to
come o' me, left withaat onybody to care for me?'

Owd Stooansnatch could say nowt for a long time, but at last he sed,
'Bessy, put thi hand in his pocket for th' door kay. Aw think aw'd
better fotch a doctor.'

Bessy felt backward at putting her hand i' his pocket, but shoo did soa,
an' handed th' kay to her fayther, an' in a varry short time he wor
hobblin off for a doctor.

Bessy kept bathing his heead, an' in a while he slowly oppened his een
an' luk'd raand. 'Ha does ta feel, Joa?' axed Bessy, in a voice as
tender as if shoo'd been talkin to a babby. 'Whativer will thi mother
say?'

This sooart o' tawk browt Joa to his senses. 'Well, Bessy,' he sed, 'my
mother tell'd me aw wor gooin cracked bat aw think awm brokken nah.
Whear's thi fayther?'

'Gooan for a doctor; he thinks tha'rt killed, an' he's terrified aght ov
his wits.'

'Well, if my heead worn't pratty thick, aw should ha done sellin
puttates. But, Bessy, if aw come raand all reight will ta be mi wife?
Tell me that?'

'Hold thi noise; tha munnot talk--sithee ha thi heead's bleedin.'

'Neer heed it! My heart'll bleed too if tha willn't ha me;--nah, lass,
what says ta?'

'Tha knows mi fayther'll niver agree to it, soa what's th' use o'
talkin.'

'But will ta agree to it if he does? That's what aw want to know?'

'If tha'll nobbut hold thi noise aw'll agree to owt;--tha luks moor like
burryin nor weddin.'

'Well, that's settled, an' aw'll tell thi ha aw con get top-side o'th'
old man. Dunnot say a word abaat me havin come raand, an' when th'
doctor comes aw'll put him up to a thing.'

Just then th' door oppen'd, an' Stooansnatch an' th' doctor coom in. Joa
shut his een an' tried to luk as deead as he could. Th' doctor felt his
pulse, an' luk'd at his heead, an' sed, 'we must get this man to bed, it
seems to me that his skull is fractured.'

'Do yo think he's likely to dee?' axed Stooansnatch.

'Well, it's very doubtful; it's a bad case, but we must make the best of
it, so help me to get him to bed.'

They all three tuk hold on him, an' wi' a deeal o' trouble managed to
get him into Bessy's room, an' to bed. 'Now then, get some brandy an'
some stickin plaister,--Bessy can fetch it.'

'Na, aw'll fotch it; aw con get it cheaper,' sed Stooansnatch. An' off
he went, wonderin ha mich he could save aght o'th' hauf craan Joa'd gien
him.

As sooin as he'd gooan, Joa oppened his een, an' raisin hissen up on his
elbow an' winkin at th' doctor,