Part 26 (2/2)

She turned away, walked idly through the garden, and entered the kitchen again. Presently Tom heard the crackle of branches, and Jasper, his eyes and mouth wide open, came through the bushes.

”Here, Jasper,” said Tom. ”Come on-I won't hurt you.” The boy had stopped, suddenly terror-stricken. ”Come on, Jasper.” He approached cautiously, step by step, holding a package before him. He dropped it when Tom put his hand out, and hurried back a few feet. ”Now, Jasper, you go right back to your mammy again,” said Tom. ”Don't say a word to anyone.”

Jasper nodded vigorously, then fled.

In the package Tom found bread and chicken. At first he revolted at the odor of food, then his appet.i.te awoke and he wanted to wolf it down. But he ate slowly, making his way toward the wood as Marjorie had said. He stopped beside the stream, where he could watch for her.

Soon he caught a glimpse of her white dress, and he called. She hurried toward him.

”I read all about it in the Atlanta paper,” she said. ”You were in the railroad raid, weren't you?”

”Yes.”

”I knew.... Oh, you're all wet. What happened to you? Oh, Tom!”

”Wet?” he said. ”I've been wet for so long I've forgotten about it. You sit down there where you can see if anyone is coming.” He pointed to a log. ”I'll lie here and rest.” He wrapped his cape about him, and stretched out on the ground. ”I didn't want to come here, Marjorie, for fear I'd get you into trouble, but I was starved into it. Will you forgive me?”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”I didn't want to come here, Marjorie, for fear I'd get you into trouble.”]

”Oh, I'm glad you came. I've been worrying ever since you left. I didn't know what you were going to do, and I was afraid you'd be caught. Then the news of the raid and the stolen engine came. I knew that you were one of the men. Uncle didn't guess it until yesterday when he read about it in the Atlanta paper. Tell me about it-please!”

”What did your uncle say? How did he guess that I was one of them?”

”The paper said that some of the men were captured, and that they told the story about coming from Kentucky. When Uncle read that, he ... he....”

”What did he do?”

”He swore terribly,” answered Marjorie. ”Aunty sent me from the room. But tell me about it. Oh, what's the matter, Tom?”

He had risen on his elbows, then fallen back on the ground. ”Nothing,” he said. ”I'm dizzy, that's all. Every once in a while it strikes me. Wait a second, and I'll be all right.”

She knelt beside him and touched his forehead. ”You're feverish,” she said.

”Oh, Tom ... I ... can't I do anything?”

”Feveris.h.!.+” exclaimed Tom. ”I'm so cold that I can't move. I'm frozen!” His teeth were chattering, and he commenced to s.h.i.+ver. ”I'll be all right in a minute. Guess I'd better get up.” He arose, then sat down abruptly on the log, for his legs felt too weak to support him. ”I'm sorry, Marjorie,” he said. ”I'm pretty tired.”

She watched him, too alarmed to speak. She exclaimed: ”But you are feverish, Tom. Oh, I didn't know. I might have seen that you were sick....”

The rest of her words were lost in the great buzzing noise which filled his head. Everything turned black before him-black filled with a thousand shooting colors; then the world gave a vicious lurch which toppled him over. He awoke, flat on the ground, with Marjorie leaning above him, crying and dabbing his forehead with a wet handkerchief.

”Fainted!” he mumbled disgustedly. ”Fool to faint!” He closed his eyes again to rid himself of dizziness. ”Big baby! Sorry, Marjorie.”

”You must come to the house, Tom,” cried Marjorie. ”It doesn't make any difference about Uncle. I'll tell him that he must take you in. He must!... he must!”

”No-be all right in a minute. Terribly hot! Take this cape off.” He tried to get out of the cape, but she stopped him. ”It's too hot,” he protested, but he let her draw the cape up more tightly about him.

”Won't you let me take you to the house?” she begged.

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