sin' at somethin', an' it made me dizzy. 'Twas the heat, I
guess. Where'd you find me?"

"In the kitchen."

"An' you managed to bring me here?"

Her niece hesitated.

"Yes," she answered firmly.

Ellen paused and with dread the girl awaited her next question. But no
question came. Either the clouded mind was in too vague a mood to grasp
details, or the invalid did not care. She seemed to be thinking.

"So I fell," she repeated at last.

"Yes."

Again there was a pause, and during the stillness Lucy plainly heard the
sound of approaching wagon wheels. It must be Martin with the doctor. She
rose softly.

"Where you goin'?" demanded her aunt.

"Just downstairs a minute. I think the doctor----"

"You didn't send Tony for the doctor!" the invalid exclaimed, a feeble
querulousness vibrating in the words.

"Yes; I didn't know what else to do."

"He can't help any."

"Perhaps he can."

"I tell you he can't," snapped Ellen. "I know well enough what's the
matter with me without bein' told. I've had a shock. My feet are all cold
and numb: I can't feel nothin' in 'em, nor move 'em. There ain't no remedy
for that. You're only wastin' money gettin' the man here to tell me what I
already know. I shan't see him."

Lucy waited a moment.

"I'm sorry I sent for him if you don't want him," she said. "But now that
he is here, don't you think he'd better come up? We don't need to have him
come again."

Ellen did not respond at once. Then with more animation than she had
exhibited, she said:

"I s'pose we'll have to pay him whether he comes up or not, so I may's
well get my money's worth out of him. Go and fetch him. He'll likely be
tickled to death to see with his own eyes how bad off I am so'st he can go
back an' blab the news in the village. Folks will be thankful to have
something new to talk about."

Lucy could not but smile at the characteristic remark. She went out and
soon returned with Doctor Marsh tiptoeing gingerly behind her.

He was a heavy, florid man whom the combination of heat and speed had
transformed into a panting mechanism. Mopping the beads of perspiration
from his brow, he started to seat himself at Ellen's bedside, but the
woman waved him off.

"Don't come any nearer," she called, "and don't bring that bag of pills
and plasters in here, either. I shan't need nothin' you've got. I know
that well's you do; an' I know better'n you do that there ain't no help
for me. You needn't stay, an' you