ly, coldly;
and the discreet physician said ah, and that she would find Bennington
quite a change from Bear Creek.

But Mrs. Taylor spoke otherwise, and at that the girl said: "I shall
stay as long as I am needed. I will nurse him. I want to nurse him. I
will do everything for him that I can!" she exclaimed, with force.

"And that won't be anything, deary," said Mrs. Taylor, harshly. "A year
of nursing don't equal a day of sweetheart."

The girl took a walk,--she was of no more service in the room at
present,--but she turned without going far, and Mrs. Taylor spied her
come to lean over the pasture fence and watch the two horses--that one
the Virginian had "gentled" for her, and his own Monte. During this
suspense came a new call for the doctor, neighbors profiting by his
visit to Bear Creek; and in his going away to them, even under promise
of quick return, Mrs. Taylor suspected a favorable sign. He kept his
word as punctually as had been possible, arriving after some six hours
with a confident face, and spending now upon the patient a care not
needed, save to reassure the bystanders. He spoke his opinion that all
was even better than he could have hoped it would be, so soon. Here was
now the beginning of the fifth day; the wound's look was wholesome, no
further delirium had come, and the fever had abated a degree while he
was absent. He believed the serious danger-line lay behind, and (short
of the unforeseen) the man's deep untainted strength would reassert
its control. He had much blood to make, and must be cared for during
weeks--three, four, five--there was no saying how long yet. These next
few days it must be utter quiet for him; he must not talk nor hear
anything likely to disturb him; and then the time for cheerfulness and
gradual company would come--sooner than later, the doctor hoped. So
he departed, and sent next day some bottles, with further cautions
regarding the wound and dirt, and to say he should be calling the day
after to-morrow.

Upon that occasion he found two patients. Molly Wood lay in bed at Mrs.
Taylor's, filled with apology and indignation. With little to do, and
deprived of the strong stimulant of anxiety and action, her strength
had quite suddenly left her, so that she had spoken only in a sort of
whisper. But upon waking from a long sleep, after Mrs. Taylor had taken
her firmly, almost severely, in hand, her natural voice had returned,
and now the chief treatment the doctor gave her wa