stifled him.
”Lucy! ... Did she--come home?” he forced out.
”Sure. Didn't you know? She was home when I got here at noon. Son, I bought all our outfit in no time.”
”What did Lucy tell you?”
”Nothin' much,” replied his father, in earnest wonder. ”She was in an awful state. Said she couldn't go because you were not dead ... poor girl! She had hysterics. But mother got her quieted down by suppertime.”
”Where is she now?”
”In bed, I reckon. Leastways she's in her room.”
”Dad, does she know? But of course she couldn't ... nor could you!”
”Son, I know aplenty,” replied his father, solemnly. ”Lucy told mother when she saw you come to the stagecoach that it nearly killed her.
They believed you dead--mother an' Lucy.... She told how you threw Hardman out of the stage on to the street. Said she almost fainted then. But she came to in time to see you kick him--drive him off.”
”Is that all she knows?” queried Pan.
”Reckon it is. I know more, but I didn't tell her,” replied Smith, lowering his voice to a whisper. ”I heard about them drivin' Matthews out to meet you.... McCormick told me you hadn't lost any friends.”
”Ah-huh!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Pan somberly. ”Well, better tell Lucy at once....
Reckon that's best--the sooner the better.”
”Tell Lucy what?” asked Smith anxiously.